94 



BITS AND BRIDLE GEAR. 



hacking, school riding and breaking, that a standing martin- 

 gale fixed to the snaffle, acts much better than one which is 

 attached to the nose-band ; the reason evidently being that 

 the horse is able to bear on the latter without pain, but not 

 on the former. Hence, in the use of the standing martingale 

 which is connected with the nose-band, the instructive effect of 

 punishment is lost. Polo players, as a rule, prefer to have the 



Fig. 104. Maximum length of Standing Martingale. 



standing martingale on the nose-band ; because, as they say, 

 the pony's mouth is apt to get too much pulled about, if it 

 is on the snaffle. Probably this is a valid objection against 

 the use of this martingale on the snaffle in a game at which 

 the animal gets many inadvertent jobs in the mouth. As 

 I am not a polo player, I shall limit the following re- 

 marks on standing martingales to those which are fixed 

 to the snaffle. Owing to the severity and sharp action of a 



