English Riding Supply Recalls Wire Mouth Bits for Horses Due to Risk of Injury

Recall Insight

This CPSC action (record #12190) was formally reported on May 31, 2012. It is classified under Moderate severity, with a current status of Active. Soyo International Corp, of Kobe, Japan is listed as the recalling firm. Federal records indicate About 3,400 units are affected.

The documented reason for this recall is: The steel braided wire in the mouthpiece that connects the bit on either side of the horse's cheeks can become frayed, rusted or worn, which can cause the bit to break. If this happens, the rider can lose control and fa… Distribution information was not included in the agency filing, so consumers should assume broad potential exposure until the firm publishes point-of-sale details. The remedy documented by the agency is: Consumers should immediately stop using these bits and return them to the retailer where purchased or return the bits directly to English Riding Supply for a refund. — consumers holding this product should act on that instruction rather than relying on general guidance.

To put this record in context, PlainRecalls indexes 83,949 recalls across the FDA, CPSC, NHTSA and USDA FSIS going back to 1995. Within the same product category, the database holds 6 closely related recalls, of which 6 were also issued by CPSC. That clustering is a signal — repeated actions in a narrow category often indicate a systemic quality-control issue, a supplier-wide contamination, or a design defect that has propagated across product lines. This recall is roughly 14 years old; older recalls can remain relevant because many units enter resale, rental, and secondary-market channels where the original warning never reaches the end user. Always cross-check the recall number against the official agency page before relying on any summary.