Happy Mouth Wire Mouth Bits
CPSC Recall #12190 — May 30, 2012
Recall Summary
| Recall Number | 12190 |
| Recall Date | May 30, 2012 |
| Remedy Type | Refund |
| Units Affected | About 3,400 |
| Manufacturer | Soyo International Corp, of Kobe, Japan |
| Manufactured In | Korea |
Where It Was Sold
| Equestrian riding stores |
| tack shops |
| saddlery dealers nationwide |
| through mail order and by online equestrian retailers from July 2003 through April 2012 for between $30 and $51. |
Product
Happy Mouth Wire Mouth Bits
Description
Happy Mouth steel braided wire bits can become frayed, rusted or worn, which can cause the bit to break. If this happens, the rider can lose control and fall from the horse.
Hazard
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 fall from the horse.
Incidents & Injuries
The firm has received four reports of wire bits that have broken and resulted in reports of injuries including broken and fractured bones, bruises and back pain from falls.
Remedy Instructions
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.
What Should You Do?
Stop using this product immediately. Contact the manufacturer for a Refund at no charge. If you experienced an injury, report it at SaferProducts.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions
Follow the consumer action instructions in the recall notice above. Most recalls require you to stop using the product and contact the manufacturer directly — either by calling the toll-free number listed in the official CPSC notice or by visiting the manufacturer's website. You generally do not need a receipt or original packaging to claim a remedy. The manufacturer is legally required to provide the remedy (Refund) at no cost to you.
Furniture tip-overs are a leading cause of pediatric injuries in the U.S., particularly dressers, bookcases, and television stands. CPSC data shows that a child dies approximately every two weeks from a furniture or TV tip-over. Unstable high chairs, baby swings, and bouncers are also frequent recall subjects due to fall risks. ASTM International standards now require that certain furniture must meet tip-over resistance standards, and CPSC has been actively pursuing mandatory requirements for dressers and chests. If you have furniture that was not recalled but feels unstable, wall-anchoring kits are widely available at hardware stores.
In most cases, no. CPSC-coordinated recall remedies are designed to be accessible without proof of purchase. Manufacturers typically ask consumers to self-certify ownership and may ask for photos of the product or its serial number. Some manufacturers request that you mail in a portion of the product (such as a cut cord or removed component) as proof of disposal. Check the specific remedy instructions for this recall for exact requirements. If you registered your product at the time of purchase, the process is usually even simpler.
If the original manufacturer has gone out of business, the recall remedy may no longer be available through them. In this case, contact CPSC directly at 1-800-638-2772 or cpsc.gov for guidance. If the brand was acquired by another company, the acquiring company may have assumed recall obligations. In some cases where a remedy is unavailable, CPSC advises consumers to safely dispose of the product. If you were injured by the product of a defunct company, consult a product liability attorney — parent companies, distributors, and retailers may still bear liability in some circumstances.