WTP Loose Ring Polo Gag [style: no plate]

Polo Gag bit, available in 5" only (with 67mm or 100mm rings) either with or without extended tongue plate.

A major development in bit design, offering much improved safety and performance by overcoming common problems associated with the mouth, such as pulling, hanging, rearing, headshaking etc.

The WTP Bit Benefits

1. Stops the bit pinching the tongue
2. Stops the horse getting the tongue over the bit
3. Stops the tongue hanging out the side of the mouth
4. Stops the horse pulling or bolting
5. Stops the horse hanging and rearing
6. Stops the horse headshaking
7. Stops displacement of the soft palate
8. Stops abnormal respiratory noise due to roaring and thickness of wind
9. Promotes increased oxygen supply for faster speed and finishing
10. Proven to prevent bleeding at exercise (EIPH)
11. Proven to improve performance
12. Proven to reduce the horses heart rate
13. The horse is happy and easier to control
14. WTP bit also acts as a more effective and kind anti-rearing bit

Bit Pinching is a major problem

The arrow shows how the bit depresses onto the tongue the point is driven into the horse's tongue thereby pinching sometimes to the point of cutting it. The nutcracker action of a jointed snaffle bit will constantly pinch the tongue, causing pain, discomfort and encouraging the horse to try to put it elsewhere over the bit. The more mouth pain you inflict, the more fear in your horse, the more disobedient and difficult your horse is to control.

Bit Pinching causes pain to other facial nerves

Bit pinching may cause pain signals to spread to any other branch of the same facial nerve, resulting in pain in areas of the face that have no direct contact with the bit resulting in headshaking, pulling, poor performance and more.

Tongue Ties cause damage

Many horses do not tolerate having their tongue tied tightly, and resent these painfull restraints. To avoid discomfort, the horse will throw the head around resulting in dismal performance. Frequently, race horses have their tongues tied for long periods of time, which can cause long term damage. Champion trainers and riders have found that, since replacing tongue ties with the Winning Tongue Plate Bit, the horses are happier, easier to ride, breathe better, and finish much more strongly.

WTP Bit How it works
The human tongue is attached to the bottom of the mouth, just as it is with horse. Put a finger across the crease of your mouth, and you can raise your tongue over it. If you put two fingers in the roof of your mouth you can still roll your tongue back. Then put two fingers on top of your tongue you can’t roll your tongue up, neither can the horse with the Tongue plate bit. This simply overcomes the many problems encountered by the horse. The Winning Tongue Plate lays gently across the tongue, and under the bit joint, preventing the bit from pinching the tongue. The result is “no more pain”. The Tongue Plate prevents the horse getting the tongue over the bit and also stops them from pulling hard.

Did you know
Horses muscles demand an extraordinary amount of oxygen. Horses have to inhale and exhale an incredible rate of 10 gallons/37 litres of oxygen per second. Even a small obstruction of air flow can have disastrous results. Anything that causes the tip of the tongue to move, such as the bit pinching, is likely to cause the root to move and, therefore, the soft palate.

Vet research shows 40% of horses displace the soft palate
Displacement of the soft palate is a major problem in race horses, and up to 40% encounter this, which causes upper airway obstruction and poor performance. The results from veterinary testing of horses during ridden exercise, using the latest wireless endoscope technology, confirmed this statistic, as 13 horses in one stable were found to be displacing the soft palate.

WTP Bit Stops displacement of the soft palate
Trainers and riders have stated that the winning tongue plate stops displacement of the soft palate, as it encourages the horse to keep their tongue in a forward and natural position. View their impressive testimonials, and try a Winning Tongue Plate bit.

Tongue ties don’t stop soft palate displacement
Veterinary expert opinions state the tongue-tie has been shown to be ineffective in preventing displacement of the soft palate (Equine Vet J Suppl. 2002 Sep;(34):430-3).

Prevention could save you Millions of dollars
Million dollar races have been lost due to the problems mentioned. Don’t risk it, take the preventative measure and use the Winning Tongue Plate Bit. Trainers and riders have stated that it has improved some horses' performance by 10 lengths. Keep your horse happy and content, and ensure that a proper tongue position is achieved from the beginning.

WTP Bit can help prevent bleeding in horses:
Many horses suffer from bleeding in the lungs under the stress of running, especially thoroughbreds and harness horses. The technical name for "bleeding" is exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH). This describes a condition in which the tiny blood vessels in a horse's lungs rupture due to stress sustained during physical exertion.

Lack of oxygen can contribute to horses bleeding due to a horse getting his tongue over the bit, rolling the tongue back or from displacing the soft palate. The winning tongue plate bit has proven to prevent and eliminate these problems.

Nearly all horses show at least some bleeding deep within the lungs. It is estimated that two to three percent of thoroughbreds bleed severely. Horses that show early speed or pull hard are more likely to bleed than horses that get back in the field and relax. Horses are more prone to bleed on hot, humid days, probably because breathing is more difficult on such days. Read Trainer Steve Cross bleeding testimonial report.

WTP Bit can reduce the horses heart rate
Qualified expert testing was conducted, using a heart rate monitor, and trainers stated they found their horses recovered faster after work because of the WTP bit. Their heart rates were down by between 5-10 points due to the bit keeping the tongue in the correct position, helping the horse to receive the necessary oxygen, causing less stress and promoting peak performance.

How to clean the bit
Use toothpaste and a toothbrush to clean and then rinse the bit thoroughly. Also you can rinse the bit in water after use. Dried feed stuck to a bit can irritate a horses gums.

Dental checks are important
Regular 6 month dental checks are important. As horses chew their food, the edges of their teeth can become sharp, and can cause discomfort and lacerations to their cheeks and tongue, especially when ridden.

Fitting the bit
Most experts recommend 1 or two wrinkles at the edge of the mouth. Allow several days for your horse to adjust to the bit. It is similar to a human adjusting to a mouth guard or denture plate.

WTP Bit also acts as a more effective and kind rearing bit
Many yearlings get their tongues over a rearing bit and are hard to control. The tongue plate prevents this problem, making the horse easier to lead. If using the WTP ring bit to lead yearlings, stallions and problem horses, the lead can be attached to the ring.