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The Wonder Bit???

6K views 28 replies 12 participants last post by  Honeysuga 
#1 ·
Ok, so, I have a 6 year old Tennessee Walking Horse (Spirit) that I ride western with. He was in a Tom Thumb bit until about 4 months ago and we both absolutely hated it. So we switched to an Eggbutt Snaffle bit. It's like riding with nothing. Right now, my trainer and I are working on disengaging him since he is a bit downhill. She told me that snaffle bits are not good for neckreining (probably should have looked that up before I bought it, right? :-p) and that when we're done with what we're doing (idk where we're going with/after disengaging) that she wants to switch him to a Wonder Bit.

So can someone tell me what a Wonder Bit is? I've been looking it up online and it sounds really harsh (but keeping in mind that a bit is only as harsh as the hands you use it with). People say that it's only for experienced professionals (which I obviously am not :D)and novices should not use it. Is this true???
 
#2 ·
Now, think about this: by the very nature of neck reining, the idea is to not touch the bit at all, right?
In my humble opinion, there is nothing wrong with using a snaffle while neckreining - maybe someone with more experience western wants to disprove my theory...
What problems are you having?
 
#4 ·
There was just a thread about wonder bits im sure you could find if you searched for it.
You can neck rein just fine in a snaffle...you can neck rein in a halter but a curb will give you a little extra to work with as they are bits made to be used while neck reining. For an inexperienced horse and inexperienced rider (?), a snaffle can be fine.

I ride in a wonderbit, and I like it mostly because my horse likes it...but they are a gag bit and thus...have the potential to be very harsh.
 
#6 ·
Personally, it sounds like Spirit has to go back to basics and learn what the bit is FOR. It doesn't matter what you put in his mouth if he doesn't understand that pressure means to slow. The hardest mouthed horse can be turned around to respect an eggbutt snaffle just fine...just takes time, consistancy, and dedication.
 
#7 ·
Also, I have to agree with others that it shouldn't matter what bit your using to neckrein because the purpose is to direct by putting pressure on their NECK, not the mouth. Could be a snaffle, curb, tom thumb, hackamore, halter...gets the same result if the horse is properly trained to neckrein.
 
#8 ·
My riding partner rides in one with he TWH. I keep meaning to say something and offer to loan her a normal curb bit but never got around to it.
This is a link to the bit and read what they say about it
The "Wonder" Bit

This is taken from that link

Lee Ziegler (website), starts us off with an explanation: A wonder bit is a modified gag -- as such it has very limited application in good horsemanship or riding. With this bit, any pressure on the reins causes the mouthpiece to rise in the mouth, pulling on the corners of the lips -- a very sensitive area -- and the poll, as well as putting pressure on the jaw from the curb chain. The only really legitimate use of such a contraption is to raise the head of a horse that tends to get behind the bit -- and then only to be used for a short time until the horse learns other habits and can be put in a bit that actually has some useful training function.
 
#11 ·
A gag bit is not meant to be used on a horse that is still learning, that much I will say. I agree that you need to go back to basics to a degree. Before your horse can learn neck reining and being soft in a curb, he needs to understand a snaffle.

Its like me asking you to do calculus when you're still learning how to multiply and divide. You need to set your horse up to succeed and the best way to do that is to give him all the tools to succeed and make sure he is solid in the basics before you ask him to move onto something more complex.
 
#12 ·
A horse will neck rein better with a curb then a snaffle, same as a horse can be taught to stop harder/quicker with a curb.
I carry a 6 inch scare on my leg from a runaway when I was a little kid.

A few days after I was hurt my father took the horse and taught her some hard hard stops in just 2 stops. The 3rd time my father just sat back and with a single word had the horse slidding to a stop. That horse never ran again and for the rest of our time with her she had a fantastic stop.
I have worked a few runaways the same way as my father did it to my mare.
 
#13 ·
I don't think this horse is a runaway. I think it's a horse that needs to learn to stop and either missed a step along the way, or needs a tune up. In my opinion, you don't put a curb in a horses mouth that isn't solid in a snaffle. It's not fair to the horse and you're just leaving holes in your training.
 
#14 ·
I agree with SpasticDove on this one...I'm sorry, but I don't think arm wrestling your horse's mouth with a curb is the best way to "train" a horse. I also don't think it makes a big difference what bit you're neckreining it - not to a horse that's trained to neckrein.
 
#15 ·
I agree with SD.

And, I taught my mare to neck rein in a snaffle. She seems to understand the cues better in a bitless bridle but she understood the concept already from the snaffle.
I think you need to go back to basics with him and retrain him to stop and do all the other stuff you're having difficulty with, in a snaffle. It might be helpful to teach him some voice commands on the ground then transfer them to the saddle.
For instance, when I got my mare she had a great stop but she couldn't stand still for anything. I trained her on the ground to stop and not move when I say "ho" until I say "ok". I would say "ho", stop my own movement and have her back up 3-4 steps then stand for a moment (eventually I started taking a step away from her and saying "ahhh" when she moved etc). She picked it up pretty quickly and now it's SO nice because I can tell her "ho" and trust that she'll stay in place until I tell her she can move.
Now I use it in the saddle and she's great about stopping and standing still whenever and wherever I need her to. And even when she decides to tune me out and be a jerk I can say "ho" to her and she'll stop dead.
The only thing I have to be careful about is to not say it without making her stop if she doesn't and I have to be careful to remember to say "ok" because I don't want her to learn that she can just stop then walk off when I say "ho".

A stronger bit isn't going to solve anything, it might even make it worse. I wish you luck! =)
 
#17 ·
My granddaughter's horse, Lightning neckreins way better in a curb bit than he does in a snaffle. I have ridden him in both and he is tuned to the curb bit differently than a snaffle. On the other hand he minds the snaffle wonderfully when you direct rein him.
 
#21 ·
I keep asking myself if this is experience talking or just an opinion??
As to all those holes in the training would all of you put your horse's and your life on the line to show there are no holes??
In the real world, the world beside busy highways, flying trains and tricky water crossing you better have no holes or you are dead.
Safely tucked in an arena with walls or fencing all around you is like driving in an empty parking lot and giving advice to others that drive in the real world
 
#22 ·
I'm not planning on switching him to the Wonder Bit anytime soon. This is for the way future, when we're done with whatever we're doing with him. I'll make sure he knows how to stop and slow down really well with just the Eggbutt Snaffle before I switch him. Yeah, he's still got a lot of holes, but I'll make sure those are fixed before I put him in a new bit. I just wanted to know what you guys thought about this bit.
 
#24 ·
I don't know if a gag bit is any harsher than a curb bit. I use one occasionaly to help a horse break at the poll. They don't raise the head either if you don't release pressure untill the head is lowered. A horse will search till it finds the release. Gag bits usualy take longer before everything pulls tight giving the horse more time to respond. NO BIT IS HARSH IN THE RIGHT HANDS!!!!
 
#26 ·
Hence the OP's original problem! Horses learn to not stop because people haul thier horse to a stop and never release the pressure. Then they push them forward and pretty soon the horse ignores the bit. One way to fix the problem without apply excessive amounts of pressure on the horses mouth is to change the type of pressure the horse is feeling. A horse that won't stop is like a car being driven with the brake on. At first all you have to do is take your foot off the gas and the car stops. After a while the brakes get worn and the car doesn't stop so well so you can change the brakes and keep on driving or you can figure out how to drive without riding the brakes.
 
#29 ·
It seems to me like switching to a gag from a snaffle is a rather harsh and desperate measure. I know you say that you are going to work on his stopping before you switch, which arises the question with me, If you are going to fix the problem with his normal bit, why switch to a drastically harsher bit afterwards? Just seems inconsistent. I personally think if you go back to the basics and retrain and reinforce your whoa or stopping commands you have no need to put unnecessary metal in your pals mouth. If you think you have a problem now, just imagine when he pushes through a bit as severe as a gag? What are you going to do then? No, i think you just need to take a step back.
As for the original post, i hate the wonder bit! People say that it is only harsh if used in the wrong hands. Well imho anyone who still needs a trainer has the wrong hands for a bit like that, so unless your trainer is the only one touching those reins while that is in his mouth, id say dont do it.
Good Luck!!
 
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