A martingale is a piece of horse riding equipment used to control the head carriage of a horse and prevent it from raising its head too high or tossing its head while being ridden). Martingales are used in various equestrian sports, including riding and driving). There are several types of martingales, including:

• Standing Martingale: This type of martingale is attached to the girth and runs up to the horses noseband. It is used to control the horses head height and prevent the horse from throwing its head so high that the rider gets hit in the face by the horses poll or upper neck).

• Running Martingale: This type of martingale is attached to the girth and runs through the bit rings to the reins. It is used to control the horses head height and prevent the horse from raising its head too high. The running martingale applies pressure to a horses head as it rises above a certain height, making it more difficult or impossible to lift it higher).

• German Martingale: This type of martingale is similar to the running martingale, but it has an additional strap that runs from the girth to the noseband. The German martingale is used to encourage the horse to lower its head and stretch its neck.

• Irish Martingale: This type of martingale is a simple short strap with a ring on either end. The reins are each run through a ring on either side before being buckled. The Irish martingales purpose is not to control the head, but to prevent the reins from coming over the horses head, risking entanglement).

Martingales are primarily used for control and will not make a horse go faster, but they will slow them down if they increase speed. They are also employed to keep the head up when desired, such as in dressage. However, its worth noting that many people misuse martingales, and it can cause problems, especially with horses who are sensitive to their mouths. Any martingale may cause pain to the horse if misused in combination with certain other equipment).