Trainers and Training questions

[Nina Kraus]

If you have any questions about training or are a trainer, please discuss those things here.

[LF Lavery]

This is such a wonderful site and I am so very glad I have found it. You can be certain I will be stopping by often. As a nationally known judge and trainer of World's Champions, I invite you to visit my web site, WWW.askthetraineronline.com to find answers to your horse training issues. Good Luck and Good Riding !

[Nina Kraus]

We are very glad to have you. I hope, through your connections, you can get more people to join us. I wanted a very different site than most of the horse forums. I wanted something for everyone.

[LF Lavery]

Reprint from WWW.ASKTHETRAINERONLINE.COM
What a Tacky Question!
(Uses of Martingales and various other pieces of equipment)

Dear Mr. Lavery, I realize you are very busy this time of year, so I will be patient for your insightful response. If you could explain the merits and disadvantages of certain pieces of tack I would be very grateful for your knowledge. When would you use a german martingale vs. a plain old running type? For longlining and bitting , why would you use sideckecks vs. an overcheck? Should side reins be able to stretch (elastic) or not? What about draw reins vs. any type of martingale? I always ride with a "free" snaffle rein and use any rein run thru a martingale like a curb rein and use mild bits because my mare is still young. Thanks.

Tip of the Day- As the great Jimmy Williams liked to say, “It's what you learn after you know it all that counts"

Thanks so much for your excellent questions. If you have all of these pieces of equipment..you must have a large tack room. You are quite right to assume there are different uses for these "tools".

A running martingale, when used and adjusted properly, is nearly indispensable in the process of training a young horse. Although it steadies the head and the effects of the reins on the bit, it is still a forgiving device that can "let go" almost instantly. A young horse should never be made to feel constricted as the horse's defense to this type of "hemming-up" can lead to many unacceptable behaviors. One can supple and soften a hard mouth horse as well as teach a young horse to set it's head and wear it's bridle with proper use of a running martingale.

The same positive aspects are not as present when using a German martingale or draw reins. Although these tools are also capable of the head setting and steadying effect, they rely on unyielding pressure to accomplish this, thus setting the conditions for a defense behavior as mentioned above. These are better suited for use on older horses to keep their headsets in check and should always be used with intelligent caution. (Every day I see these being used on horses that pull and I cringe as the only thing this teaches them to do is to become better at pulling.)

It is a true statement that both a side-check and an over-check can raise a horse's head but that is pretty much all they have in common. They each work on a different principle. Raising the head entails lifting the neck up from the wither and then a bending of it so the horse is not staring at the stars. It is where the bend occurs that really separates these two.

By it's design an over check lifts the neck and head and encourages the neck to bend and flex at the horse's poll. This is of course the attitude most desirable in the Harness horse. Not every horse has the conformation to wear the over check correctly just as not every horse can be a true harness horse. Without this proper conformation, this type of check can become quite uncomfortable to the horse as it allows little leeway for other "bending" places. The side check, on the other hand, can be used on most any horse, regardless of conformation. Because of it's design, it allows many options for this flexion to take place, least of which at the poll. It is the most used in the daily training procedure as these options allow the horse to find his own flexion point and maintain a certain degree of comfort while still raising his head.

As far as side reins, if safety is your main concern, reins that stretch should always be your first choice when unsure how a horse will react. I feel it is personal opinion that dictates when to use "solid" reins.

The way you describe your use of the running martingale is of course the classic style and the way I have always used them in conjunction with a snaffle bit. I would never use one with a curb bit's rein!

I hope I may have been of some help to you, thanks again for your questions. Good Luck and Good Riding,

[Nina Kraus]

Hence my blog: When You Need a Professional Trainer lol