MARTINGALES. 101 



so as to allow the direction of the pull of the reins to be a 

 little, say three inches, below the top of the withers. But 

 with animals that keep their heads sufficiently low, the 

 martingale should be somewhat longer, so as not to cramp 

 the action of the head, A rider, b}^ an extra expendi- 

 ture of strength, may keep his hands low enough to be 

 able to dispense with a martingale for holding the horse's 

 head down, but, do what he chooses, he will not have the 

 same command over him. I am here, of course, refer- 

 ring to flippant, free goers, and not to slugs. 



I strongly advocate the use of the running mar- 

 tingale. 



It being as necessary to keep the horse's head down, 

 and to ride him up to his bridle, with a curb as with 

 a snaffle, the martingale is as equally applicable to the 

 reins of the one, as to those of the other. 



A not very efficient substitute for a martingale may be 

 improvised by passing the reins, under the horse's neck, 

 through a single ring, or through two rings attached 

 together by a strap. This arrangement is sometimes 

 called an Irish martingale. 



Its disadvantage is, that, with it on, the animal can- 

 not be as readily turned to the right or left, as when 

 the running martingale is employed, because the lateral 

 pull of either rein is not in a straight line, unless, indeed, 

 the other one be let go altogether; an action utterly 

 opposed to good horsemanship. 



A standing martingale should be used only with 

 horses that require some such restraint to prevent 

 them throwing their heads up, or for some feats of 

 manage riding. 



