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Martingale on a horse who throws his head and bucks2007-11-24 21:18:25

Hello, I am using my friends account on here, she told me that you get some great answers.

I was just wondering, if I used a martingale (sp?) on my horse who throws his head, will I still be able to pull his head up if he bucks?

Thanks

Answers:

You might want to figure out what is causing the head tossing and bucking. If he hasn't been trained properly then my first advice would be to go back to ground training and driving.

Check his bit and make sure it fits properly, isn't pinching his mouth or hitting his teeth, and isn't too harsh for him, like a long shank, high port curb. A sore back can make a horse toss his head too. Bucking is usually caused by a mental overload of some sort, either he doesn't understand something or is overly excited or he could be just plain spoiled. A running martingale used with a snaffle is a good tool in experienced hands for training a horse to keep his head in the correct position, but you have to keep your wits about you and not let the horse get his head down too far and tangle himself in it. Also, a quick note: the first time a horse feels the pressure from a running martingale on the reins they can have a bit of a fit, and throw their heads. lol A standing martingale is just going to prevent him from raising his head any higher than the martingale is set for, but you should keep it loose at first and shorten it as he gets accustomed to the new pressure.

I feel for you, I was bashed in the nose by a head tosser once, and it didn't feel good. It wasn't my horse and I didn't know it did that until it got me, but in that case it turned out to be a sore back from a badly fitting saddle and an overweight rider. Good luck.

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Yes, a martingale (running or standing?) will help with him tossing his head but you will still be able to pull him up when he lowers his head to buck.

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will definatly work

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A martingale may help your head tossing, but again, you should look at what is causing the issue before adding devices to just try to stop it from happening. Find a cure not just a quick fix. Anyway, martingales need to be adjusted properly, if you have the martingale too tight for instance, you may not be able to pull that head up out of a buck and it will assist in your loss of control. Make sure, if you use one, that it is adjusted properly. A running martingale should be adjusted by allowing it to stretch up to the top of the horses shoulder, keeping your rein straight from the ring of the snaffle to your hands in a relaxed position.

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hi-I don't know what you're riding- but there is a western item, called a tie down. It's very simple & inexpensive. If a horse ever tries bucking on you-pull his(her) head to one side or the other as far as you can. If their spine isn't straight, they can't buck.The most they're gonna do, is go around in a circle.