Piece of tack that prevents the horse from throwing its head and neck up. The running martingale consists of two straps fitted with rings at their ends through which the reins run; the other ends of the straps are connected to the breastplate or the girth. The standing martingale is fixed to the horse's nose band, connecting it to the horse's girth or breast plate. The bib martingale is very similar to the running martingale except that the straps running to the reins are joined by a triangle of leather, preventing a widening of the reins and preventing the horse from catching a strap in its mouth. If attached to a girth rather than breast-plate, a martingale must run through a neck strap to prevent it from hanging too low (a horse may get a leg caught in a low-hanging martingale).