so yesterday I tried the Rambo Micklem as a bitless

[Cyberchick]

Following on from my post a couple of days ago where my horse had started to get a split mouth but I needed to carry on working him I took some of your advise and decided to dust off the Micklem bridle, which I dont like as a normal bridle, and try it as a bitless. I put it on the strongest setting as I haven't ridden him in a bitless before so played safe but I honestley felt like I might as well have put a headcollar on and tied the leadrope round his neck. He had a higher head carriage but this, I felt, was something just to get used to as I knew it was going to feel different but I couldnt even halt properly! He had a march on, stomping round the field but I half halted, nothing, half halted again, nothing, shortened up my reins and bloody pulled and just about stopped,just. He was just happily stomping along without a care in the world with me plonked on top wondering how many laps it would take me before he realised I wanted to stop. I didn't dare trot if I couldnt get him to halt! Yes, I did try all the seat and leg things but I might as well have got off and let him carry on on his own for all the good I was doing.

Having never ridden in a bitless before, is this normal? Am I doing something wrong? Is my horse a freak of nature? (actually, I know the answer to that one), is it that particular bridle????

Oh and I could turn, just not stop out of walk, how embarrasing

 

[connie1288]

I would see if you can borrow a hackamore, for various reasons i have ended up in them, i have never had huge problems stopping, def not as you describe, sounds abit scary tbh.
No experience of any other bitless other than english hackamore though.

 

[KatB]

Lol! Some horses are fine, others really arent!! My old pony I rode in a headcollar when he had a tooth pulled, and happily jumped round courses of fences without a problem

Current horse wouldnt take the blindest bit of notice I dont think!! It shouldnt require that much force to stop though...

 

[Joss]

Oh jees - I meant to email/Pm you or something to say dont try it on Will!!

I thought the first line of your post was going to say you were posting from your hospital bed!!!

Those things are bloomin useless (my friend up here went hunting in hers!!) and really only work on the type of horse that you CAN ride in a headcollar. Bless his very beautiful grey face but I am not entirely sure a rather fresh just getting a bit fitter Will is a very good candidate.

Great that you survived

 

[Cyberchick]

Yeah, thanks for that Joss!!!! tell me now.lol

Not to worry, I didnt get out of walk but if you can imagine me walking round and round on Will actually laughing to myself because I couldnt stop and him with a big horsey smile on his face loving every minute.

Someone else came into the field for a canter towards the end..............I got off..............whilst still walking.................

 

[JessPickle]

I could actually stop in a Dr cooks bitless, but don't know what the difference is in these. Pickle probably could quite easily be ridden in a headcollar and leadrope though, he is always ridden to the field in just a headcollar and leadrope in walk/trot and some canter haha!

 

[kerilli]

i haven't tried a micklem, but have a nurtural and have cantered and jumped in that. can definitely stop, horse knows i want to stop and i don't have to really haul. (i have a neckstrap too though for emergency strangulation if absolutely necessary!)
depends totally on the horse, i had a homebred i could have taken xc in a headcollar, she never pulled, she'd have loved the micklem i think!

 

[rlhnlk]

Hee hee reminds me of my welsh cob, Her next door neighbour bit her mouth where the bit rings would go so I tried her in a hackamore. She walked off out of the arena with me- no amount of pulling could stop her or change direction. It wasn't a fenced arena either so soon gave up on that idea, I ended up covering the scab in vaseline and riding her in her bit- I didn't dare give her a week or two off to let it heal and tbh it didn't seem to bother her at all.