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A martingale is a piece of tack used on horses to control head carriage. It is seen in the jumping disciplines: show jumping, eventing, and hunter seat riding, as well as in polo. Martingales are not allowed in the sport of dressage.
The two most common types of martingale, the standing and the running, are used to control the horse's head, and to prevent the horse from throwing his head so high that the rider gets hit in the face by the neck. When the horse's head gets above the point of control, the martingale places pressure on the head so the horse cannot raise it higher.
The Standing Martingale
The standing martingale consists of a yoke that goes around the horse's neck, and two straps that attach to the bottom of the yoke, at the point where the horse's neck meets his chest. One of these straps runs between the horse's legs and attaches to the girth, the other strap runs up and attaches to the noseband of the bridle. Both straps, as well as the yoke, are adjustable in length.
When the horse raises his head above the desired point, the martingale's slack is taken up and pressure is placed on the horse's nose. The standing martingale is preferred by hunt-seat riders, fox hunters, and in polo.
A standing martingale should be adjusted so the strap that runs to the noseband can almost touch the throat of the horse when pushed up after attached.
The martingale strap should never be attached to a drop noseband or to the flash strap of a flash noseband. It should also not be attached to a figure-eight noseband. It can however be attached to the caveson (the thick strap) of a flash noseband.
The cross where the straps meet should have a rubber ring around it, to keep the straps from slipping. This stops the yoke from flying over the horse's head.
The Running Martingale
The running martingale is similar to the standing in that it has a yoke and a strap that runs between the horse's legs to the girth. However, the other strap forks along its length with a ring at each end, through which a rein is run.
When the horse raises his head above the desired point, the martingale puts pressure on the reins, which presses the bit on the bars of the horse's mouth. This causes the horse to lower his head.
A running martingale provides more freedom for the horse. If a horse happens to trip on landing after a fence, the rider can slide the reins and the horse will have full use of his head and neck. Because of this, only a running martingale is permitted for use in United States eventing competitions. Show jumpers also prefer the running martingale to the standing.
A running martingale must be used with rein stops, which are rubber or leather stops placed on the rein between the bit and the ring of the martingale. If not used, the martingale can slide and get caught on the bit ring, trapping the horse's head and risking a fall. If rein stops are not used with a running martingale, a rider may be disqualified from a United States eventing competition.
A running martingale is adjusted so that each of the "forks" has about an inch of slack when the horse holds his head in the normal position. The reins should always make a straight line to the bit ring when the running martingale is not in effect.
The Irish Martingale
The Irish martingale consists of a strap with a ring on either end. The reins are run through the ring on their side, before being buckled. The Irish martingale's purpose is not to control the head, but to prevent the reins from coming over the horse's head should a rider fall.
The Irish martingale is rarely seen, and is most commonly used in horse racing, especially steeplechase, where falls are numerous.
To Control Rearing
Another use for the martingale is to prohibit a horse from rearing. Since this device stops the horse from raising his head high, the horse is then unable to rear. Used primarily on young horses.
"Martingale (tack)"