Rambo Micklem? Fit and does it work with stronger horses?

[nicnag]

Hi, My mare is an overgrown TB, she is 17.1 and built like a tank now that she is 8 years old. I have found her getting progressively stronger although it isn't all the time. Mainly after jumps or XC she will lean or pull down, apart from that she is a sweetheart. Because it though i have been riding her in a grakle and a loose ring snaffle. She hated a flash and tolerates the grakle but as soon as you untack her she is rubbing her face on you, the wall etc which makes me think she isn't comfortable and in all honesty it is so loose when she is ridden as she fights it more if you tighten it to what it probably should be at. I have played about with hanging cheek snaffles etc but nothing seems to make her happy other than the loose ring, she gets really mouthy in anything else. I had toyed with the idea of a Micklem as I like the idea behind it and looking at it I don't think she would feel very constricted but my concern is if she does try to cross her jaw then I am gone! Any thoughts? Also what sort of sizing is the standard horse Micklem? For all she is a big girl she has a teeny head and is more between a cob and a full in your average bridle, John Whitaker full drowned her and the Keiffer she currently has is on the top holes! Thanks in advance

 

[mudmonkey17]

I have my loan horse in a micklem and loose ring snaffle and he is a lot better in it. He used to get his head down after fences and didn't exactly tank off but took a while to get back after a fence. Much improved in the micklem

 

[LittleGinger]

My mare is very strong - she puts her head down and powers on! She also rubs her face on you after she's been ridden.

I bought her a Micklem after trying several different mouthpieces and seeing no improvement. She is no different in the Micklem, to be honest, but I've kept her in it purely because she was no worse and I sold my regular bridle to fund the Micklem (I've asked for a fancy bridle for my birthday so the Micklem will probably be going soon).

What did make her much happier was a hell of a lot of lessons focused on sorting out her brain, an eggbutt rather than loose ring and a thicker bit - same mouthpiece as one I had already tried, but much thicker circumference.
Sorry this is probably not what you want to hear, but after reading many Micklem reviews I was expecting it to really transform her - it certainly didn't do any harm but comparing her in the two bridles now I can see it didn't really make much difference either. If you want to try it, you can hire them?
The leather stretches quite a bit in the first few months so I would suggest if she's between sizes go down one (my mare is cob/full and she's in the SH Micklem).