is it a pessoa job..or a riding fault

[maddielove]

i have been debating for a while whether or not to buy a pessoa sytem as it appears i no longer have a horse...but a giraffe..and a very stubborn one at that,
i had a very hard time tonight schooling[was too windy to hack out]. i was planning on doing some canter work as it seems that her upwards transitinons[esp. trot to canter] are rediculously rushed and end up with a very rushed trot[which did eventually slow down..but not for very long] or a very speedy canter. my attempts to slow them down with a light half hault were un-succesful-she didn't listen at all so i had to give a little yank to get her to listen[while pushing her on at the same time]..which failed[though i'm not surprised]
also throughout all of this..she had her nose out & head up and hollowing her back. no matter how much i ask for her to go onto the bit..she constantly doesn't accept.
i know she can lower her nose/ accept the bit because she does it when i dont ask[which doesn't help]

so what i was wondering was- is there something i can do riding wise to help this
or
could i benefit from a pessoa system as i have heard it can help a horse work on a lower outline(not like we even have any outline!) and help with balance[which i think may be an issue here as she is only just getting back into porper schooling after 3+ years of being a broodmare and one year getting her fitter]
i would really like some help as it's starting to feel like an endless battle.
thanks xx

 

[Super_Kat]

Have you had her back/teeth checked, her saddle checked (a broken tree can cause alot of pain) and does the saddle fit and her bridle? If everything is fine why not think about having some lessons

 

[maddielove]

she is physically sound and the tack[even though it's pretty shoddy] is alright too.
i was having lessons but wasn't getting the benefit of them.
she's a pretty stubborn horse is maddie..she doesn't like being told what to do..another reason why the pessoa system came to mind as it isn't exactly a forceful thing..its more suggestive.

 

[Super_Kat]

I have one for my ponies (I paid over £100 for the pessoa and the roller etc to go with it and only used the ruddy thing once on each horse

) A Pessoa may be worth a go.

 

[maddielove]

yeah, think i'll give it a bash!
thanks for your advice though

should be getting a new saddle for my christmas though..thing i've got just now is the worst ever when it comes to comfort...not to mention the state of the saddle flaps, the stitching has all come undone..hence why i avoid tack and turnout in all situations!

 

[Super_Kat]

I know how you feel, I have the worst synthetic dressage saddle and it's awful! Can't wait until I have my gorgeous arm chair Albion (yeah, I can drean

)

 

[Parkranger]

I know we blame balance for everything (well I do) but Ty does this and it could well be balance related....obviously I don't know how long you've had her etc.....

 

[the watcher]

It may be simply a lack of fitness and correct muscles as your horse is coming back into work, a slow balanced canter does require muscular control and an unfit horse will always tend to using speed to balance themselves in the paces.
The Pessoa (or cheaper topflyte) will certainly help to build the required muscles and train in some 'muscle memory' in a sense. I am very impressed by mine.
They are not for every horse though, and some might be quite sensitive to having a rope behind their hind legs

 

[allijudd]

try for the time being lunging with 2 reins to help her understand something around the bottom of the legs......

 

[lizzie_liz]

i believe a pessoa will help build up the correct muscles needed for working in a correct outline and aid the build up of topline with out a rider on top, especially if the horse is unbalanced. with the pessoa helping to build the muscles it will then be easier for the rider to ask a horse to go in a correct outline.
hope this makes sense. i love my pessoa and works really well for my mare, my last horse managed to break it but with a bit of climbing rope it was fixed!

 

[Claireg9]

i love your horse.. pallys are my fav!
pessoa's do help, dont buy an actual pessoa though they are so expensive i got a different brand exactly the same for £30.00!!
shop around. I have similar problems and sometimes it makes you feel so annoyed, just a question as mines off with suspected back issues.. is your mare in season? my vet says they can get back ahce when in season so this might eb a factor!

 

[maddielove]

that interesting!! never knew about them getting back ache when they're in season!! i'll bear that in mind but thankfully for the moment she isn't in season [she is off her head sometimes when she's in season!]
i've been looking around ebay and found a couple of things..at a reasonable price.
just wondering about the roller..would i need to buy a pair of d-rings for most rollers to get the lowest seeting[long and low-ish]? i can't seem to see many rollers with ings to go between the legs..only the mark todd one which is a bit more expensive..

 

[claireblount]

have you tried the new training aid equiami, far easier to use than the pessoa and far less expensive. This encourages the horse to bring his hind legs underneath its hindquarters, lower the head and shorten the frame, thus achieving a more rounded outline, the horse is then rewarded by the training aid losening, so the horse has absolutely no pressure and can work in a relaxed manner. I have used one on my ex racehorse with great effect

 

[RachelB]

I have just bought an Equibalancer off eBay, £28. Put it on my mare who usually comptetely ignores me lunging (nose up, watching what is going on in the yard, back legs trailing etc.) and even as loose as it would go (very very loose!) it made her think a little more and stop being so hollow. I didn't expect it to do anything until I actually started having it tighter but she actually stretched for half a stride, which is half a stride's improvement! I expect she will go well in it, and I think if your horse is likely to accept the backside strap then it will be well worth trying. My Equibalancer looks good quality, nice sheepskin bit and strong ropes, with sailing roller clip things. And comes with easy instructions.
As for a roller, I have a Requisite one from Robinsons, the girth is a bit naff though as it is one size and no elastic, but if it fit Maiden I'd use it as it has a D ring on the underside. The roller has plenty of rings too. But as it didn't fit, I put an old dressage girth on and tied a loop of baler twine around it to clip the aid on, which worked.