Re: RC: RE: Running Martingales

[Truman Prevatt <tprevatt@mindspring.com>]

An option to the martingale is to go with a mild pelham (short shanks and
mullen mouth) with double reins. The snaffle rein is normally used but
if the horse does get away from you the curb can be used to reinforce the
que.

I rode the mare with this setup for years and have a young one that I can tell you right now will be ridden with double reins. The double reins are not difficult to deal with once you get a little practice and you do have a spare set of reins if a snap breaks.

Truman

Kathy Mayeda wrote:

> You
> are absolutely right on this point about using the seat.  But this
> horse has will just lean against the bit and fight when I set my hands
> if  he's in race horse mode.  This is a horse with strong race
> horse genetics, remember? Like several generations of selection for flat
> racing in Russia and Poland, huh?  I was sitting down hard, leaning
> a little back and using the one handed pulley rein a couple of times when
> he's in runaway mode.  Other times, I can just sit back and slow him
> from a gallop to a canter with just sitting upright into the seat. 
> I can stop him from a canter in two strides during a pleasure ride just
> using my seat.  (But I brain freeze while in the arena and can't do
> proper canter departs...)I,
> too, am thinking that the kimberwicke would be better ergonomically. 
> But inquiring minds want to know more about running martingales. 
> I know it doesn't mean that they are right because some riders use them,
> but since so many riders do use them, it can't be all that bad.  I
> bet most of the pathologies you mention come from incorrrect usage of the
> device, rather than the device itself.K.