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Thursday, December 9, 2010

Epic Bit Fail to Bit WIN

Um, ouch. This bit is an example of types commonly found in use in India. There has been a large push for donated bits to be sent there and introduced to the locals. Details can be found here... http://friendsofmarwari.org.uk/pages/page9.html I think this is a wonderful idea and applaud the group for taking the step in education and outreach. I wish more knowledgeable horse people would do it.

18 comments:

  1. Pretty much every tack shop here in Leicestershire has a bit donation box where you can donate old (but kind!) unwanted bits for the horses in India so that they can get rid of crap like that!

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  2. That thing makes my mouth "PUCKER"!!!! I applaud them for their efforts to educate and help (clap, clap, clap)!!!! HURRAY!!!!! Going to check out their website..........

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  3. I wish there was a way I could help, it would cost too much to send them from the states.

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  4. Thank you so much for posting this. What they are doing is great! How many times have you looked at something horrible going on in a far off place, wanted to help, but felt there wasn't anything you could do? I contacted them to discuss setting up a collection point in the U.S. Depending on the weight/cost, I might be willing to pay to ship them over to the UK a couple times a year.

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  5. That torture device reminds me of a catfish skeleton! If i lived in India, I wouldnt even use that on my horse! (or donkey) I wish people knew better and werent so cruel to these porr animals that dont deserve this!!!

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  6. Wow, that's cruel. What is wrong with people to make them want to hurt another creature so much. I just don't understand it.

    Here is a blog post with a picture of another appalling bit: http://bit.ly/hD6tNH

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  7. I ahve this strange feeling that if the Indians wanted to use more humane bits, they would... without us needing to send them free ones. :/

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  8. two things... 1) why are these cruel bits their only means of riding equipment? 2) if there is a legit answer... we're looking at doing a horse rescue out here in Manitoba, Canada... perhaps we could do something to help....

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  9. Thing is, we're up against culture here.

    I mean, a Tom Thumb is also a pretty harsh bit and that's the default bit for so many western riders. Not as bad as that...

    What we're up against is that people in India are taught that that is an acceptable bit. Donating bits alone won't solve that.

    What's needed is for people to go there and show them that a nice, gentle bit will actually get better results out of an equine. In other words, it's not just hardware, it's education. Maybe we should also be sending over some videos of really good riding without a bit at all.

    However, these people don't *want* to be cruel. They simply are doing what their father did and their grandfather and... It's not intentional cruelty, its ignorance, and for the most part, ignorance is easier to fix.

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  10. And the fact that it may be the only thing they could find. Life is hard there. Many can't even afford toilet paper.

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  11. There is probably a prominent humane horse trainer in India...wouldn't it be cool to figure out a way to promote them so they could spread the word?

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  12. I would think that if they can afford that bit they can afford not to be cruel. I have ridden many GOOD horses without a bit at all!

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  13. Jennifer: YES.

    It's like the crappy stuff that happens to a lot of horses EVERYwhere. Heck, someday we might discover that things Westerners consider "industry standard" are really BAD for horses!!

    Also.... what Riversong said. You're talking about a country that's OK with infected sore covered, legless children begging in the streets. Or maybe not OK with it, but it's EVERYWHERE. When a culture is unable or unwilling to take care of its people, the animals are way low on the priority list.

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  14. The thing is, I mean. I was raised that almost all horses should go in a jointed eggbutt snaffle. Always the first bit reached for.

    Now, as an adult, I'd be more likely to go for a French link, because I now know that a single jointed bit is highly uncomfortable for quite a lot of horses.

    If somebody was taught that 'all horses' should go in a bit like that, they're going to use that bit until somebody convinces them otherwise. And you can't just come in in a former colony and say 'We in the west do this'. You have to *convince* them. And that means *showing* them how more humane bits work better. Just handing out bits isn't going to work.

    And frankly, there are things considered 'industry standard' in most of the west that *I* consider bad for horses. Two year old Futurities, for example. (I was raised that a horse shouldn't have ANY weight until at LEAST three...its mostly in America that people train yearlings, outside the racing industry...and look how long a race horse's career usually is).

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  15. What a nasty device. I had no idea. I'll have bad dreams tonight. I'm not sure education will really help, but better to try something that not at all.

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  16. The sad thing is that I'm sure there is someone in the supposedly "educated" horseworld that wouldn't hesitate to use this on their horse...

    This bit also scares me..
    http://www.legacy-store.com/western/bits/JIC%20driving%20bit_1.jpg

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