BITS AND BRIDLES. 143 



The Inference to be drawn from this is that the 

 necessity for the use of a standing martingale depends 

 on the conformation of the forehand. 



The rule I have laid down about allowing ponies 

 which stop best with their heads in the air a long 

 standing martingale, cannot be of universal application, 

 because such wonderful performers as the famous team 

 in India captained by the Maharajah of Jodhpur play 

 their ponies with very short standing martingales, tied 

 on to the nose band. The bridles they use have only 

 a curb rein, and are without bridoons. They ride 

 with a slack rein. Their method as regards Arabs 

 must be sound ; for no ponies in the world are handier 

 or more perfectly trained. 



No definite rule as to the length of a martingale can 

 be laid down ; so an intelligent study must be made 

 of each pony's requirements, and the owner must find 

 out for himself what will best suit particular cases. If 

 his pony star-gazes with a long martingale, he must 

 shorten it. If, as may often occur, the pony will not go 

 up to his bit with a short martingale, it must be 

 lengthened. As far as my own experience goes with 

 English ponies, I find that I have to ride the majority 

 of young ones with a short martingale when training 

 them. I lengthen it to play them in a game, and, 

 as a rule, dispense with it altogether when they are 

 thoroughly trained. 



I have seen very few Arabs which do not go better 

 with a standing martingale than without one. I 

 once possessed an Arab which I could not keep 

 on a polo ground at all until his former owner told 

 me that the animal's muzzle had to be strapped to 

 within six inches of his chest. I followed his direc- 



