Re: Running Martingales

[CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com]

In a message dated 1/9/99 4:05:57 PM Pacific Standard Time,
horsetrails@inficad.com writes:

<< I've seen two horses in the past year go down because of trips with a 
 running martingale on.  Don't know if any martingale is safe on the trail.
 
 
                                   Cheryl Newbanks >>

Cheryl makes another excellent point here.  With a running martingale, a rider
has so much leverage that unless one can overcome reflex and "throw slack"
when a horse gets into trouble, it is VERY easy to confine the horse's head so
much that they cannot overcome a trip and will go down.  With standing
martingales (tie-downs) I have seen MANY horses take nasty falls--the rider
has NO control over what happens with these--but the same effect often happens
with a running martingale in a clutch.  Again, to me these are training tools,
to be used carefully and in specific circumstances, but NOT something to be
part of day-to-day tack without VERY good reason.

Heidi