Breath of fresh air!

[Wally]

My Norwegian judge friend!...... eml you'd like him!

he has been judging riding club stuff and cannot understand why folk turn up to shows in American gags, 3 ring gags, martingales, etc.etc.

He has been asking them why they have the bit or the bit of kit on and has been placing the snaffle users and the like at the top of the line!

9 times out of ten they cannot tell you why they have a certain bit of kit on and what its use is!

 

[happyhacker101]

Brilliant - could do with a few more judges just like him!

 

[notpoodle]

i am not surprised most of them don't know why they have all the gear!! every time I go to a show there WILL be a jumping ring filled with little ponies in Grackles, 3 rings gags and martingales ... when they go (fly!!) round they apear to be bolting around a set of jumps, which does not come across as terribly well schooled :frown:

 

[Lemme]

Most of the shows we have done stipulate to be shown in Snaffle or pelham if on double reins - no other bit is acceptable under the showing rules, martingales or breastplates not allowed - these are not RC shows so it may be different- our Mare is strong and at home we use a stronger bit on her - but when she was shown we used the pelham where we were allowed to, otherwise snaffle and a lot of strong riding.....

 

[Sparky Lily]

Does he appreciate honest answers?

I always rode with a breast plate (no martingale attachment), not because Harvey or his saddle needed one - but rather because I then had something to hold on to! Of course, knowing I had something gave me more confidence, so I did not have to use it very often. But at least I was always honest about why I had this apparently unnecessary piece of tack .

I suspect that some of the different bits are more for rider confidence than horse control. I'm a bit more tolerant of that than Fashion statements!

 

[Skib]

I hack in a martingale and I have no idea why.
It is a riding school mare whose only dangerous tendency is to put her head right down when she is running away with one.
But I was told it was for client safety so just one incident with one student can lead to extra tack for ever?
Does a martingale stop a horse bucking you off?

 

[Wally]

....but a martingale won't make an iota of difference on a hoovering horse!

 

[Feffie]

Martingales are more intended to stop the horses going around like a giraffe to evade the bit, or I believe so?

 

[eml]

Martingales are often used by Riding Schools merely to provide a neckstrap...we use old stirrup leathers for the same purpose!!