Tommy Garland Explains How To Use a German Martingale

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[@cmbuonanno1]

I hope people pay attention to these comments. I was thinking exactly the same thing. Ouch!

[@peggyconger9829]

Vertical flexion for people who can't get vertical flexion

[@juliamcdonald-carberry146]

Great comment!!! There is no substitute for proper gymnastics & flexion exercises on the ground & in the saddle, proper bitting & proper use of hands, as well as using leg aides correctly to encourage a horse to flex at the pole when asked. This sort of equipment is what trainers worth their salt call "Spang" training used to force horses to comply with a rider's demands whether they're able to or not. It creates an artificial head set & should only be used by very experienced riders for specific problems associated with very badly trained horses that are dangerous & need to be retrained. Years ago this equipment was used on Fox Hunters, Big Jumpers & Eventers too strong for riders to control at a gallop or over fences. It is designed to use for that purpose alone. This equipment was designed to control very large warmbloods at the gallop over fences. These horses can be far less sensitive than smaller breeds such as Quarter Horses & Arabians. This is not a tool for getting horses off the bit or to respond to the application of pressure to the bit via the reins & used by inexperienced hands or on sensitive horses can be extremely dangerous, even life threatening.. This is all among the tools some trainers use to quickly prepare warmblood sale horses for videos to market them. There are also trainers who use this equipment & similar equipment for aggressive training practices to prepare horses for competition more quickly. However, using this equipment does not apply proper training methods & doesn't result in a physically & mentally stable, well trained horse. Most often, when the German Martingale is no longer used, the horse eventually reverts to previous disobedience to the rider & reapplication of the equipment is repeatedly necessary. This is not the case with a properly trained horse where no artificial aides are applied. A horse only learns to resist such equipment & becomes heavy on the forehand, numb in the mouth or dull to the hand. A properly conditioned, properly trained & well ridden horse using light hands & correct aides of seat & legs doesn't require the use of ANY special equipment to achieve optimal performance levels. The use of devices only highlights the inadequacy of the people/trainers using them, their lack of understanding, compassion for the horse & their inability to train horses in general.

[@patprest-thomas7336]

Congratulations. You managed to put the horse in a false uncomfortable frame that works the wrong muscles and hollows the back. Plus the hyper flexion of the neck is limiting the horses vision and breathing increasing the amount of stress on the horse. Please no one else do this to your horse :(

[@graceequestrian5963]

This is a fine example of using tools in the wrong way when you flex a horse with this you are making the horse use the wrong muscles dont ever do this to you're horse it's awful

[@JulianneAlley]

That horse is overflexed and he's not breaking at the poll, he's breaking at the 3rd vertebra which is wrong in every discipline. This "tool" will cause more harm than good. There are no shortcuts in horse training.

[@tatorkator9901]

it looks as though he has trouble breathing . . . deffinitly overflexed

[@DeathKitty123456]

TOO TIGHT!!!!! Omg the horse is overbent... "See how the horse is at a vertical flex now", er no mate i don't i see a horse that is overflexed! If you are going to use one of these get one that fits!!!

[@kenzie8099]

lol wtf. the whole point of collecting a horse is to have the mussels themselves work from the back and butt area in order to get that horse into that ideal "Head set" which really isn't one at all. its all apart of one system. you can't just work on the head and expect the back to follow. and cutting the corners with collection is going to injure the horse in the end causing irregular mussels to from in places and back problems.

[@Whisperingwoodsfarms]

This german martingale is WAY TOO tight. You do know what VERTICAL means, right? This horse is behind the vertical and what we see here is basically rollkur. 😡

[@EquiEquestrian556horses]

The horse is over-bent that is NOT flexing! -_-

[@milymallard1058]

I agree that horse is overbent for a western horse... but if he was a saddle seat horse this would be considered beautiful!

[@BartosTradingCompany65]

Why the hell would you even Need this

[@petnanny77]

Where can I buy the exact martingale like in your video? I have an arabian and all the martingales seem to big thanks!!!

[@eleanorbradymcgrath5016]

Arabians remember all the bad things people do to them. It's terrible that humans do these things to animals . Smh

[@TheJumpingGymnast]

Poor horse but I need a martingale like that