Horse Question!?

Question

What is the purpose of a standing and running martingale and why aren't they allowed in dressage?

Answer 1

martingals are a training add and a support used to keep horses heads down. dressage riders arnt allowed them because it would help there horse go on the bit when they is suposed to know how to do that already

Answer 2

I find martingales as more of a training device than anything. They are not allowed in dressage because one of the point in dressage is to show the disipline that your horse posseses. They are more used in jumping and such.

Answer 3

They are considered to be "artificial aids"

Martingales help to prevent the horse from raising it's head above the angle of control. A horse which is trained in dressage should not be showing any form of resistance and, as such should not need a martingale to correct a problem.

Answer 4

A standing martingale is used to keep the horse from lifting his head to high while the running martingale is used to lower the horse's head.

They aren't allowed in dressage because you're suppose to be able to control that without any devices.

Answer 5

some horses can get out of contol with their heads! I used to ride this young gelding and when i was jumping a course he would through his head up so high his head would be sticking streight upand down. It is so hard to control a horse that does that so people use standing martingales to keep the head down. Without the martingale, once the horses head is past a certain point it is almost impossible to get it under contol again. I dont exactly know what the running martingale is for though.

I LIKE ALLICE"S ANSWER!

Answer 6

TB eventer! answered your question perfectly but I would like to add that standing martingales are used with hunters over fences (running martingales are prohibited). Running martingales are used most often used with Show Jumping and Cross Country where (for the most part) standing martingales are prohibited.

EDIT: A properly adjusted running martingale only comes into action when a horse throws his head up. If the horse is traveling normaly or is on the bit it shouldnt come into play (unless overly tightened)

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A standing martingale seems rather pointless to me because it will not hold a horses head in the "proper" place unless it is way over tightened but is still commonly used in the hunter ring (my horse even wears a loose one occasionally). Its main purpose is to hold the horses head down if it is thrown up in the riders face.

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Neither of these tools should be used to teach any form of headset (you would have to have them WAY to tight) but some morons still try to do it occasionally.They are used as precautions. Practical Horseman did a great artical on running martingales once but I dont remember the issue #.

Answer 7

They are both artificial aids used by some in training their horses to carry their heads lower...they aren't allowed in many competitions including dressage because they are considered to be training aids and not appropriate equipment for finished horses.

Answer 8

i may be wrong. . . but to me martingales are training devices, i have seen them (running) in jumping and other sports, but dressage is how the rider and horse move together in balance ect. . . anyway, i have used a german martingale in training for dressage but not in the show ring b/c it was a training aid.  but as for the "real" reason, i'm not 100% sure other then you shouldnt have to use a training device for a show. (like taking the training wheels off)

i'm not sure but that's my best guess.

edit:

a training(the martingale) device teaches the horse how/where it's head/body should be for proper riding/balance ect. . . it's like riding a bike, you put training wheels on until you get the feel for balancing and staying upright (how your body should be in a correct position to ride the bike) and then you take the wheels off. . . with a horse riders/trainers can use the martingale to teach the horse what position it should be in and then once they get the basics down take it off and it be a "finished" horse.

Answer 9

martingales are supposed to keep the horses head down and are used in western. in dressage, you are expected to do this already in dressage, so it is not allowed for that reason.

Answer 10

I think the martingale is considered western tack.  Dressage is of course not western, which is probably why they don't allow it.  I think the martingale is a means for keeping the horse on the bit.  In dressage, the horse is supposed to be trained well enough to stay on the bit without any mechanical means.

Answer 11

Martingales keep the horse from throwing it's head. Jumpers don't teach thier horses collection because when you are jumping, the minute you go over the jump, the collection is lost. It would be very hard to get your horse collected in the short time when you are cantering between jumps. Also, martingales sort of force the horses head down, making it look somewhat collected (I would know I did jumping for three years! Thankfully I have become an avid student of dressage.) And yes, I do agree with you about martingales being a substitute for real riding. In jumping it is understandable(ish), but in things like hunt-seat that is just pure laziness.

I hope I sufficiently answered your question!

Answer 12

I honestly have forgotten the difference between the two martingales. I do know that show jumpers and grand prix riders use them a lot. They are frowned upon in hunters though. You are supposed to be able to guide your horse in hunt seat with minimal training aids. I've been to some shows where crops weren't even allowed. In dressage the performance is all about obedience and elegance. It's supposed to look effortless also with minimal training aids. I mean a martingale would totally take away from the elegance part of a dressage performance.

Answer 13

a standing martingale simply holds a horses head down, the rider has no control of this device, and it can be quite dangerous due to this.

a running martingale has the same purpose, to bring a horses head down, but this is controlled by the rider and dynamic according to what the rider does with the reins.  It only comes into action when the horses head is too high, and it alters the direction of the reins in order to encourage a lower head.  Used mostly for horses that bolt/run with their heads up so that the rider can get control when need be.

they are not allowed in dressage because they are "artificial aids" and are grouped with pelham/gag bits as a crutch that alters a horses performance..

EDIT: to you add, yes, basically, but the running martingale can be a life saver for some horses.  (like my own..) i event, so i compete in dressage, but i always ride my horse with a running martingale (except the day before the show, and the show) because he learned how to put his head up in the air and bolt before he came to me, its something you can't un-teach so my horse wasn't made into glue because i use a running martingale.. he still carries his own head, its just a matter of keeping it down so the bit will work in his mouth..

but the standing martingale is often fitted to HOLD a horses head down, while a running martingale can never do this