http://www.eurodressage.com/2018/11/…-dynamics-head
The normal noseband without drops or flashes, has the least effect on the nerves and muscles. I wonder how, since the Micklem is a version of the drop, it would compare to a normal bridle.
Thanks for both articles, Viney: this one and the one on footedness. I, too, was thinking about the Micklem as I read this one.
The Micklem actually isn’t a version of the drop–the low part of the noseband on the Micklem is on the underside of the jaw only, while the upper part of the noseband is in the same part of the upper side of the horse’s face that a regular noseband would be.
So, I don’t think the MIcklem presses on nerves in the same way that a drop would.
Picture for reference:
https://www.horseware.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/micklem-info.jpg
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I do not use nosebands as it is just an extra, mostly useless piece of tack that I have to clean.
After listening to the horses I ride for months after I started using the Micklem bridle, especially the mare that has the most sensitive mouth of any horse I’ve ridden, I cut the chin strap off of all three of my Micklem bridles. The horses relaxed in my hands, they improved their obedience to the rein aids, and they are much happier with me. The next time I get a Micklem bridle the first thing I will do, before conditioning even, is to cut off the chin strap.
Since I do not show I have great freedom to make the horses I ride as comfortable as possible.
During the decades I used a noseband I used a regular cavesson, single layer, with room for two fingers, a dropped noseband, and a figure-8 noseband. Now I do not use any nosebands and it seems that I have better control than ever before.
I want to KNOW if my horse opens its mouth when I ride, because then I’d know that my hands got too rough and I needed to lighten up with my hands. With light, responsive hands I do not need a noseband unless I have to use a standing martingle, even though with my MS I have problems with shaky hands at times.
I would be ashamed to use one of those supremely ugly, thick and tight nosebands, but that is just my opinion and the opinion of the horses I ride. The horses do not like the nosebands, therefore I do not like the nosebands. Luckily I do not show where nosebands seem to be required. If I ever have to use a noseband again it would be the old type hunting cavesson, fit around 1-2 inches below the jawbone and with room for at least two fingers vertically–not tight at all.
But then I am a fossil who started riding back in ancient history (the 1970s.)
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Jackie, I pretty much agree with you, at least the “I want to KNOW” if my horse is uncomfortable in the mouth.
I had one trainer who insisted on a flash, and a very tight noseband with padding under the chin. It took me a while to figure out the problems with that. With the new trainer, the first thing I said was “plain noseband, stays comfortably loose. Period.”
What I saw at the NEDA fall festival this year was many horses in the latest approved bridles, many of which have extra straps to hold the horse’s jaw shut.
Wasn’t there an eventing coach a few years back who gave a clinic, and had all the riders remove the nosebands from their bridles for the flatwork, and possibly the arena jumping?
(I am no purist, though, as I am currently riding in a Little S hackamore, which works better one-handed than a snaffle., and is also teaching me way more about how my seat and leg influence my horse. I can only use my right hand on the reins for very short periods of time.)
While I accept their research, I wish I could say that removing my boy’s noseband improved my ride. I saw no difference between flash, no flash, loose, tight, etc. in my case the only thing that made a big difference was a drop noseband. In my mind it is better to use tack that allows to ride softly and quietly then tack that is ineffective, causing me to be stronger and harsher in my ride.
However, while I can accept using a variety of tack and equipment, I am a strong believer that it should be correctly fitted and not overly tight. It’s not huge surprise that different nosebands affect the horse differently, but I would think that you can cause just as much, if not more, harm by overnighting a normal noseband that using a drop noseband appropriately.
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I was reading an old book by an Austrian cavalry author (“Seats and Saddles, Bits and Bitting” by Francis Dwyer) and he came out FOR a dropped noseband (he called it a training halter) at the beginning of training so that horses did not develop undesirable habits with their mouths. By the time the double bridle was introduced the dropped noseband had been discontinued. The main reason for its use was to reduce the fussing with the bit (gaping, putting the tongue over the bit) until the horse accepted the action of the bit, then the dropped noseband was no longer needed.
He wrote that he ran into it later in his career, but when he saw its good effects on the horses mouths at the beginning of training with a snaffle bit he decided that it was a good thing to use for a while at the beginning of working the horse and started using it for introducing the bit.
If your horse likes the dropped noseband, properly adjusted (and it sounds like you are doing it right), my philosophy is that the horse has the final word about what he finds acceptable. If one of the horses I ride told me that they preferred a drop noseband I would be using it.
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Yikes… based on that diagram, I’m not liking where I would imagine the figure 8 would fall (and I can say that, because that’s what I use, so I’m not trying to knock anyone who uses a figure 8)… thoughts?
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Very interesting and timely for me an my guy. I switched him to the Micklem about a year ago, he is somewhat busy with his mouth. I never felt it really helped, and he hates the flash, the drop, etc. So about three weeks ago, I switched back to a plain noseband. And he seems somewhat more relaxed. I will see how it goes.
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“You can’t create a soft mouth by clamping it closed.”
I read that in a book by a well known trainer once and it has always stuck with me. I have plain nosebands on all my bridles and they are adjusted so loosely they are mostly there just for aesthetic purposes.
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The dressage padded crank nosebands are soft, and do not have to be closed tightly, so the buckle and strap under the chin on the bony part of the jaw are not impacted.
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However, if you go to shows, whether in Dressage or Eventing, you will see them misused more often, than not. The word, “Crank” has been used literally for quite a while.
I am hoping that William Ireland will post later to speak about the Micklem and why it should not interfere with the horse’s facial nerves, if adjusted properly.
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It is music to my ears reading how thoughtful you are regarding nose bands and wish for real comfort for your horses. The comfort of horses is why I invented the Micklem bridle and I agree with the points raised in the referenced article and it gives even more research based evidence in support of the Micklem bridle. However some explanation is needed:
The Micklem bridle fits higher than a normal dropped nose band and slightly lower than a cavesson nose band. In this way it both avoids the main disadvantage of a dropped nose band and two main disadvantages of cavesson nose bands.
Normal dropped nose bands fit very low on the sensitive nose bones and in effect just shut the jams together whereas the Micklem bridle sits above these bones and allows some opening of the mouth. It is important that the Micklem is fitted at the right height to allow this and I am aware that some fit my bridle too low.
Most importantly, because cranked cavesson nosebands are the most popular in the sport horse world, the Micklem also overcomes the two main disadvantages of tight cavesson nosebands. 1) it avoids any pressure on the protruding upper jaw molar teeth, which in turn would squash, bruise or cut the tissue on the inside of the mouth and cause mouth ulceration. 2) it does not squash the Infraorbital nerve which exits on the upper jaw just under where the cavesson noseband is fitted. Thus avoiding the discomfort and numbness in the lower face that this causes. Of course it also does not crank the jaws shut, thus allowing use of the TMJ (temperomandibular) joint.
In addition the headpiece avoids pressure on the facial nerves and Trigeminal nerve, and the end result for so many is that the Micklem is a small miracle worker and has encouraged thousands in the horse world to think again about the bridles and nose bands they use. All the answers are there when one studies the anatomy of the head, which is why the Micklem is truly designed from the inside, from the actual shape of the skull and the position of the nerves.
And explanation of this plus the highest veterinary support can be found on the Equitopia video ‘Overcoming the 5 main areas of pain caused by the bridle’ at Equitopiacenter.com or on You Tube.
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William Ireland, I really appreciate you coming on here to post about your Micklem bridle. I hope that others benefited from your information?
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William Ireland, May I ask a question? I’ve been interested in a Micklem, but have noticed that the throatlatch portion on your bridle sits much lower on the head than a normal throatlatch. My mare likes to rub her bridle off over her ears if I don’t pay attention/get sidetracked and prevent her. She will even catch her throatlatch on something and pull, breaking it, then rub the bridle off over her ears.
I expect my princess would try this wearing a Micklem too, and I’m sure other horses have tried. Would she break a bridle part, or would it just come off over her ears?
She’s pretty resourceful, when it suits her.
The article does not support Micklems at all…
This article does point out what I have been saying for years: noseband tightness relates directly to poll pressure, AND that most bridles do not provide large enough browbands – and browbands also impact the comfort of the horse. It’s nice to finally see it in official writing:
I admire the initiative taken to invent a bridle that is more ergonomic for the horse… and I cannot deny that the angulation of the Micklem’s noseband helps avoid the last branch of the infraorbital nerve… but the Micklem bridle places the most pressure directly over the bridge of the nose, and directly under the jaw, even properly fitted. That goes against what was stated above ^
I assume the picture linked above is of a properly fitted Micklem - link below if you need it –
https://www.horseware.com/wp-content…cklem-info.jpg
Even from the picture you can see the bridle is tight, on the crown, the jawstrap, and under the jaw / over the nose… All of that impacts the crown pressure. Unfortunately it is impossible, with the way the Micklem is designed, for you to have a truly loose noseband without impacting the stability of the bit.
Does Micklem have any studies that prove it truly enhances comfort for the horse over a normal caveson with a loose noseband? I do not doubt for one minute that an appropriately fitted Micklem is more comfortable than an inappropriately tightened crank or drop noseband – but what about on normal, appropriately loose nosebands?
I have only had my personal horses react negatively to the Micklem - and lord knows I have tried in so many ways to get a horse to like the bridle, because I want to be in love with the concept – but the proof isn’t in the pudding for me that it actually is as comfortable for the horse as a properly-fitting caveson with a loose noseband. I ride in no noseband at all (save for showing) and all of my TBs that I tried in this bridle either refused to move forward, or became very heavy and dead in the mouth during the ride with the Micklem.
My theory is that in order to get the bridle to be appropriately fitted and the bit stable, you do need to make the nose-strap of the Micklem snug - and many horses do not like direct pressure over their nose and under their jaw.
If you want a horse to be comfortable with an inherently uncomfortable piece of tack, the best thing to do is to keep the noseband loose. But many people will not do that, because the horse can then open their mouths and show evasion of the bit.
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This is a great thread…truthfully it is unusual to find such a group of people really into their subject…thank you.
I started from reality, and the reality before the Micklem was that the majority of competition sport horses were ridden in a tight or cranked cavesson noseband or flash noseband and the majority of the remainder were ridden in dropped nose bands that were too low. I have a long history of condemning both of these, to little effect. It was not until I offered a viable alternative, the Micklem Bridle, that I was able to make a real difference, and boy what a difference! It is the best selling bridle in the world and has meant that all the bridle makers are trying to design alternatives to the tight cavessons and low dropped nose bands. I am very proud of this.
What the various veterinary reports show clearly, from ICES and others, is that the damage caused to the inside of the mouth because of the wider upper jaw is considerable and in addition there is the numbing of the nerves and the granulation of the flesh on the front of the nose caused by external pressure. I personally examined every dressage horse at the Kentucky WEG and only three horses did not have this granulation to some degree, and on a daily basis I find horses in my work as a coach that are sore inside the mouth, even if their teeth have been floated (often to excess). I am also aware of numerous horses with fractured nasal bones caused by low flitting dropped nose bands. The point is that none of this happens with the Micklem bridle. This is a huge improvement!
I often suggest that once the Micklem is fitted riders should stand in front of the horse and put a single finger inside each cheek piece and press outwards. They find it easily moves outwards showing the lack of 360 degree pressure. But the real answer is that so many horses love the bridle. For many years we did no advertising of the bridle because if you like the horses did the talking. The horses still do the talking and we would not be continuing to sell thousands of bridle year on year unless the vast majority of horse were not comfortable in it and therefore offered a better performance. After thirteen years on the market it is certainly not a fad or a fashion.
I start all my young horses in it from the very first day and I have found no horse that dislikes it or the bottom strap. However if a horse has had a bad experience (lacerations, real pain) with a flash then almost certainly they will hate a strap under the bit in the future, as they are first time learners. If a horse is started in a Micklem and well produced it is certainly true that in time no nose band of any sort is needed and in addition bitless is a real option. Alternatively with very skillful riders/trainers no nose band of any type is needed from the beginning, and I thoroughly approve of loose cavessons. But the reality is that such advice does little to change the habit of using tight cavessons and low dropped nose bands and the rules for dressage demand the use of a bit at the moment.
In addition it is a fact that a consistent rein contact (rather than a loose rein) is required in dressage and most commonly used and recommended for jumping. Regrettably a harmonious rein contact is difficult for many of us to achieve consistently and with a standard snaffle there is often too much pressure put on the tongue, particularly causing discomfort by squashing the bottom of the tongue against sharp bars of the mouth (the tongue normally sitting on top of the lower jaw and not in the lower jaw between the teeth as many erroneously suggest). As a result, when a loose nose band is used, it is a normal reaction of the horse to raise the tongue and fairly soon put the tongue over the bit. This makes the horse even more uncomfortable as the bit sits on the bars of the mouth and immediately damages the very this and sensitive skin that goes over the bars. As a result many horse immediately drop their heads down and backwards and an unknowing rider things this light feel and advanced shape shows their horse is going well! I have even seen trainers pull the tongue over the bit deliberately and then doing up the nose band to give the deception of acceptance.
With a Micklem properly fitted the horse is encouraged to keep the tongue under the bit as the bit rises a little when they open the jaws. This is so much more comfortable than a tongue over the bit. This is dealing with reality, and it is reality that everything has disadvantages as well as advantages. But I am so pleased that the advantages of the Micklem bridle vastly outweigh the advantages… and I am so pleased to have the opportunity to explain more about my bridle. Thank you.
Thank you for your response. I can derive from your response the answer to my question must be no, there are not any studies.
I have always wanted to find a more ergonomic design for the horse - but have not found my experience to match what manufacturers claim.
The Micklem does not really cure what the underlying problem is - people still crank the mouth shut. They just do it in a Micklem instead of their normal bridle. Most people I know with Micklems, switched to Micklems because their horses developed rubs, sores, or behavioral issues from a too-tight standard bridle/noseband. Rather than revert to a looser hole in their noseband, they just buy a new bridle that allows them to exert the same amount of pressure in a different way.
Pari passu, it’s been my experience the Micklem is more uncomfortable for the horse than a properly fitted cavesson. I look forward to any studies any of these ergonomic bridle companies can publish.
It is very well proven that flash fixtures and/or fixtures that are fastened to the noseband (so, that would include the Micklem, Equitus Alpha, PS Sweden, etc) that wrap around under the jaw and below the bit (so rest near or where a flash would rest) cause the most pressure and discomfort to the horse. This is because that type of strap attachment causes an anchor point for pressure behind the ears, and pulls down the entire cavesson the tighter it is, and is even more present if the horse is in movement.
I believe Fairfax is the only bridle company that has studies backing up their claims of improved comfort - and their bridle model is very different than the Micklem:
https://www.fairfaxsaddles.com/bridl…rmance-bridles
Thanks for the link, Beowulf., and for posing what I see as the real question here. Found this interesting when I looked at the various bridles: “The Grackle tested best in our research for reduced noseband pressure.”
Anyway, have yet to see anything that tempts me to change from my loose caveson or loose figure 8.
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I was trying to answer all the questions from all the comments and I was explaining about some aspects that some may not be aware of … I take it as a compliment that Fairfax and others have made variations of the Micklem bridle and it confirms the wider positive effect of the Micklem bridle that I mentioned … although it the case of the Fairfax and the German dropped nose band (the latter using a metal vertical section either side of the nose piece to attach the back straps) with the two back straps being closer together (top strap lower than the Micklem) the horses’ jaws are definitely more fixed together, which I do not approve of.
It is a fact that numerous studies and vets have pointed out the damage to the inside of the mouth (laceration, bruising, cuts, ulceration etc) caused by tight or cranked nose bands but the Micklem cannot do this because of it’s positioning. Similarly the damage to the nose bones, the Micklem cannot do this. Similarly the problem with pressure on the infraorbital nerves. Some of the most reputable equine vets in the world have pointed out that pressure on the infraorbital foramen is uncomfortable and counter productive but the Micklem puts no pressure there. So the bridle does have veterinary approval as it obviously overcomes these challenges as well as allowing some freedom of the jaws… and it certainly gets the approval of horses. There are currently several Universities carrying out independent research on the effect of the Micklem and other options in comparison to traditional nose bands and I look forward to their conclusions but it remains a fact that the Micklem obviously overcomes so many of the accepted areas of discomfort continually identified by equine dentists and veterinarians.
I agree there will always be a problem with people doing up all nose bands too tightly. Even if the stewards prevent it at a competition some will still tighten up at home to the disadvantage of the horse. However I would suggest that the Micklem bridle is designed to greatly reduce the instances of this happening. With the height of the top back strap and the absence of a connected front strap going all around the head it cannot be cranked, because the cheek pieces just get pulled backwards if it is too tight. And with the lower back strap the height of the front nose piece (well above the mouthpiece of the bit) means that the strap has to curve around the bit. If it is done up too tightly this curve becomes a straight line and the bit is raised too high in the mouth. On the contrary a cavesson or German dropped noseband or low fitting dropped nose band all make a 360 degree direct connection that lock the jaws. I say that the back straps on the Micklem should be done up like you are holding the frail hand of an aged grandparent, and I think you will find that I have a long history of rejecting and preaching against cranked noseands, nerve lines and acts of violence.
Finally I agree that there is a little increased pressure on the poll at times but the widened headpiece plus no narrow nose band strap under the head piece mean that this is not a significant issue. However we will be bringing out a redesigned and unique headpiece that I think will meet with your approval and once again give something for other manufacturers to copy. As a coach and trainer this actually pleases me as the horse is the main winner. I will continue to try and design equipment that is horse friendly and offers practical alternatives to less humane offerings.
In my previous post I answered the question regarding no nose bands and loose nose bands but I forgot to say that the option the Micklem gives to use the clips, to connect the bit rings to the nose piece, means that any sudden or severe pressure on the tongue can be limited or prevented entirlely. This simple addition can be of immense benefit to horses that hate too much pressure on the tongue or have got in the habit of putting their tongue over the bit, or those that are ridden by less proficient riders. Connected with this I have no doubt that the development of an allowing hand and acceptable rein contact should be much higher up the list of our rider priorities and training plans … and as I have said thousands of times it should be acceptance we seek, not submission!
I love horses greatly, and I also greatly respect those who ask questions and look for better ways … so I appreciate the deep interest of those on the COTH forums and I hope the above makes sense. I wish you all many more happy hours with happy horses
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