ridecamp@endurance.net: martingales

martingales

Blankenship, Ann (ABlankenship@commerce.ca.gov)
Tue, 23 Sep 1997 16:27:00 -0700

I couldn't agree more with Liz on the subject of tying down the head. I
really hate seeing an otherwise "nice" horse leaning on a martingale,
ewe-necked, hollow backed , and all out of balance. I think a little
time in the (I know its boring) arena goes a long way toward teaching
the horse not to lean on whatever's on his head. They can lean on the
sidepull as well as on the bit. If your horse is resisting your cues,
work on those half halts, work on that soft jaw. And if you don't know
what those things are, ask someone who does. Get a book. Rent a video.
You'll be delighted at how much better it feels if your arms aren't
pulled out of the sockets. Pony will thank you.

And while I'm ranting, I hate mechanical hackamores. They encourage the
nose to come up. Hollow back, unhappy pony, etc. etc. I know some
folks with soft hands and well trained horses do very well in mechanical
hackamores, but there are a lot more that don't. End of rant.

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