Martingales & Breastplates

At Unamari, we develop, design and produce Horse Guard and Catago bridles and martingales for horses and ponies. That's why you'll find the full range of bridles and martingales from these two well-known brands exclusively on this site.

What is a bridle?

A bridle is a piece of riding equipment used on the horse or pony, especially in the disciplines of show jumping and eventing. The bridle is a piece of harness that fits around the horse's bridle. It is attached to the sides of the saddle and between the horse's front legs to the girth or jumping plate. The purpose of a bridle is to provide stability so that the saddle stays in place, even during jumping and cross-country riding. In particular, a cinch prevents the saddle from sliding back.

What is a 5-point cinch?

A 5-point cinch is a cinch that is designed to clamp onto the saddle in two places on each side and between the horse's forelegs, providing even more stability than a regular cinch in cases where this is desirable.

For example, we recommend our Horse Guard Cheval 5-point bridle with soft padding, available in both black and brown in pony, cob and full

What is a martingale?

A martingale is like a bridle placed on the horse's bring. While the primary function of the bridle is to prevent the saddle from sliding back, the primary function of a martingale is to prevent the horse from raising its head inappropriately high. This is possible due to the so-called martingale straps, which are mounted in the middle of the horse's brisket and end in a ring on each side through which the rein must be passed.

This can be seen both as a safety aspect, as the horse with a martingale cannot hit its head on the rider's head, but the martingale can also provide the rider and horse with extra support at the front, and help to stay in the frame around the arena.

In our range we can highlight our Horse Guard Martingale, which is a classic martingale, also called a running martingale in English. It is made of quality leather with steel buckles in brown and black and is available in pony, cob and full sizes.

TIP: If you are a rider and want to ride out in nature, a running martingale can be an appropriate piece of riding equipment to invest in for this purpose. It's easy to attach to your bridle and saddle, and gives you a little extra support and security on the ride. Pay attention to whether there are stoppers on your reins. If not, these can be purchased separately.

Why ride with a martingale?

We've already touched on this, but let's elaborate a bit. A martingale prevents the horse from throwing its head inappropriately high in the air, which can be useful for several reasons, especially when jumping or cross-country riding. When the horse throws its head up, possibly at the same time as the rider is sitting in a light seat, with the upper body slightly above the horse's neck, the horse's head can hit the rider's and, in the worst case, cause a blow so hard that it is painful for the rider. With a martingale, the horse is guided in a frame without being locked in, which can give both horse and rider confidence when the pace is high and the adrenaline is pumping.

What is the difference between martingale and bridle?

Both the martingale and the bridle are tightened between the horse's front legs to the girth. The bridle attaches to the saddle in different ways, which some types of martingales also do. Other martingales tighten around the horse's neck. The main difference between the two, however, is that while the function of the bridle is to prevent the saddle from sliding back, the martingale is connected to the reins and has the function described above.

HorseGuard bridle with martingale

What can be a bit confusing is that a bridle can also function as a martingale if martingale straps are fitted. In our range we have, for example, the two models Horse Guard Luke and Horse Guard Dian, both of which are bridles with detachable martingale in super soft leather and with many adjustment options for a perfect fit.

Catago Bridle with martingale

From our brand Catago you will also find a bridle with detachable martingale. However, here there is a wide elastic insert on both sides instead of leather for extra flexibility if desired.

Loose martingale straps

In our range you will find HorseGuard Derin, which is a loose elastic martingale for front clothing. The elastic is shock absorbing without reducing the effect of the martingale. They come in black and brown and are onesize.

How should a bridle and martingale fit?

It is very important that your bridle or martingale is neither too loose nor too tight on the horse. If it is fitted too loosely, the riding gear will not work as intended. Inappropriate situations can occur if a bridle or martingale hangs because it is too loose. Conversely, if it is fitted too tightly, it will be uncomfortable for the horse, and in the worst case, it can gnaw or cause injury.

As we design, develop and manufacture all products ourselves here at Unamari, and have many years of experience, you should choose the size that your horse or pony most often uses in other equipment, i.e. if your pony uses size pony in a bridle, we recommend size pony in bridle and martingale - if your horse uses size full in bridle, choose size pony in bridle. If you have the slightest doubt about how a bridle or a martingale should be fitted on your particular horse, we recommend that you ask your trainer or someone who is more horse-savvy than you are.

If you have experience yourself, but just want to make sure that the equipment fits, we recommend that you get someone to film one of your rides where you jump. That way you'll be able to zoom, pause and replay multiple times and capture moments clearly, such as when you and your horse hover over the jump and your chest and shoulder muscles are tense.

We have experienced that riders are surprised at how much their horse actually gives over especially larger obstacles, where a bridle can be quite tight in moments, even if it does not seem so to the naked eye or when you adjust the equipment when the horse just stands still or regulates after regular work.

High quality pony bridles and martingales

We do not forget the little ones. Here at Unamari, you'll of course also find both outerwear and martingales for ponies. As a general rule, we recommend size pony for cat. III ponies. Cat. II ponies will vary between size pony or cob depending on whether it's a slender or more muscular type, where most Cat.

Lambskin for martingale and bridle

Of course, we also offer lambskin products that can be used on your martingale or bridle. If your horse is clipped or just has a fine coat, it may be advisable to use a preventative. Especially late in the indoor season after a long winter with a rug, the horse's coat can be extra sensitive to friction from the bridle and martingale.

We recommend our Horse Guard Cal MediLamb Martingale projector in the color natural or our Horse Guard lambskin for bridles also in the color natural.

Accessories for martingale and bridle

When using a martingale, make sure your reins are fitted with martingale stoppers so that the ring from the martingale cannot come out and get stuck in the bit. If your reins do not have martingale stoppers, we can help you with our Horse Guard rubber martingale/reins stopper. They are black and easy to put on and take off.

Reflective clothing

Finally, we would like to present our Horse Guard B'Seen Reflective clothing, available in pony/cob and full sizes. This is part of our extensive B'Seen reflective range, providing visibility and improving safety for you and your horse wherever you go in the dark season.

Click here to see our wide range of reflective products

Find the right tack at Unamari

We are home to Catago, HorseGuard and Equipage and have more than 20 years of experience in the development and design of riding clothes and riding equipment. You can therefore be sure to find the best quality bridles and martingales right here with us.