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 Expert
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Location: Somewhere around here | If you run your horse around the barrels in a German Martingale can you tell me what led you to do that and why it works for your horse? |
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 Take a Picture
Posts: 12842
 
| Mine was pulling on me and maybe not as responsive to the bit as I like. (That was just for running). I use it often when I go back to basics. My horse is 13. He is professionally trained. I have owned him all his life. Yes we still do basics every chance we get. That way I stay in control. They are not just for the green horse. |
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| streakysox - 2017-09-18 4:46 PM
Mine was pulling on me and maybe not as responsive to the bit as I like. (That was just for running). I use it often when I go back to basics. My horse is 13. He is professionally trained. I have owned him all his life. Yes we still do basics every chance we get. That way I stay in control. They are not just for the green horse.
I second this. A German is always good to have for a refresher, and I knew a gal that warmed her horse up in a German and then switched reins before she ran, so her horse could maintain that 'feel' going in to a run; it kept him honest in the run and her light in her hands. |
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| I wouldn't run a finished horse in one, personally, but if I felt it was beneficial to keep one soft in the training process I'd consider it.
I keep it close as a tool to soften one up, usually pair it with a loose ring snaffle, ride it for 4 or a half dozen rides and take it off and evaluate. Slow work, drills, and cruising at home without touching them much to evaluate what we've learned.
Personally - I think more than slow work can tend towards giving a person aggressive hands because you have to get through the martingale to get direct contact. If you feel the horse needs the martingale during a run then you must be experiencing some stiffness and bracing to begin with - which naturally makes us pull harder IMO. Not saying that you cant make a run in one but - I think you really have to be an aware and careful rider to make runs in it. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| I guess I do things backwards, I don't do slow work with it (I will get them used to it, but I don't use it to soften them).
When I start competing, I will put it on loose, if they panic and go to stick their nose in the air it will catch them and force the, to keep their form and allows me a little more time to assist them out of the situation. |
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Expert
Posts: 4766
Location: Bandera, TX | My horses were getting their nose away from the postion that is normally functional. They would hollow out in their backs and be in a very unathletic stance. We can't have that on fast horses. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 878
Location: "...way down south in the Everglades..." | uno-dos-tres! - 2017-09-18 11:48 PM My horses were getting their nose away from the postion that is normally functional. They would hollow out in their backs and be in a very unathletic stance. We can't have that on fast horses.
This! ^^
I don't use it on many, but I've used it competitively for a handful in both barrels and jumpers. Typically my more hyped, nervous types that would just get overly excited in competition.
As for training, it certainly has it's purposes too.
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