Around a year ago my riding teacher asked me to work on a QH with a similar history, of being fox-hunted by very poor riders. The poor guy had almost no training–except on how to resist his rider effectively. He has the thickest throat latch I’ve seen in a non draft horse, low set neck, and he was used to using his strength to get his way.
Since I am VERY weak my first ride was exasperating, to say the least. The next lesson I showed my teacher my PeeWee bit and asked permission to use it. She sort of frowned, and told me that she trusted me using it on the horse but that she would not let any beginner use it on him.
Because the PeeWee bit’s Mullen mouthpiece is so thin (much thinner than any other riding bit) it fits quite well in his small mouth. Since the side rings are loose rings he cannot brace as effectively against the bit. Since the lower projections of the bit help with turning the horse much like a full cheek bit does, I had a LOT more control. The first ride he decided he really liked how the bit felt in his mouth and he has always kept good, light contact with it instead of constantly trying to rip the reins out of my hands. He really liked that he could determine exactly where on his tongue the bit rests, and he became a lot less resistant to my hand aids (no more rooting, head flinging and gaping mouth.)
After a few months in the PeeWee bit I changed to the mildest bit I have (Wellep double-jointed full cheek snaffle) and I have not had any problems with this horse (the bull-necked QH). Oh, we have a few “discussions” but we come to agreement in a civilized and non-violent manner. I lent my PeeWee bit to my riding teacher so she can use it on her super-sensitive and not quite right in the head Arab gelding and he likes it better than even the Wellep bit she was using on him, in fact my riding teacher has stopped her years long search of finding a bit her crazy super sensitive Arab likes.
The PeeWee bit is challenging in how it is put on the bridle, and it is made to be used so it just touches the corners of the horse’s mouth (NO WRINKLES!) If you get a new one it comes with full directions, with colored tapes in the ring to guide the rider on how to put it on the bridle. It is not a cheap bit, but to me it is worth every penny I spent on it. It gives me a chance to get through to the super resistant horses and train their mouth properly so I can ride them with light contact and I never get into a protracted tug of war with the horse. Then, in a few months, I can change to a regular bit without many problems.
