Proper Use of a Running Martingale

Martingale is a term used to describe horse tack designed to control how the horse carries his head. Many riding and driving disciplines utilize martingales. There are several names for the types of martingales available, including the standing, running, cowboy, German, Irish, bib and hunting breastplate martingale. Martingales are designed to act either with the bit or with the nose band in training a horse to hold its head properly.

  1. What is a Running Martingale?

    • The running martingale (also called training forks in the Western discipline) is designed to keep the horse from raising his head too high or throwing it about. This training device should only be used with a snaffle bit for safety reasons, because the amount of leverage and pressure it provides can be quite severe if used with a curb bit. The running martingale should always be accompanied by rein stops, which slip onto the reins between the bit and the martingale ring. Rein stops will prevent the martingale from sliding forward too far and getting caught on the bit.

    How is it put together?

    • The running martingale, (also called rings), is made of a strap attached to the girth that passes between the horse̵7;s front legs and divides into two separate straps (also called forks). There is a small metal ring at the end of each of these forks for the reins to pass through. The running martingale is held in position by either a neck strap or a breastplate.

    How does it work?

    • The running martingale can be adjusted so that, when the horse̵7;s head is in a normal position, there is about an inch of slack in each fork. Reins should make a straight line from the bit ring to the rider̵7;s hand when the horse̵7;s head is in a normal position and the martingale is not engaged. The running martingale will add leverage through the reins to the bit bars when the horse raises his head above the desired height. This creates strong enough pressure to encourage the horse to lower his head. The freedom provided by a running martingale as opposed to a standing martingale will allow the rider to give slack in the reins if the horse should trip or require full use of his head and neck.

    Where is it used?

    • The running martingale has safety features which have made it the only style of martingale allowed in eventing competitions and horse racing. The freedom provided by the running martingale make it the preference of show jumpers. The running martingale is an excellent training tool for many disciplines, especially saddle seat and western riding.