Mikmar bits - what???

[adsthelad]

Was just doing some research and came across Mikmar bits....please excuse my ignorance, but they seem very severe! Same with the Sam Marsh ones. Of course, a bit is only as strong as the hands it is in, but surely there must be a limit to this?
I'm sure that they must work for some horses, or they wouldn't be around, but if anyone could tell me what they are good for, eg. the type of horse, that would be great. Has anyone used one of these? They are very curious looking bits.

https://www.google.com/search?q=mik...ved=0ahUKEwi96Mq-26LLAhVMSRoKHdCFAEoQ_AUIBygC

https://www.google.com/search?q=mik...RoKHdCFAEoQ_AUIBygC#tbm=isch&q=sam+marsh+bits

 

[ycbm]

Why do you think it's severe? The shank is short, so not huge poll pressure. The mouthpiece is smooth and wide so pounds per square inch is less. The roller lets fussy horses fiddle. You can choose to share pressure onto the nose or remove the nose pressure. The fixed sides are great for steering at speed. It's a very odd looking bit, but less severe than a normal Pelham. I had a very hard pulling hunter that went better in one than in anything else.They are damned expensive though !!

 

[Llanali]

∆ I agree. They are actually a very well designed combination style bit, that work well for sensitive but strong horses, we have had much success with them; and my bank balance has had much depletion from them!/

 

[Enfys]

I think that they look very clunky, but, when you look at them, the way they are designed, the way they sit in the mouth, and the action they have they are actually very subtle creations.

Shanks, straight mouthpieces, and ports tend to look awful, especially to British eyes which are brainwashed into thinking curbs are instruments of torture and only a yee-hawing cowboy needs them, but a well designed bit with these is all about giving the horse a cue before the pressure comes into action.

I ride a 13h mare, yes, a pony, in a high port bit with a 6" shank. Shanks are all to do with the length of purchase (the section above the mouthpiece) and the length of the shank, the longer the purchase the more cue a trained horse has to react before pressure on poll etc comes into play.

there are some startling looking bits in their listings, the large chain link ones, hmmm ...

 

[eggs]

I had a fairly long conversation with a bitting expert about the Mikmar some years ago and what she explained made good sense. It might look a fairly drastic piece of kit but it is well thought out and looks can be very deceiving.

 

[pennandh]

Personally I'd instinctively be a little wary of the Mikmars just on the basis of the height of the port over the roller, but I haven't ever had the chance to physically handle/examine one; so I haven't any firm opinions. Best ask people who know about those.

As far as Sam Marsh pelhams are concerned, it's literally a flattened-out cambridge mouthpiece on cheeks that can swivel independently. A lot of horses with thick/fleshy tongues go very nicely in them (you see them a lot in heavyweight cob/hunter classes at shows), and they're honestly not nearly as alarming as they look. If you have access to any Elwyn Hartley Edwards books, he has quite a lot to say on the subject, and his explanation is rather more eloquent than my own.

 

[adsthelad]

Interesting to hear this. I think they just looked particularly complicated on the google search as it seemed to be a lot of metal and rope! So are they primarily for horses that pull and lean?