# Wonder bits ~ The truth



## Sunny06 (Jun 22, 2009)

Found this and thought I'd share. What are yall's thoughts? 

The "Wonder" Bit


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## Spirithorse (Jun 21, 2007)

For the most part I agree. I do not agree, however, that it should be used to get a horse's head up. There are much more effective ways to do that than to slap this contraption in a horse's mouth.


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## Sunny06 (Jun 22, 2009)

That's the point of the article. To tell you it has no head-raising action


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## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

I've always wondered at these bits... as in, why people would bother with them?

Darnit people! What happened to good ol' snaffles??


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## Brighteyes (Mar 8, 2009)

*Shakes head* The wonder bit is no wonder at all.


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## Scoutrider (Jun 4, 2009)

Every now and again I put a western saddle on my guy and do some games for sheer fun, and a break for Scout. I see a TON of these bits on the "hard-core" gaming horses, and I always wonder whether the horses actually need them, or if people just use them because it's a "gaming" bit. The horses fly around the patterns with their heads up (jerking tie-downs: if it's designed to get their head up, why tie it down????), ears pinned, eyes rolling, and a hearty yank at the last minute by the rider to stop them.

Maybe a decent bit in the right hands and for the right horse, but like the American TT, I've seen it marketed to the wrong people too many times.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

^^Agreed. IMHO, they are basically a TT with gag action. No wonder at all people have bit evading, head tossing, hard to handle horses in these types of bits.


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## Sunny06 (Jun 22, 2009)

Yeah.. Why can't people just make _normal_ bits??


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## tempest (Jan 26, 2009)

This is somewhat off topic, but when I read some of the article I remembered something a judge at a local horse show told me. I had a horse that loved to put his tongue over the bit, but as soon as he did, he freaked out. So I routinely went through classes with an almost out-of-control horse. At the end of one class the judge came up to me and asked what type of bit I was using and I said a snaffle. She then said that because of fact that my horse kept putting his tongue over the bit, I should use a gag bit with a certain piece on it to stop that. I said ok, because she gave some advice and it was the polite thing to do, but as soon as I left the class, I gagged. The thought of a gag bit still makes me want to gag. So I told my RI about what the judge said she said, "Yeah, we're not doing that." and I agreed that nobody was ever going to make me ride in a gag bit.


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## Sunny06 (Jun 22, 2009)

bumpity bump

Another fail at a so-called 'good' bit... You just can't win..


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

smrobs said:


> ^^Agreed. IMHO, they are basically a TT with gag action. No wonder at all people have bit evading, head tossing, hard to handle horses in these types of bits.


No - it's not a tom thumb with a gag action. A tom thumb can cause a pinch due to the way the bit connects to the shank creating a whole new set of mouth issues on the horse.


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## Sunny06 (Jun 22, 2009)

^ She's just trying got say that they are harsh; like a TT.


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## Spastic_Dove (Oct 4, 2007)

I will ride in a bit very similar to a wonder bit (Not sure exactly what it's called, but its the same idea). I haven't had the hollowed out, pacy, head up problems with it before. 
I will also ride in a snaffle. 

I will say that most times I see wonder bits being used, they are at game shows, and it's horrifying.


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## Sunny06 (Jun 22, 2009)

We actually have one, and I've always heard it's supposed to be good for the horse and all... Now I'm not too sure.


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

I game in a snaffle. I win, too. Age highpoint for 5 years running. Funny how it can be done in a nice bit!


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## Spastic_Dove (Oct 4, 2007)

I wouldn't say it really helps a horse..but to be fair, I don't think a fancy bit will help a horse do anything regardless. 

I barrel race in a D ring snaffle at home and at events quite frequently. Honestly, the only reason I use one is because my horse likes it. Mine has rollers in the middle which he quite enjoys. 

It does have a "Pay attention" to me aspect which I think can be good...however it seems that gets abused more than anything else. It's a bit that you need to understand (As are all gag and leverage bits in my opinion) and like always, the riders hands really determine the severity of the bit.


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## briget83 (Sep 16, 2009)

I barrel race in an Indian bosal with no tie down at all. Gag bits like other harsh bits is just another bit that some dumba$$ ( excuse the french) made money off of. I wish to people would relize there is no mircale bit or hackore they need to listen to what the horse is telling them . No wonder bit can fix a problem 90% of it is the rider not the horse.


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## Zab (Oct 4, 2008)

Never saw any point in gag-bits anyway.
Snaffles and curbs/shanks with curb chains, does pretty much cover all you need on both good and bad sides of bit-use. And I'd say that if you need a curb for extra control rather than guiding the horse down-forward, you need to work with the dicipline and obedience, not the mouth.

And of course the bitless options, but I put them too into snaffle and curb categories depending on their mechanism and signals.


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