Re: Re: Training ride today

["Karen Sullivan" <greymare@jps.net>]

> At 10:18 PM 9/12/00 -0700, Sue B wrote:
> >My question is:  WHY is she [Sheila Varian] using them?  To keep their
> >head down...keep them from rearing...change the action of the snaffle?  I
> >don't know.  I'm seriously curious
>
> You'd have to ask Sheila, but as been posted, she doesn't seem to use
> martingales on trail horses.  Lif
>
 A year or so ago I talked to Sheila about a gelding she had for
sale........she told me all about how her potential trail/saddle horses
often get sent out for training on a working cattle ranch........come back
in 30 days a very well trained, sensible horse.

I got the impression that despite all her awards for halter, and showing
Western and Park, PLUS her reining championsiops------that she was an
extremely down-to-earth and common-sense trainer.

If she uses a running martingale, I figure she knows what she is doing!

As far as the old arguments on if martingales are gimmicks; all horses
should be able to be ridden in snaffles or rope halters; this stuff is all
crap!  All horses are different and have different back grounds.
Some do NOT have the mouth shape or are comfortable in snaffles!

Some horses LIKE curbs!

Bottom line, no one has the right, or it is any of their business to judge
what I use to ride MY horse!!

BTW-taked last week to a client of a very well respected trainer in my neck
of the woods-she rode out her 3 year old paint with us-very nicely trained
and calm. She had a running martingale that did not come into play unless
the horse REALLY raised his head.  She said this trainer routinely used
them, didn't want the horses to learn they could poke their nose up in the
air........

Frankly, I have seen many more horses that could benefit from one, than I
have seen abuses from them!

Karen