BARRELHORSE USA - 2015-10-05 1:17 AM The problem with any type of martingale or tie down is the horse owner // trainer misunderstanding how to use one. They are not to tie a horses head down with face perpendicular to the ground like the ones you see all the time in the arena .. German martingales have adjustment holes to set at correct length all the others are dependent on rider having soft hands and knowing the purpose of the martingale .... tie downers just want to suck that head down between old horses legs thinking this gives them control of their horse .. A running horse needs to stick his nose out to run or use his head for balance when making a turn and there is no such thing as a horse being collected while running ... remember the old saying... A HORSE WILL FOLLOW HIS NOSE .... Pay attention to the top dawgs and how they use them ... they are used loosely with enough slack so a horse bumps his nose if his jaw line gets above his withers .... and a perfect fit is when horse learns they can use it for head balance making their turns. Next to barrel racers and ropers the worst abusers are race track exercise riders .. they will have horses chin pressed against chest while doing his weekly training gallops which is comfortable rocking chair ride for the exercise rider and is Ok with horse because he is learning how to run slow instead of working at full stride length. Trainers and owners seem to be perfectly dumb how their horse won their first couple of races and then will lose their explosive speed due to how they are being exercised ... this is when they start using drugs, miracle supplements and joint injections .. sound familiar?? Barrel racing and track racing has one similarity ... both are controlled stampedes with crazy eyed fearless riders trying to kill themselves .... lol ..

Itsme - 2015-10-04 4:43 PM So, 99% on here say to train them "correctly" but 95% run in a tie down to correct a training issue...