Not sure if this has been posted before, so I apologize if it has!
I was just wondering (no pun intended) what a Wonder Bit is. What does it do? It looks weird.
Sorry if this is a silly question. I’m just curious and am new to figuring out what certain bits are for.
Thank you! 
It provides just a touch of leverage. (When you talk about leverage with bits it means that it creates poll pressure which causes the horse to lower his head.) The wonder bit doesn’t have as much leverage as a bubble bit/Pessoa but has a little more oompf to it than a regular snaffle.
Exactly. A snaffle was not quite enough for my horse, but a ring bit was way, way too much. The wonder bit is a nice compromise.
QQQQQ???
Can someone post a picture please? Is it like a three ring gag? When I search everything I see says its a harsh bit.
http://iceryder.net/wonderbit.html
It’s like an elevator / pessoa bit, only with shaped rings.
o - First ring: Mild curb effect. Slight poll pressure but light bar / tongue pressure until contact is applied.
O - Second ring: Mostly snaffle effect. Very little poll pressure, otherwise works as a snaffle.
o - Third ring: Moderate curb effect. Poll pressure and bar / tongue pressure when contact is applied.
o - Fourth ring: Curb effect. Uses heavy poll pressure and bar /tongue pressure when contact is applied.
This is a severe bit and is only used in upper level jumping, eventing, and foxhunting. This particular bit is loose-ring which lightens the effect a little, but not any more than a regular loose-ring would.
Are they a training bit?
Here you go: http://www.bitofbritain.com/Wonder_Bit_p/739.htm
They are significantly less aggressive than the description you found. They are also called loop ring gag bits.
I also have the golden wings one from Stubben. Sigh. None of my horses go well in them. They sure are neat looking though.
Test Drive?
Does anyone have one that I could try before purchasing one? Would they be helpful with a horse who ignores half halts or repeated request to slow down or stop? Are they best used as a temporary measure and are they legal for showing? TIA!
** Never mind, I just ordered the cheaper one! Thanks!!
Hard to say if they would work for what you’re describing… they are not legal for dressage.
I LOVE my wonder bit!!! Fleck gets heavy on the forehand and pulls on me. He’s not a freight train, but would tend to just tip me forward and down with him. I really really like the wonder bit for stadium and XC. I feel like I can get my point across without having to rip his face off. It’s just a bit more than what I had with the other bits, and gets the point across without me feeling like I’m being too mean. However… this also came at about the same time I started to insist that he carry himself more and not pull, so… hard to say if it’s the wonder bit or "wonder training’!
My son loves the Wonder Bit :D:D. He had a pony that was very forward when going xcountry and my son was always fighting with him to slow down. His trainer had him try the Wonder Bit and it was amazing. We had a totally different pony:yes:. He still talks about how great that bit is.
Agree with Fleck (congrats, by the way, on this weekend!).
I use the Wonder Bit on my big horse who is not exactly a runaway :lol::lol: (this is an understatement, usually I am kicking), but when he wants to can bear down and just be hard to pick up and rebalance.
Instead of spending the entire hill down to the coffin trying vainly to produce the coffin canter using whole body half halt (while he is going “hey, running downhill, this is fun and easy!”), I can GET the coffin canter with an appropriate amount of effort, and leave it at that (“oh, I see what you are going on about, ok, ok”)
Ditto with the young horse who occasionally still lands in a heap on SJ - I can pick him up without losing either the engine or my back muscles. :winkgrin:
No experience with this bit on a hotter, more “speed is always good” kind of horse. Both of mine go otherwise in regular loose ring type bits and neither responded to this one as though it was objectionable in any way.
With bits it always seems like it comes down to trial and error. The wonder bit produced curl for me, but the Myler pelham produced a horse with 5 gears xc at P. Try them out and ride in whatever works!
[QUOTE=sch1star;4786007]
With bits it always seems like it comes down to trial and error. The wonder bit produced curl for me, but the Myler pelham produced a horse with 5 gears xc at P. Try them out and ride in whatever works![/QUOTE]
Wow. I’ve learned a lot! Thanks everyone!
And speaking of Mylers, what are the Myler Combination bits for? They look kinda freaky… :winkgrin:
[QUOTE=SillyKobie;4786024]
Wow. I’ve learned a lot! Thanks everyone!
And speaking of Mylers, what are the Myler Combination bits for? They look kinda freaky… :winkgrin:[/QUOTE]
A lot of the mylers are actually pretty similar to the wonder bit–they have attached bridle rings for just a bit more leverage.
The combination bit combines a 3-ring with a hackamore. I had a horse that went really well in it, as it takes some of the pressure off the bit and onto the nose. That said, it’s a lot more bit than the wonder bit IMO, because it includes the 3-ring bit action along with the hackamore as it’s “leverage” portion (you have a rein on the snaffle part too, just as a normal 3-ring).
The horse was quite forward and strong, but in an inverted rather than pulling sort of way.
He actually went even better in a separate hackamore and bit (a boucher–he only liked hanging bits) with separate reins attached to each, instead of the combo with 2 reins (so even more separate). But that was the clunkiest rig imaginable and too much potential for the hackamore and bit to interfere.
[QUOTE=Duramax;4784822]
It provides just a touch of leverage. (When you talk about leverage with bits it means that it creates poll pressure which causes the horse to lower his head.) The wonder bit doesn’t have as much leverage as a bubble bit/Pessoa but has a little more oompf to it than a regular snaffle.[/QUOTE]
Except that leverage bits without the curb chains, ie gag bits, are to lift heavy leaners up, not lower heads. Curb bits like pelhams are to lower and round.
[QUOTE=FLeckenAwesome;4785450]
I LOVE my wonder bit!!! Fleck gets heavy on the forehand and pulls on me. He’s not a freight train, but would tend to just tip me forward and down with him. I really really like the wonder bit for stadium and XC. I feel like I can get my point across without having to rip his face off. [/QUOTE]
This is my horse too. He is a low leaner, being a big downhill QHwith more weight in front of the saddle than behind. But, he is fussy about his mouth. A snaffle was not enough, but a 2 ring, while it gave me excellent control, was a leetle too much for me to feel comfortable with on xc, slipping reins and picking them up in a hurry and whatnot. It was borderline, if I could have perfect hands 100% of the time, it would have been fine, but xc isnt run in a perfect ring.
Turns out he jumps flawlessly in the wonder bit, and listens to it, even if I have to use more than a finger wiggle. I prefer to have to give a stronger check than to have too much bit in most situations.
[QUOTE=SillyKobie;4786024]
Wow. I’ve learned a lot! Thanks everyone!
And speaking of Mylers, what are the Myler Combination bits for? They look kinda freaky… :winkgrin:[/QUOTE]
They look like more hardware than they are, mostly. I know 2 people who tried the 2 ring versions, and they said they were a lot less bit than a regular 2 ring. They are just, different. Some horses have fussy mouths, and the nose pressure helps them relax into the bit better. My friends mare jumps way better in the Myler 2 ring combo than anything else, because she stretched her neck into the contact better than regular bits (kimberwicke, 2 ring, cherry roller, waterford).
Thinking of trying it on my young one who can drag me to fences but then has a very sensitive mouth when he jumps, and stronger bits tend to crimp his jump.
[QUOTE=Bobthehorse;4787454]
Except that leverage bits without the curb chains, ie gag bits, are to lift heavy leaners up, not lower heads. Curb bits like pelhams are to lower and round.[/QUOTE]
Dragging up an old thread so please forgive me.
I’ve always “known” leverage bits to require a curb chain, and this bit is a type of leverage bit.
Are there instances where it should (could?) be used with a curb chain, or is this a leverage bit that should never be used with a curb chain?
Which rings to use on the Wonder Bit?
[QUOTE=FLeckenAwesome;4785450]
I LOVE my wonder bit!!! Fleck gets heavy on the forehand and pulls on me. He’s not a freight train, but would tend to just tip me forward and down with him. I really really like the wonder bit for stadium and XC. I feel like I can get my point across without having to rip his face off. It’s just a bit more than what I had with the other bits, and gets the point across without me feeling like I’m being too mean[/QUOTE]
Which of the rings do you use? I assume that the top small ring goes to the cheek piece but do you use the bottom small ring or the large ring to attach the reins? I’ve never used one and from your description it might be just what I need for my little mare that has only 2 speeds (walk and run as fast as she can).
Mary in Western NY
http://www.bpequine.com
[QUOTE=SuckerForHorses;8405535]
Dragging up an old thread so please forgive me.
I’ve always “known” leverage bits to require a curb chain, and this bit is a type of leverage bit.
Are there instances where it should (could?) be used with a curb chain, or is this a leverage bit that should never be used with a curb chain?[/QUOTE]
I have never seen the wonder bit used with a curb chain.
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