THE MARTINGALE. 233 



catch on the buckles, which might lead to a serious 

 accident with an impetuous horse. 



Fig. 32. 



. When the martingale is used with the double bridle, 

 it is almost always put on the bridoon reins. When it is 

 employed with a double reined snaffle, the lower reins 

 should be passed through the martingale rings. In 

 ordinary riding, two reins are used with a snaffle and 

 martingale ; while the Newmarket custom with race- 

 horses is to have only one rein on the snaffle, whether a 

 martingale be employed or not. It being as necessary 

 to keep a horse's head in position, and to ride him up to 

 his bridle, with a curb as with a snaffle, the martingale 

 is as applicable to the reins '©if the former as it is to those 

 of the latter, always supposing that, with the curb, the 

 martingale is lengthened sufficiently out, so as to allow 

 the pull of the reins to be clear of the top of the withers. 



