Equi-ami/ Pessoa/ Similar..... what do you all reckon?

[trickivicki]

Hi Guys,

Peej is on an impromptu holiday at the moment until about mid- september (due to his feet falling off!!).

To get him back up to scratch (and better) as quickly/ effectively as possible I am thinking about investing in some kind of muscle building lungey gadget!

Does anybody have any feelings either way/ big recommendations/ any sat in the back of their tackroom looking for a new home.....

V xx

 

[FabioandFreddy]

I highly recommend the Equi-Ami. Works similar to the Pessoa but they can't lean on it. Not selling mine though! They sometimes come up on Ebay.

 

[Sol]

I don't really like the pulley action of the pessoa or similar, so now I just use a set of draw reins on loose I always attach them to the side rings on a headcollar (I don't own a lunge cavesson) so that they don't pull his mouth. I usually now only use them for about 10mins, then do polework without as I wouldn't want him to catch a leg.
Mostly doing transitions, on & back & polework I think has helped with the actual muscle, the draw reins just encourage him to stretch down and not be silly.

 

[ArcticFox]

I have a pessoa, think it works well for my boy although I mainly use it just with the fleece strap behind the quarters as his problem is going on the forehand

Seems to work, his canter work has improved hugely just from using it a few times.

Tend to only use for 30mins lunging, lots of transitions.

Although I have a pessoa, and have met people who think its brill, I'm not entirely convinced by the pulley on the mouth thing. Would much rather have the two seperate.

 

[maggiemoto]

We've used Equi-Ami since they first came out and have been very pleased with it. As previous post, the horse can't lean on it so learn to carry themselves naturally. It also comes with an extra fitting which means that it can be used when out and riding which is excellent.

 

[sharky]

Another vote for the Equi-Ami
you can see by the way our boys work in it that they can't escape working properly in it, and believe me they really try to find every way

 

[JustMe22]

I'm undecided about my equi-ami. For some reason, my horse works very well in it in trot, but his canter in it is godawful. It's also a bit vague in terms of the instruction video telling you how tight it should be fitted. I do like it better than the Pessoa though, if that helps.

 

[LouS]

Long lining (lunging with two lines) for 20 mins 5 times a week will do the job if done properly .

 

[philamena]

I like the equi ami, as does my chiropractor - better than the pessoa, as as previous posters have said they can't really lean on it and I think that adjusted correctly they learn that by carrying themselves properly the pressure is almost completely off while still giving them freedom to move. I watch the loops sliding through the loops on the roller with the horse's movement and feel a bit horrified about how a more fixed lungeing aid must feel.

It did, though, take quite a long time for my girl to 'get it' - seriously, probably about 25 sessions. This may be partly because we were working on resolving back issues and she found it harder to work properly earlier on, but it did actually just take her a while to notice that carrying herself properly was the way to remove all pressure (she is a bit dense sometimes).

Pole work is really brilliant though, and even when my girl's back in full work I'll be doing some in hand pole work a couple of times a week. It's not only really good for their muscles, but it's very revealing about how equally or otherwise their hind leg strength is developing by watching how they use their hind legs differently over the poles. I have to do mine in hand rather than on the lunge though as she's a bit dyslexic about poles, but physio says walk's actually the most beneficial pace for pole work because they have to use push and lift rather than bounce and spring... which makes sense when you think about it!

 

[humblepie]

Philamena, is that raised poles and how do you space them. Sorry for hijacking post.

 

[philamena]

Philamena, is that raised poles and how do you space them. Sorry for hijacking post.

Both - I'd start with on the ground, esp if horse is weak or hasn't done much pole stuff before...

Re spacing, you have to work it out to suit your horse really: usually between 3 and 5 of your foot lengths ie toe to heel, but set them out and then watch the horse over them and adjust. Physio advice is to err on the side of having them closer, because you want them lifting up over them (ie lots of up and down in the leg) rather than stretching out to reach over them. It's about the lift.

Then you can raise them at one end or the other (or both depending on how confident and strong the horse is, and how calm about not jumping them).

If you've seen that your horse has a noticeably weaker hind leg (usually noticeable by them lifting it less high than the other) then choose your raised ends to work on that leg, so the horse is having to work it higher.

Exercises - (let's be honest, this is pretty dull, I won't pretend to have lots of exciting options!):
A series of poles (between 3 and 7) as per normal trotting poles.
A pole on each quarter of circle.
Poles arrange into a square that you pass through on different lines so they have to look where they're putting their feet.
Long poles propped up like spokes off a barrell in the centre (so like a spider) and lead horse around the edge (need a movable and obedient horse for this one).
Or my fave cus it's most versatile with fewest poles - set up three running down the centre line, each with one end raised. You can then lunge in a circle by standing by the middle pole and using the other two of the poles at 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock of the circle... then you can use them for in hand by doing a figure of eight, or my favourite, walking in a gentle zig zag down the centre line with the horse sort of leg yielding over the poles sideways. Most effective for muscle usage if you time it and angle it so that the horse is stepping over the poles first with the leg nearest the poles, so it's more a sideways stepping movement than a straight forward stepping movement on the diagonal. If that makes sense?

 

[humblepie]

Thanks for that. Will have a play. Horse doesn't really understand poles and just falls over them (flat raced for 8 years!) so may try the leading rather than lungeing. He isn't bothered about them at all but just happily falls over them and needs to work out where his feet are and some spatial awareness.

 

[philamena]

Hah, mine's the same but doesn't have your horse's good excuse! In hand definitely better then

 

[starryeyed]

I've been umming and ahh-ing about these for a while but just ordered an equi-ami and am very impressed with it! Have only used it once on madam but she "got it" immediately and actually really seemed to enjoy her workout! I was a bit worried about fitting it - as an earlier poster said the instructions re: tightness are vague but I think I've done it correctly, i managed to piece it all together very quickly which was a relief because I thought I'd be faced with loads of random bits of rope and not have a clue where to put each bit, but it was very straightforward.
I can see already that it's going to really help her and am very pleased with my decision. The thing that finally swayed me was that they can't lean on it so have to learn to carry themselves properly, there's also no risk of them jabbing themselves in the mouth.

 

[Evil_Cookie]

Another vote for the equi-ami... love the fact that instead of adjusting the ropes I can just unclip an extender section to move from warm-up length to working length... much less fiddling than the pessoa or side reins. My mare goes really well in it, we work on lots of transitions between and within pace and she really seems to benefit.