Has anyone tried this bridle? I think it is lovely to look at, but it does seem like it would not be as “universal” as far as fit. Also, for those who’ve tried it, does your horse go differently? Or do you just feel good about a bridle that might be somewhat more comfortable?
Yeah I have this and love it and I was wondering if it was approved during the convention…
I will say they run big. My mare is a large cob and can sometimes go in a horse and this is on the last hole for everything. I would say it’s more like a runs slightly small horse size than a cob.
Now I’m curious: the Equitus looks almost exactly like a Micklem, just prettier and less utilitarian. The bit hanger buckles to the noseband, in a similar yet slightly different fashion than the Micklem. However that attachment does not follow this line from the USDF rulebook (https://files.usef.org/assets/VqIPYD…entbooklet.pdf):
Bridles are not permitted in which the noseband is connected to the bit or cheekpiece below the level of the browband.
So why is the Micklem legal, and this is not? What is the process to have a bridle recognized as legal? Is that a process the manufacturer has to pay for?
I mean the rule as written would eliminate all bridles that don’t have buckles on the crownpiece, since the cheekpiece buckle is below the browband.
individual pieces of tack can be approved or denied (the Antares Precision was not approved) with rule change requests, I believe.
Thanks for all of the info – I hope it is approved! If someone who follows this sort of thing would update this post I’d really appreciate it. I have not shown but think the bridle is just beautiful, and if it is more comfortable for the horse, I don’t see where it would be detrimental.
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So I’ve always wondered about how “revolutionary” these bridles can be given that figure 8 nosebands exist. I once heard an upper level eventer tell me that using a figure 8 in dressage was tacky. As she put the Micklem bridle on her horse for dressage…
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They are revolutionary in appearance :-). My husband who knows me a little too well asked if I liked the bridle, or was it just that I liked the horse.
I’ve always purchased bridles for under $100, so this would be a big change for me as far as the price point. If it gives my horse extra comfort behind the ears (where I suspect bridles are really bothersome) and maybe some jaw relief, and it looks great to boot, that’s about what I’d ask of a bridle. Anything else is gravy.
I believe it will get approved eventually as I recall hearing about them requesting a rule change request - it is just that the Micklem has been around a long time, and the EA is quite new. They probably haven’t had a formal hearing on it yet - or, now that I type that, I seem to recall some sort of hearing was to be done this fall about it?
I have the EA. The leather is very soft and the bridle is very light. The design is a less utilitarian version of the Micklem. Same premise.
That being said it came to me with a major defect in the bridle (padding already separating from noseband hangar), which is about par for the course with Schockemohle - they have very poor quality control in general. The leather always feels nice but the craftsmanship is poor. I exchanged it and the exchanged one is not free of blemishes either, but they are superficial.
That being said my gelding hated it for the same reason someone mentioned above; he does not like flashes and doesn’t need one - but I thought this bridle might be more comfortable than a standard caveson. The flash is built into the bridle and cannot be removed. My gelding is normally light in the bridle but became very fussy and heavy in the bit during our practice ride. Back to normal when I switched to a standard bridle. I think that has more to do with him/his preferences than a fault in the bridle.
Personally I am not so sure if the EA is any better than the Micklem in terms of leather quality. I think the QC is far better in the Micklem but both have poor leather; one just feels super soft, and the other stiff like cardboard. I don’t think for a minute it is worth the $330 they want for it (sans reins, nonetheless) and think if the design is what appeals to you the Micklem is a better quality option.
As far as it being more comfortable… it really depends on the horse. None of mine have gone well in Micklem or EA-type bridles - they have all gone worse. But I have seen client horses do better. I mostly have OTTBs; some of which have damage from the track (poll or neck). The Micklem and EA both have just as much poll pressure as a standard caveson - if not more, because the “anchor point” for the bridle’s stability rests right across the lower part of the nose, and pulls the headstall down with pressure. Any bridle with that kind of noseband hangar configuration will have much more nose + crown pressure than a simple, standard bridle with an actually loose noseband - because in a standard bridle the noseband is independent of the fit/stability of the bit… but in the EA and Micklem, if the noseband is not securely strapped down, the bridle and bit are unstable. Because the entire stability of the bit and the fit of the Micklem/EA bridle rests on the noseband being firmly snug, these bridles are not actually a good answer for horses with genuine poll pressure sensitivity. The best thing for those horses is a bridle with no noseband at all, or a very loose noseband if required in your discipline.
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Thanks! I have zero experience with Schockemohle but made assumptions based on the price point of their products. This is helpful.
I tried this bridle on my horse with a wider head and larger then normal ears.
It did not work. I actually found overall it fit quite small. She is a full in everything, any brand EXCEPT for the browband. She was incredibly PO’d with this bridle, just trying it on.
I don’t have any of the quality issues Beowulf reports, for what it’s worth. Mine was fine from the beginning and the leather is quite nice.
I have the Equitus Beta and am very happy with it. Well made, my horse is happy, and it looks lovely too.
I’m with Unforgetable, I’m very happy with mine too. I’m in Australia, and have used mine at some big Dressage comps with no problem at all.
I debated posting my negative experience given all the positive reviews, but I had my Alpha break on me a few weeks back during a ride.
The way it broke makes me concerned for anyone who is using this bridle for things like jumping or cross country. The metal pins holding the bit strap broke clean off of the little plate that they are holstered in. The plate is still inside the bridle, but the knobs holding the bit broke off.
This has never happened to me in a normal bridle.
I’m finding a few barn mates have run into the same issue which makes me think this isn’t a freak accident. One was a dressage rider and the other had hers break on cross country. It seems that the metal pins that hold the bit straps are very fragile.
I would not use this bridle cross country, and would definitely not use this bridle with a running martingale.
Anyone else have this issue? It’s a shame because I was really happy with this bridle otherwise. I will not be getting a replacement, as I am too worried about what could go wrong if it happened again.
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No experience with this specific bridle, but I had a Schockemohle figure 8 that the leather would NOT break in. It was tough and plasticky after a year of regular use. I ran into the owner of the tack shop I bought it from and mentioned it… she replaced it with one that was great and sent the original back to the manufacturer. Yay small tack shop owners!
Just by way of offering an option, my favorite anatomical bridle is made by Jeffries, comes with a flash, or cavesson, or as a double. Bit hanger is separate from noseband below the browband. Quality and workmanship are beautiful. I watched the development of anatomical bridles since the Miklem and each new offering still left something to be desired, IMHO, until the Gentle bridle by Jeffries. I have a small inventory at www.TheSaddleTree.com
http://www.ejeffries.co.uk/k/search?q=gentle+
I wanted to update this - I contacted the vendor I purchased the Schockemohle from, and they offered a full refund which I was not expecting. I purchased it from Dover. Originally they offered to swap it for a replacement but after I explained what had happened, they refunded instead. I then turned around and brought a different bridle from them, so in a way it was more of an elaborate exchange.
My bridle was maybe on its fifth use, when it broke. I think that helped, as they could tell I hadn’t had the bridle very long (a month).
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