Standing or running martingale?

The My New Horse editors at EQUUS describe it as tack used in both English and Western riding, usually leather, and often chosen for a horse that carries his head high or tosses it. The point they give is to prevent bit evasion and to keep a head from coming up into the rider's face. They add that a lower head carriage is part of what some disciplines look for.

One caution from that same piece is worth saying first: length matters. A martingale that is too long becomes useless, and one that is too short may teach the horse to lean on it for balance and can restrict how he moves, especially over fences. EQUINE Ink's Liz Goldsmith makes a similar point from the other side. She says riders sometimes adjust a martingale to force a head position, and calls that inappropriate. A martingale is a limit, not a way to build a frame.

There are two main types, and the difference is where the strap ends up. We'll take them one at a time.

It has a neck strap around the base of the neck to keep it in place. EQUUS says it doesn't affect the horse until he lifts his head high enough to take up the slack, and then he feels the pull of the strap against the noseband. EQUINE Ink adds that it acts when a horse tosses his head or inverts, and that it should be adjusted so it doesn't interfere with normal head carriage.

Where do you see them? EQUUS names show hunters, fox hunting and polo. Both sources also report a restriction: standing martingales are not allowed on the cross-country phase of eventing. EQUUS gives the reason that they can be dangerous if a horse falls and catches a leg in one. EQUINE Ink's author goes further and calls it the more dangerous of the two, and says she thinks it's too risky to use while hunting. That is one rider's view, and EQUUS doesn't say the same. It does tell you why eventing rule books treat it differently.

Because it attaches to the noseband, it also changes how you look at your bridle. Our noseband guide covers which nosebands suit a martingale attachment.

EQUUS says it adds control by helping to stabilize the reins and by putting downward pressure on the bit. Unlike the standing type, it applies a constant slight pressure on the reins unless you're on a completely loose rein. EQUUS says you'll mostly see it in show jumping and the cross-country phase of eventing.

That ring-on-the-rein design is why rein stops are not optional. EQUUS says you need rubber or leather stops on the reins so the rings can't slide forward and catch on the bit. EQUINE Ink gives the same warning: always use rein stops.

EQUINE Ink's author, who hunts in a running martingale attached to a breastplate, reports that the extra leverage lets her ride in a milder bit. She also notes that a plain martingale whose neck strap isn't attached to the saddle can slip over a horse's head if he trips. Both are her experience, and worth knowing, but they aren't a substitute for a trainer checking your own setup.

EQUUS says that on either type you should be able to fit a hand between the top of the horse's neck and the neck strap. For a standing martingale, press the noseband strap up toward the throat: about a hand's width should fit between the leather and the throat. EQUINE Ink says the strap should fit up under the throatlatch with his head in a neutral position, and that it shouldn't be tight.

For a running martingale, EQUUS says the two ring straps should be long enough to reach the withers. EQUINE Ink asks for at least an inch of slack when the head is in neutral. The neck strap, the girth loop and the buckles are all adjustable, and EQUUS says you can punch extra holes if the strap needs to be shorter than the existing ones. A stopper on the martingale strap itself, often called a donut, keeps it from sliding through the neck strap and dangling between the front legs.

These are two sources' checks, not a standard, and they use slightly different words. Treat them as a starting point and have your trainer look at the finished setup. EQUUS recommends exactly that if you're unsure.

Here is what the sources we read say. EQUUS says running martingales are not allowed in dressage. Standing martingales are not allowed on the cross-country phase of eventing, per EQUUS and EQUINE Ink. If you're on the dressage side, our dressage bit page shows how to check a dressage rule before you buy.

For the jumper ring there's a related rule about training aids, not the martingales on this page. The Plaid Horse reported a USEF change, effective December 1, 2024 under JP 111.4, that bars draw reins and German martingales in jumper classes restricted to ponies, juniors or amateurs, or restricted by horse age. It's a reminder that tack rules sit with the governing body and the specific class, and that they get updated. We cover those aids in our training aids guide.

We can't tell you what's legal in your class. Your prize list and your rule book can.

They get mixed up because they share a neck strap and a girth loop, and plenty of breastplates have a running martingale attachment. Collegiate's Essential 5-Point Breastplate, for one, comes with a removable martingale attachment, and Collegiate also makes its Running Martingale IV and Raised Standing Martingale II as separate pieces. Shires Avignon sells a running martingale attachment that adds to just about any breastplate, along with standing and running martingales in padded, fancy-stitched leather.

One rider sums up the difference below. If your problem is a saddle that slips back, a breastplate is the tool. If it's a head that comes up, you're looking at a martingale. Some horses need both jobs done.

Passport, for example, says its plain raised standing and running martingales are measured from the center of the chest to the throatlatch and then to the noseband. It sells them in Pony, Cob, Horse and Large Horse. They're plain raised leather with nickel plated hardware, which Passport describes as made for everyday use. If you want a single piece, its Plain Raised Breastplate comes with a standing attachment. See Passport's range on our Passport page.

A martingale should be adjusted to the horse, not the size label. A pony size on a deep-chested pony may still need fiddling, and a horse size on a long-necked horse may need a hole punched. That's why the fit checks above matter more than the label.

EquiSearch, in a piece written with FEI-level dressage rider Lisa Zinger and reprinted from Practical Horseman, says that when a horse tosses his head as you ask for contact, you should have a vet rule out pain first. That advice was written about training aids, and it applies just as well here. Teeth, back, saddle fit and bit are all worth a look before gear goes on.

Riders' own accounts vary, and some found their horse was happier without one. That's anecdote, not evidence, which is why we send readers to a trainer instead of guessing. Ask a trainer to watch you ride in and out of the martingale, check the fit, and tell you if it's solving the right problem.