Neue Schule Verbidend Bit Burn??

Martin79

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Hi,
My horse has used several NS bits previously and I purchased two brand new bits from HF Equestrian Bit Bank thinking I was doing the right thing.......only to be horrified at what ensued after only one and a half week's of my horse wearing her new Verbidend bit! I have to say in 27 years I have never seen anything quite like this!!

Three short hacks and two brief schooling sessions at home and the attached pictures are what I found when making a routine check of my horses mouth (not that I do that often) unless it's time for the dentist or there appears to be a problem, thankfully for me she is very willing and genuine as a lot I'm sure gone up and possibly over backwards from picking up the reins alone.

Upon speaking to Heather from NS I was quite disapointed by her dismissive aggressive reaction to the photo's she was sent of the damage by an indipendant retailer on my behalf, I never would have imagined a company like NS would have been so arrogantly obnoxious in the circumstances that one of their bits had damaged my horses tongue to such an extreme, it was pittyfull. After refusing to take the unit back for testing "because it will just be a one off" she tried telling me how the bit bank must have polished the bit with something (prior to sale) with something as she believed this to be the reason for the wound, so I asked "what advice and guidelines to you give your retailers on 'polishing' your bits prior to sale".....to which she stammered and said "well, we don;t give any advice to this, we are the manufacturer".

A simple "were sorry, we have no idea how this could have happend but we will test the unit and try to understand what has happend", but I'm afraid that was far too simple and logical as an answer, instead I got spoken AT and not TOO demonstrating not even basic customer service skills, not at all what i expoected from a brand like NS.

Anyway, 8 days after sending the bit back for testing and I am still none the wiser, no response to date but I'm sure they will get round to it soon and I will be sure to share the response with you all.
 
also did they see the pics? i am very surprised they were so dismissive - if that was my product i would have been mortified! that definitely looks like a burn to me. poor horse!
 
wow thats shocking on the tongue - cant see much with the teeth - how did you find that?

After feeling the mare get stronger and heavier in the contact which was unlike her I just randomly checked the bars of her mouth and her cheeks to see if the bit had rubbed her, but there were no marks and the bars and cheeks were fine and by sheer fluke I pulled her mouth open with my finger and caught sight of the redness on her tongue. I was absolutely mortified for her, I cannot believe how she hadn't thrown me off or gone ventricle or over backwards with the pain. It's teetament to how forgiving they are towards us, she actually made me really emotional.

To say I'm disappointed in N S is an understatement!
 
I'm seriously shocked, and am now worried that this could have been what happened to my boy, he was ok in an old shires bit that was similar to a NS, but a copper mix, so I bought him a NS and he hated it, I gave him a break from it, had his teeth done and within two days of putting it in his mouth again he saw me come into the stable with his bridle and ran away from me. Shocking, your poor horse op :(
 
Oh my goodness! I have to admit I was quite sceptical to what sort of 'burn' damage may have been caused..I am shocked, your poor mare, thank goodness you realised there was a problem so quickly. Hope it heals soon and they begin to take your complaint seriously.. it is in their best interests to do so, we all know how small the horsey world is, news spreads like wildfire! But the right handling of complaints can be very positive for a company..I hope this is resolved very soon.
 
OMG I have just bought an NS transangled lozenge!!! Now I'm going to check her mouth....... eek!
 
Perhaps your horse is allergic to the alloy they use? I've used ns verb ident for years and never had an issue... But that looks like a reaction to the metal to me.
 
Hi blitz bobs, as I said my horse has used NS bits before and the compositions of Salox have not changed since 2007 so it's not a reaction....unfortunately something more sinister perhaps! I eagerly await their test results....

Thankfully the mouth is one of the quickest healing parts of the body, the vet also was bemused by the problem but said it should not leave scar tissue which post the problem was my greatest concern.
 
So what do you think it is then?
You can become allergic to something at any point in your life .
You used it more than once so clearly it has been washed several times so it's difficult to see want could be on the bit from another source after several uses .
 
I wonder if someone had put that bit through a dishwasher before you got it. I've heard of dogs getting burnt mouths through being fed from plates with dishwasher residue.
 
Is that true? I often put a number of bits in the dish washer and my dogs bowls go in there daily. Surely it can't be harmful to animals if ok for us?
 
It looks similar to a reaction I had on my hands after using a new bridle I bought from the US. I had a burn on each side exactly the size and shape of where the reins touch the skin (top of index finger, I don't wear gloves). No friction had been applied, just touching the reins for a 20 minutes schooling session caused the burns and then have had eczema in that area for 2 years now. I checked my mare's head but she didn't react to it. I will always clean out any piece of new tack now. Hope your mare heals well, that could definitely be a reaction to a product put on the bit or to the metal itself.
 
Is that true? I often put a number of bits in the dish washer and my dogs bowls go in there daily. Surely it can't be harmful to animals if ok for us?

Not all animals, just some are either particularly sensitive or allergic to something in the detergent.
 
I have no idea is the honest answer!

The vet also was not sure but co firmed it was not a reaction to the metal.

For me the underside of the mouthpiece had about 5 light scores on it (where the teeth would not touch) but the bit was brand new. I thi k the light scores on the metal have caused an abrasion on her tongue.

So this begs the question, as to how New Schule quality and assurance processes are. However, I shouldn't imagine NS would be owning up to the potential Q and A issue.
 
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I have no idea is the honest answer!

The vet also was not sure but co firmed it was not a reaction to the metal.

For me the underside of the mouthpiece had about 5 light scores on it (where the teeth would not touch) but the bit was brand new. I thi k the light scores on the metal have caused an abrasion on her tongue.

So this begs the question, as to how New Schule quality and assurance processes are. However, I shouldn't imagine NS would be owning up to the potential Q and A issue.

How did your vet confirm it wasn't a reaction to the metal? The pic seems to show a perfect outline of the mouthpiece to me.
 
The compositions of Salox (NS mouthpieces) have not changed since 2007 so that rules a reaction out.

The vet confirmed this under inspection of the horses mouth.

The wound IS where the bit lies so has been caused by the bit but 100% is not a reaction to the Salox mouthpiece as she has been in 2 bits previously. The likely explanation is the mouthpiece having light scores on the underside.

Needless to say I will be extra vigilant in future when purchasing bits!
 
The compositions of Salox (NS mouthpieces) have not changed since 2007 so that rules a reaction out.

The vet confirmed this under inspection of the horses mouth.

The wound IS where the bit lies so has been caused by the bit but 100% is not a reaction to the Salox mouthpiece as she has been in 2 bits previously. The likely explanation is the mouthpiece having light scores on the underside.

Needless to say I will be extra vigilant in future when purchasing bits!

I wouldn't say that ruled out a allergy to the metal. Allergies can and do just develop.
 
What rubbish! sack the vet.
Scores on the underside bit would not cause such a perfect outline of the bit across the tongue.
It 's obviously a reaction to the metal- allergies do occur at any time to any product, especially metals against the skin.
Just send back for a refund and move on FF's S
 
What rubbish! sack the vet.
Scores on the underside bit would not cause such a perfect outline of the bit across the tongue.
It 's obviously a reaction to the metal- allergies do occur at any time to any product, especially metals against the skin.
Just send back for a refund and move on FF's S

Crikey. I agree that it does look like some sort of reaction but if that had happened to my horse I certainly would not just be "moving on" whether ffs or for anyone else's sake! OP, thanks for posting this as I would never have considered checking my horse's tongue for such a problem.
 
Regardless to it being a reaction or not the attitude of NS is still pretty poor. Will be interested to hear the results of the testing. I have used a ns bit for years with no issues & no several others who have used them to but you just never no.
 
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