Micklem Bridle Reviews

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Please can you post your reviews of this bridle good or bad. Both the combination design and the competition design. Thanks
 
Pros - you can hire them. So try before you buy.
I have found it did make a difference to my horse.

cons - leather is absolutely dreadful for the price.
 
agree with mini b about the leather. it's never good leather. I tried micklems on a few of mine. one went 100 times better in it, the others didn't like it. def try before you buy. it's also very easy to pick up second hand ones.
 
Agree, leather quality is poor for the price.

They’re like marmite, some horses seem to love them, others hate them. Mine was a hater which I was relieved about as the leather was so bad! On the plus side they seem to sell on easily enough though.
 
I’ve had mine for several years now. The leather is ok. Not fab but actually still in good condition after all these years.
my current horse goes much better in it than a traditional bridle, so is worth trying I think.
 
It’s rotten leather frankly it’s like blotting paper .
I have one it’s my third we really find it useful I had a competition one but I sold it the first multipurpose one got totalled by a horse .
they are very useful when you want to swop between lunging and riding with minimum fuss we use it for riding and leading as well .
I think it earns it’s keep but there are nicer bridles .
If I could only have one bridle I would have a Fairfax one happily I have ..... several bridles .
 
I have the competition one, and no concerns with the leather quality (it is 4 years old now.)
My horse most definitely goes better in it.
 
I have two, bought within days of each other from different shops. Leather is acceptable, not good, on one and nasty/cheap/furry on the back side on the other. They are very different, I think there must have been one really bad batch.

I like the design but they are ridiculously over priced.
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I have the combination, I chose it as thought it would be useful for backing as could easily lunge before getting on without too much faff and could also use bit less (horse was started bitless and has wolf teeth so wasn’t sure how he’d be with bit), i also thought the bit clips sounded good idea.

As it is I’ve never used the bitless and horse not keen on the clips (poss due to the wolf teeth?) but the lunge ring is useful and horse happy enough in the bridle (never used a normal one so no comparison)

Bit expensive for the quality of leather I agree but considering it’s a few bits of tack in one and you’re paying for the patented design I suppose. Also I don’t look after my tack very well so the worse the leather the better for me probably!

I found it a bit tricky to get the hang of fitting it, at first I thought too tight but I didn’t have it set up right. I think getting the right fit/measurement was a common issue when I was researching.

All in all I’m happy with it and horse is going well so no complaints :)
 
Not sure how true this is but think they used to be ok leather and then the newer ones are worse

I went for the “expensive” better leather and it’s still sh*te
 
I have the competition bridle ( am I right in thinking if you pay about £200, you can have an English leather one?) Anyway, mine is the furry, cheap looking one. Horse definitely goes better in it, but I recently borrowed a Horsemanship Saturn bridle, and that is lovely leather, soft as butter, and the horse goes so much better in it, and doesn't rub her head at all when I get off, which she still did to a degree in the Micklem.
 
I have one and I think the leathers alright! Not AMAZING but not furry as others are suggesting ?
My boy used to rub his face a lot after riding but doesn’t at all now with the micklem. He seems much happier in it. As above, it’s tricky getting it set up initially with the bit placement etc but once you’re there!
 
Mine hated it as soon as it went on her head. I didn't even try riding in it. Luckily I'd borrowed it from a friend so didn't have any cost.
 
I like mine a lot. I have the combination one which I find very handy. I've ridden him bitless in it the odd time, I regularly use it for tying and leading. I rarely bother lunging but I do use it when I have.
The leather on mine isn't awful but it could be nicer. Well worth trying it imo
 
Perfectly serviceable - not great leather but fine.

My mares both go nicely in theirs. They go bitless or with a snaffle.

I do find Mimosa’s doesn’t fit her very well but she seems to be happy enough and less fussy than was in the previous bridle I had for her. She is usually bitless on the mildest option unless we are schooling.

This is the fit issue I have:

6D98CD40-17D9-4D2F-8A76-A9693FCF826F.jpeg
 
The sizing and fit is good for my pony, traditional bridles never fit her well. The bit is kept more still and she is less fussy with the Micklem. I really like it for schooling.
The leather is not top quality and it has lost colour on the raised part of the noseband. Other than that I really like it.
 
Thank you for all the replies, disappointed to hear leather quality is so poor as presumed for the price it would match the top brands for quality. It would seem to be a marmite product but luckily easy to sell on so will give it a try. Thank you
 
Tracktohack said:
Thank you for all the replies, disappointed to hear leather quality is so poor as presumed for the price it would match the top brands for quality. It would seem to be a marmite product but luckily easy to sell on so will give it a try. Thank you
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you can hire them if you are wanting to give it a go.
 
My 4 yr old Friesian hated it. I tried him in the school with it, he was not happy at all. took him back to the yard, cobbled together an old replacement bridle for him - very traditional - put that on him...et viola! much happier!
 
Horrid leather.

My horse absolutely hates any strap below the bit so I haven't bothered trialling one.
 
AFB said:
Horrid leather.

My horse absolutely hates any strap below the bit so I haven't bothered trialling one.
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They work fine with the strap removed, it's how I used them on the two horses I bought them for. On some horses I hack without and school/compete with a flash strap doubled back on itself.
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ycbm said:
They work fine with the strap removed, it's how I used them on the two horses I bought them for. On some horses I hack without and school/compete with a flash doubled back on itself.
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I agree but can't really see the benefit vs using an anatomical headpiece with no noseband in that case?
 
AFB said:
I agree but can't really see the benefit vs using an anatomical headpiece with no noseband in that case?
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It's only the bottom part of the drop noseband that is removed, all the other anatomical advantages of ear room, throat latch pavement, cheek piece held stable on the horses face and routed to avoid the nerves, are still there.
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I managed to buy one new half price in a sale - I think it was sports direct. I was struggling with the fact my horse didn't fit a traditional bridle, I was using a mix of xfull, full and cob size cobbled together and no noseband fitted well. So I wasn't trying to fix an issue as such. It was £65 so for that price could have sold it on if it didn't work. Leather is OK and reasonably soft after regular care, had it about 6 years. It's stretched a little but that's not a bad thing as the noseband was on the last hole. Mine seems to like the noseband, when it stretched, he didn't like it too loose and was happier when I tightened it.

Other thing to mention is I found bridle numbers didn't work as too near the eye so I use saddlecloth ones.

Not all people like the look of it but I think it suits mine. I know the bit straps are upside in this photo.

micklem.jpg
 
I thought they were a gimmick until my friend lent me hers to try. It made a big difference to Archie - he wasn't constantly fighting me so when i did need to use my reins, they had more of an impact and I could ride with a milder bit. My instructor has a theory (and it certainly fits Archie) that isn't not the ergonomic design of the bridle that makes a big difference but the fact that it holds the bit incredibly still in the mouth. If your horse likes this, it makes a big difference but otherwise its effect is minimal. Charlie wears it now and certainly seems a bit happier in it than a normal bridle but the difference isn't as huge as it was with Archie. It makes his head look huge though - Archie's never did in it!

As others have said the leather isn't great but from what I've seen, the leather on older ones is a bit better than new ones. I bought mine second hand about 10 years ago. It had been well looked after so was nice and soft, if a bit 'fluffy' on the back. It certainly seems a lot better than the newer ones with the added benefit (for me) of being totally plain, the newer ones seem to have very obvious stitching on them, which I dislike. I'd definitley keep an eye out for a well looked after older one - let someone else do the softening up for you!
 
Annagain said:
My instructor has a theory (and it certainly fits Archie) that isn't not the ergonomic design of the bridle that makes a big difference but the fact that it holds the bit incredibly still in the mouth
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It isn't only the bit it holds still. If you watch any normally fitted ordinary bridle with a standard, or no, throat lash, then when the rider uses the reins the cheek pieces lift and settle, lift and settle, constantly, right on top of the nerves. The Micklem placement of the 'throat lash' prevents that too.
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I recently bought one for my finnicky madam. She hates all nosebands, especially those that sit below the bit, but will try to take the pee if ridden without one. She also has a really wonky head (full lengthwise but x full on some nosebands/throatlashes). Bought first a Micklem in standard horse size-could barely close it on the last hole and she threw a temper tantrum because it was too tight for her liking. Changed to a Large horse and the madam actually approved, even though we still fight when the lower strap has to be fastened ?

I wouldn't say it's magical and the leather quality is really bad for the price, but some horses really like them ??‍♀️
 
I had a competition one for my mare - it was great for her, and I thought the leather was good. It was much nicer than the PS bridle I had! It really worked for my mare, no more head rubbing or fidgeting.
My gelding doesn't like a strap under the bit, so it didn't work for him. I sold it easily though.
It's a pity that the only noseband option is effectively a drop, as my gelding does rub his head when we finish, so my search is on for one that works for him. Going to try the fairfax...
 
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