Types of mouth reins

Draw rein - used to control the horses head and prevent them from tossing there head




















German Martingale

The German martingale is designed to teach your horse to give to the bit, flex at the poll and maintain good vertical and lateral head position. This equipment is ideal for helping a horse to learn proper head position for stops, spins and collection




























Running Martingale

The running martingale (sometimes known as rings) consists of a strap which is attached to the girth and passes between the horse's front legs before dividing into two pieces. At the end of each of these straps is a small metal ring through which the reins pass. It is held in the correct position by a neck strap or breastplate.

A running martingale is adjusted so that each of the "forks" has about an inch of slack when the horse holds its head in the normal position The reins make a straight line from the rider's hand to the bit rings when the horse's head in at the correct height and the running martingale is not in effect.

When the horse raises its head above the desired point, the running martingale adds leverage through the reins to the bit on the bars of the horse's mouth. The leverage created by this pressure strongly encourages the horse to lower its head. A running martingale provides more freedom for the horse than a standing martingale. If a horse happens to trip on landing after a fence, the rider can slide the reins and the horse will have full use of its head and neck.

Because of this safety factor, the running martingale is the only style of martingale permitted for use in eventing competitions and horse racing. Show Jumpers also prefer the running martingale due to the extra freedom it provides. Running martingales are also used outside of the competition arena on young horses being trained in the Saddle seat, western riding, and many other disciplines.

A running martingale should be used with rein stops, which are rubber or leather stops slipped onto the rein between the bit and the ring of the martingale. They stop the martingale from sliding too far forward and getting caught on the bit or on the buckles or studs that attach the reins to the bit. Sanctioning organizations require a running martingale to be used in conjunction with rein stops if the reins are buckled to the bit.

Standing martingale

The standing martingale (also known as a head check)has a single strap which is attached to the girth, passes between the horse's front legs and is fixed to the back of the noseband. To prevent it from catching on other objects, it also has a neck strap. A variation is attached to a breastplate in lieu of a neck strap. When correctly fitted it should be possible to push the martingale strap up to touch the horse's throatlatch.

A variation of the standing martingale, called a tiedown, is seen almost exclusively in the western riding disciplines. A tiedown is adjusted much shorter than a standing martingale and is intended primarily to prevent the horse from flipping its head up when asked to abruptly stop or turn in speed events. It consists of an adjustable strap, one end which attaches to the horse's breastplate and the other which attaches to a noseband on the bridle. The noseband can be of leather, but may also be of lariat rope, or even plastic-covered cable, which can make the western tiedown considerably harsher than the English-style standing martingale.

With both pieces of equipment, the slack is taken up out of the strap when the horse raises its head above the desired point, and pressure is placed on the horse's nose.

The standing martingale is competition legal for show hunter and hunt seat riders equestrian over fences, and is popular in fox hunting, and in polo. It is also seen on some military and police horses, partly for style and tradition, but also in the event of an emergency situation that may require the rider to handle the horse in an abrupt manner. It is not legal for flat classes.

Cavesson