Not-So-Speedy Dressage
From Endurance to Dressage
Yep. I went from eyeballing the bridle skeptically for nearly a year to owning two of them in less than two months. Speedy's Micklem arrived the other day. Fitting the bridle the second time was much faster and easier than the first one. This one arrived a bit stiffer than Sydney's did, but it could simply be that I've conditioned the heck out of Sydney's which has made it quite soft and pliable. Speedy's has gone through "softening boot camp," and it's rounding up quite well, but it still needs some use along with regular conditioning to really soften up. I've hacked Speedy in the Micklem twice, but I can't say whether he was softer or more relaxed in it. I didn't really buy it expecting any change in his way of going. I really just like the ease of cleaning this bridle, and truth be told, it looks more comfortable for the horse. I should be able to put in a good schooling ride today. I'll let you know how Speedy does in it.
Judy
1/25/2014 12:33:45 am
That really is a beautiful bridle! I thought it was pretty funny that the packaging reads "rambo" Micklem! That leads me to believe great things will be accomplished with it's use! 1/25/2014 02:15:45 pm
I know, huh?! I find it kind of funny, too. Rambo products are quite well known.:0)
Amanda
1/25/2014 12:49:56 am
WHERE'S THE BLING?!?!?!
Alanna
1/25/2014 05:18:07 am
I just purchased one! I'm looking forward to trying it on Roz. 1/25/2014 02:17:10 pm
I sure hope it works for you guys. I love it for Sydney, and I already like it for Speedy even though I haven't been able to give it a good schooling ride yet. It's definitely an easy bridle to clean and care for though. :0)
I have to say that after using this bridle the last few weeks on my DWB, he's much quicker to soften and he seems to go much better in it. Your octopus analogy is spot on. I feel like I have full contact with not just his mouth, but his whole frontend. He's definitely much lighter in all gaits. 1/25/2014 02:22:39 pm
Yah! That's been my experience as well, not a magic bullet, but definitely an improvement. 1/28/2014 09:44:42 am
I know Sydney goes better in his, and Speedy didn't mind it, but once I get a good schooling ride on him, I suspect he'll appreciate the absence of the noseband in favor of the jaw strap. 3/21/2015 11:30:04 pm
Not to gum up the works, but it's stamped with "SC" - Small Cob???? I am pretty sure that it was sold as small horse, but I can't remember. In my opinion, the head stalls for both Micklems (I have the small horse and Horse sizes) run a bit big but the jaw strap and flash are a bit small. After a year's wear however, both of the straps stretched out just fine. Comments are closed.
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About the Writer and RiderI am a lifelong rider.
I began endurance riding in 1996 where I ultimately completed five, one-day 100 mile races, the 200-mile Death Valley Encounter, and numerous other 50, 65, and 75 mile races. I began showing dressage in 2010. Welcome to my dressage journey. About Speedy GSpeedy went from endurance horse to dressage horse. After helping me earn a USDF Bronze medal in the summer of 2020, he is now semi-retired. Speedy is a 2004, 15'1 hand, purebred Arabian gelding. His Arabian Horse Registry name is G Ima Starr FA.
About IzzyIzzy was started as a four-year old and then spent the next 18 months in pasture growing up. I bought him as a six-year old, and together, we are showing at the lower levels. He is a 2008, 16'3 hand warmblood gelding. His Rheinland Pfalz-saar International (RPSI) name is Imperioso.
National Rider AwardsState Rider Awards
State Horse Awards
Working Towards:
CDS Sapphire Rider Award Third Level: 63.514% Third Level: 62.105% Fourth Level: Fourth Level: 2023 Show Season
Show Rating (***) CDS/USDF/USEF (*) CDS (s) Schooling (c) Clinic (r) Ride-a-Test Clinic 2023 Show Schedule
TBD 2023 Completed … Pending 2023 Qualifying Scores
Regional Adult Amateur Competition (RAAC) Qualifying Training Level 3 Scores/2 Judges/60%: Score 1: Score 2: Score 3: Archives
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