Questions about Mikmar combination bit usage and transitioning

[bit_question]

Hi, and thanks for any help you can provide.

This is the specific bit I’m writing about:

https://www.mikmar.com/bit-pages/combo-bit.html

I have used this bit one time with results I could not believe.

I have a soft, giving hand; even when the bit was first put in the horse’s mouth, there was a noticeable change. Other bit is KK Ultra. (No Weymouth/double.)

Horse is never busy in the mouth and never has been, chews gently with the KK when soft and not braced. Doesn’t take off/bolt/behave badly with snaffle.

With the Mikmar, instantly soft through neck, forward through body, and submissive. Did not appear to be in any pain, fussy, angry, or in any way unhappy. Beautiful ride, no need to pull. Second rein (for the nose “string”) didn’t need to be tight at all.

Has anyone successfully used this bit on a very temporary basis in order to help train a horse to give through the neck more, by starting with it, then switching to the snaffle after part of the ride; say 15 minutes into the work when moving forward and soft through all three gaits? If so, what did you do, and how did you decide when to switch back to the snaffle either within a ride or after a few rides, etc.?

I sincerely appreciate any help; not looking for training advice regarding forward, other ways to fix the problem, etc. at this point (I’ve had that in the past here and VERY much appreciate it!). :yes: I’m simply wondering if anyone has used this successfully as a tool to help educate horse, and if so, how did you do it.

Thank you!

[Hawks_Nest]

Eventer here, but my boy went in a mikmar combo bit to jump for probably 6months and he was super in it until he wasn’t. It did work to get him softer in his neck and jaw and I’d use it at least once a week until he got too comfortable with pushing into it and started to curl and get heavy.

Because it is a flat bar in the mouth it is very soft as long as the port isn’t activated so I can see how some horses really like it. But, because it is so comfortable, it can get to the point where horses will push right through it, so it is a good transition bit but it is not a substitute for teaching a horse to accept a regular snaffle and I saw no improvement in my boy’s dressage beyond the schooling he did in the bit itself. It wasn’t until almost a year later that we really got past some of the issues he had with snaffles.

[bit_question]

Thank you! Did you ride the entire ride in it when you did use it?

Do you mind my asking why you started it? Was he pushing through to begin with or just to get him softer in the neck/jaw? What were his original issues with the snaffle?

Thanks!

[Hawks_Nest]

[QUOTE=bit_question;8613081]
Thank you! Did you ride the entire ride in it when you did use it?

Do you mind my asking why you started it? Was he pushing through to begin with or just to get him softer in the neck/jaw? What were his original issues with the snaffle?

Thanks![/QUOTE]

He would do an entire ride with it, some flat and then jumping. I started using it mostly because he was very finicky about bits. He would (and still does) be too light in the contact and super sensitive about bit action but then when his adrenaline got pumping he would simply push through everything (on top of being a head flipper) and had a tendency to invert and drop his shoulder. Most snaffles had too much motion for him or were too soft so we needed something to jump that would be a little safer.

The mikmar was soft in the mouth so he wouldn’t back off of it but could be sharp without pissing him off. An elevator had too much movement while a pelham was too sharp and would annoy him. The rigidity of the mikmar made him much more comfortable.

When it comes to actual dressage work, the starting point was a stubben ezcontrol type boucher (it was a defective bit that happened to be perfect for my guy), and now he goes in a thin HS KK Dynamic loose ring but he does need the occasional tune up in a sharper bit (single jointed thin loose ring). It has just always been a struggle to get him to both accept the bit and respect it.

[bit_question]

Thank you for the information; I appreciate your taking the time to explain it. My horse has different issues but your experience is very helpful! Maybe I will update as to how I’m trying these and whether it works.

Thanks again! We’re in the same bit as you (and have been for years), I believe, but a bit thicker than the “thin” if memory serves.

[lorilu]

I am using a mikmar 3 piece bit with a horse who came to me after being ridden with NO contact in a big western bit, Californio style. He posed quite nicely but would not accept any contact. He loves this bit, accepts contact, stretches into it, opens his throatlatch… frankly I wish it was legal for his future job, western dressage…

[csaper58]

Often, when you make a significant change in bitting, the horse will not show how he truly feels about the change for a few rides.

Perhaps you should reserve judgement until you have a few more experiences with the bit?

[bit_question]

[QUOTE=lorilu;8613176]
I am using a mikmar 3 piece bit with a horse who came to me after being ridden with NO contact in a big western bit, Californio style. He posed quite nicely but would not accept any contact. He loves this bit, accepts contact, stretches into it, opens his throatlatch… frankly I wish it was legal for his future job, western dressage…[/QUOTE]

Thank you for sharing your experience! I have a different issue with my horse, but glad to hear of your good experience! Perhaps this will be enough to teach him and then you can switch to a legal bit for his future work. :yes:

[bit_question]

[QUOTE=csaper58;8613422]
Often, when you make a significant change in bitting, the horse will not show how he truly feels about the change for a few rides.

Perhaps you should reserve judgement until you have a few more experiences with the bit?[/QUOTE]

My intention is not to switch to this bit, so I don’t plan to use it often and probably won’t be able to gather enough data to be able to isolate cause-and-effect.

To your wise point, however, I evaluate every ride and try to examine all factors.

That said, I rode in it yesterday for about 15 minutes.

Today I did not use it at all, and we had a soft, much easier ride than we have had in the past with the KK.

Was hoping to use it to show the horse that soft isn’t bad but actually feels good. Although I again cannot isolate cause-and-effect, it worked so far for the desired education, I think. Today it was far less difficult to explain some things to a willing but at times uneducated horse.

Thanks, everyone!

[AZ_TD]

Maybe you should post your question in the Western section, not too many dressage people use this bit.

[bit_question]

Thanks! Might do so; my search of the bit on the forums has given me a lot of help so far too, just wanted to ask this specific question of the dressage crowd but great idea and I might cross post.

[netg]

I’m not familiar with the bit except for the picture you posted, but it appears as if it is far more harsh than a snaffle and will act in different ways than just a snaffle. Understanding how it works on your horse even if only using the “snaffle” rein will be helpful.

There are some horses for whom understanding they CAN go softly is helpful, but be aware this is front to back riding, and that once you get soft you’ll have to work on getting the hind legs active and engaged properly. A bit won’t help that happen, and until that happens a horse isn’t moving over the topline and using itself. At least from my experience - if your horse is naturally using him(her?)self well enough, it may not be an issue.