The running martingale is a fairly common piece of tack for the jumper ring. But just because it’s the jumper ring doesn’t mean it can’t be raised and fancy-stitched. The Lund running martingale shares added features and classic touches as the rest of the Lund line of strap goods. It means taking a little extra time to break in because of the Sedgwick leather, but ultimately it is another piece of tack that can last you a decade or longer.

As you can see, the fancy stitching on the yoke of the running looks lovely. Obviously appearance is not a consideration in the judging of jumper rounds, but to say that jumper riders don’t want to look good would be a blatant lie. The Lund running also comes with a clip for the girth dee and the rubber stopper to hold the neck strap in place and prevent the yoke from slipping.

Shown here are the Lund running martingale and Lund 4-point.

I don’t always even use a running when schooling my horse at home, but it’s an essential for shows. Just that little extra bit of control that only kicks in when necessary helps and the Lund running martingale does the job perfectly.

I have noticed over the years that there is a wide variety of how people fit running martingales. I learned that a running fitted too tightly can exert a great deal of downward force leverage against the mouth bars of a horse and possibly cause issues related to that. When jumping, a horse must be able to use his head freely, and I learned as a guide that when fitting a running, the yoke must reach the horse’s chin while the horse is standing relaxed. Obviously every horse is different–this is just the way that works for Eli the best.

You can see the fit in the above pictures–no broken line in the reins from bit to elbow caused by the running. (Just kind of a loopy rein, though, oops.)

As far as running martingales go, the Lund running martingale is a fantastic piece of tack, especially for the jumper ring, and comes in cob and full to fit a variety of horses. It retails for 135 CD or around $102 US. I can recommend it to anyone looking to show in the jumpers without reservations.