What horse would benefit from a Mikmar?
I’m interested in a double broken wide surface bearing Mikmar snaffle or likely pelham.
Anyone ride in a Mikmar bit and is your horse happier in it vs a regular shaped bit.
I’m having difficulty understanding the pros of the wide surface and which horse this would suit.
Are you they kinder or harsher with increasing rein pressure?
Thanks again 
I rode a horse in a Mikmar d ring back in the mid 2000s. He was a Thoroughbred and a hunter, but very, very strong. He also had a very strong aversion to single jointed bits. He would toss his head and slam on the brake as soon as the joint hit the roof of his mouth. His typical french link baucher wasn’t really hunter appropriate, so after a couple of other failed bit trials we tried the Mikmar since the tack trailer as the show had one. He chewed on the bit a lot, but he was much more manageable to ride in it. I had a bit more stopping power and he wasn’t upset by a single joint. He did however chew it like crazy and one side of the port was more or less sawed off by his teeth.
I also rode a TB gelding who was a jumper around the same time period and he went some in a Mikmar combination bit. Typically it was too much bit for us as a pair, since I had trouble getting him in front of my leg and keeping him there.
I’m not sure of the mechanics, but I know two horses that have gone well/better in a Mikmar
#1 was a medium pony hunter with terrible brakes. She was easily offended by her bits, and the more you pulled, the faster she would go. This was a fancy pony, did pony finals and the A shows up and down the east coast and Canada. But the trick to riding her was to loop the reins for the whole course, and then use your final courtesy circle to get her back to a walk as smoothly as possible. She quite liked a Mikmar Dee. It was solid enough for her to carry, and she’d even, gasp, accept a half halt. But it had enough stopping power to get her back to a walk.
#2 WB cross – more whoa than go. But he would tend to get long and heavy. His owner often showed in a pelham, just to lift him up when he wanted to fall on the forehand between fences. She said he was great in the Mikmar. She could bump him up in it, but without taking away the hard-earned forwardness.
I don’t have anyone in my barn right now that is funny about their bits. Most at least school in a happy mouth. But I have the Mikmar in my collection and am perfectly willing to pull it out for someone that needs something a little different that can’t be addressed by a waterford or maybe mullen mouth pelham.
Thank you ElementFarm and akhunterrider. Sounds like it may be too much bit for this horse, wished I could a rental on one somewhere.
Or I guess buy, try & sell again :lol:.
The joys of finding the right bit 
.
