Brown or black? And what about a Micklem?

[Jane&Ziggy]

I'm bound to be doing a lot of long reining with Charlie horse over the next few years. I'm toying with keeping him bitless, and I was wondering about using a Micklem to start with. I had a mooch around on eBay and saw that they're expensive but second hand ones are around.

So what do you think of Micklems?

And should a brown horse have brown or black? I am prejudiced in favour of brown I have to say...

The customer:

 

[newforest]

We are a mix of brown and black.
But she has a black and white bridle.

As for bitless mine can be ridden off the halter but she can equally be ridden with the bit. It really shouldn't matter what's on the head, it's about feel, your hands and what's going on in their head.
My longreining is bitted, she hates the sidepulls which I believe that bridle is.
I don't use a noseband either.

Ask him what he likes and be prepared for it to be different to your ideas. By that I mean J loved nh type stuff and the circling game. The cob was stuff that lunge me properly stop changing the ruddy rein!!
She's in a bit I wouldn't have chosen, but she goes well in it, I am not about to argue that with her.

 

[Huggy]

I lean towards black - just personal preference I suppose. He looks light enough for brown too though. Brown would be lost on Hogan, and Ramsey, being silvery white, suited black.

 

[Jessey]

If you like brown go for brown, I don't think his colour pushes you either way. I haven't tried a micklem, but I think NF is right it's a side pull type action, Jess goes well in a proper side pull but don't think I would have any control in the micklem outside of a school. The one thing I did hear about them when I asked, that the sizing can be a bit fiddly, one of our local tack shops rents them out so you can try before you buy as they were getting loads trying to be returned after trying as they didn't fit, might be why lots are up second hand too.

 

[Bodshi]

I like brown too. I'm not sure about the whole bitless thing, I like the idea in principle but I've never experienced it (I've ridden in the school in a headcollar and two lead ropes when I'd left my bridle at home, but I don't think that's quite the same!) I didn't even know you could have a bitless Micklem. A friend was desperate to have (a bitted) one for her new horse but it took a lot of effort from her RI to fit it to the horse and then the horse didn't like it. She tried again on her next horse, again a lot of struggling with the fit and he didn't like it either so she sold it.

Ask him what he likes and be prepared for it to be different to your ideas.

Love this - so true!

 

[chunky monkey]

Our local tack shop rents out micklems to try too. I was tempted to try one on Billy as someone said they helped with theres reducing handshaking but I haven't got round to it.

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

Ask him what he likes and be prepared for it to be different to your ideas. By that I mean J loved nh type stuff and the circling game. The cob was stuff that lunge me properly stop changing the ruddy rein!!
She's in a bit I wouldn't have chosen, but she goes well in it, I am not about to argue that with her.

Wise words, I shall follow this advice!

If you like brown go for brown, I don't think his colour pushes you either way. I haven't tried a micklem, but I think NF is right it's a side pull type action, Jess goes well in a proper side pull but don't think I would have any control in the micklem outside of a school. The one thing I did hear about them when I asked, that the sizing can be a bit fiddly, one of our local tack shops rents them out so you can try before you buy as they were getting loads trying to be returned after trying as they didn't fit, might be why lots are up second hand too.

Yes the sizing looks weird. They have a good resale value though.

I like brown too. I'm not sure about the whole bitless thing, I like the idea in principle but I've never experienced it (I've ridden in the school in a headcollar and two lead ropes when I'd left my bridle at home, but I don't think that's quite the same!) I didn't even know you could have a bitless Micklem. A friend was desperate to have (a bitted) one for her new horse but it took a lot of effort from her RI to fit it to the horse and then the horse didn't like it. She tried again on her next horse, again a lot of struggling with the fit and he didn't like it either so she sold it.

I think that for now I will just use a well-fitting head collar and try all sorts of different actions (there was a really useful thread on here telling you what to do, I'll have to track it down) to see what he likes. Then if a bitless looks to be a possibility I'll know which kind to get.

I'm not keen on hackamores, they seem very severe to me.

 

[newforest]

You can test with a snug fitting headcollar and your reins.

Put the reins on the side rings- side pull action.
Put the reins through the side rings and buckle under the jaw - scawbrig action. (think of lunging without the coupling when you clip the line through both.
Put the reins through the side rings crossed under the jaw and buckled to the head rings - crosspull action.
The halter will give you a Bosal effect with the reins clipped under the chin.

 

[mystiquemalaika]

If you like brown get brown! Unless you need to have a certain colour tack for showing etc then life imho is too short to not have the colour you love

Yes the micklem sizing is strange and not straight forward! It's why a fair few places to hiring now but if you can get an idea on what size then buy 2nd hand and as you say, resale value is good so you can just sell on again.

Newforests description of using the headcollar and reins is perfect! It's a great way to get an idea of which particular action they seem to prefer.

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

You can test with a snug fitting headcollar and your reins.

Put the reins on the side rings- side pull action.
Put the reins through the side rings and buckle under the jaw - scawbrig action. (think of lunging without the coupling when you clip the line through both.
Put the reins through the side rings crossed under the jaw and buckled to the head rings - crosspull action.
The halter will give you a Bosal effect with the reins clipped under the chin.

Thank you, so helpful!

I somehow found myself in a tack shop today, I can't explain it, Carol was there too, I have no idea how we got there. Anyway while I was there I bought a bit of hi viz for my very cryptic pony, and I found a rope halter made of hi0vis green soft rope which has side rings. So I can play with that once I've adjusted it to be a nice fit