How to protect his mouth?

We are purchasing a 18 year old AQHA that has been a beginning show/trail horse for a couple of kids prior to us. He seems well trained and fairly soft in the mouth. One of my daughters is a fairly good rider and has pretty soft hands. The other one is younger and doesn't yet have the finesse. Does anyone have a suggestion of what kind of bit/bridle I should use when the younger one rides so that we keep this horse soft and non-irratitated? He currently rides in a myler bit for English and some sort of a ported bit for western.

I would not be buying a special bit... I'd be making sure my daughter understood that she had to take care or she would have very limited riding time. Its she just slightly heavy handed or does she jerk at the horse's mouth? If it's the former I would work with her, watch carefully, and eventually she'll get it.

If it's the latter, this is what my old trainer used to do: put a bridle on the kid's leg, so the bit is on the bottom of the foot and the crown is over the knee. Give the reins a good jerk so the kid can feel what it's like.

Not sure how pc it was, but it sure worked!

Seriously, though, I'd work with the rider before confusing the horse with multiple bits.
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