*Is it possible to use a pessoa without a bridle?*

[SCG]

Does anyone know if its possible to use a pessoa with just a lunge cavesson and still get the same benefits? I have been advised that a pessoa would help my green horse but I'm not overly keen on using them with a bridle as they can tend to sock the horse in the mouth. I did use a pessoa on my last horse but only with a Dr Cooks bitless bridle which I rode him in too.

I've heard great things about the Equi-ami lunging aid and this is what I would really like to try as by all accounts its just as effective as the pessoa but without the negative bits but its pretty expensive.

Would appreciate any input, thanks

 

[air78]

I've used one on a Dually headcollar whilst long lining and it worked really well

 

[Nailed]

no.. it wouldnt work.. and they only sock em in the mouth until they have mastered how they work, its a hell of a lot nice than side reins.

Passoas, if used correctly as brillient peices of equiptment..

Just looked at the equi-ami.. and it looks exactly the SAME as the passoa, except without the padding rund the arse.

INFACT.. ive just read there website.. and it is a passoa with bits missing...

Lou x

 

[MrsMozart]

Trying to think how it would work without the bridle. Not had a problem with 'socking in the mouth', so haven't tried without a bridle. Would it put the pressure too high up? Trying to think where you'd attach it to the cavesson.

Sorry, woffling now. Wondering what the Equi-ami is. Will have to go look.

 

[CrazyMare]

My horse has been lunged once a week or so in the Pessoa for the last 18 months, she hates her mouth being tugged at, so wouldn't settle in the Pessoa if it did 'sock her in the mouth'. I can see how it its fitted too tightly it wouldn't be comfortable though, or if the horse was not active enough behind.

 

[Chico Mio]

Can you not put the Dr Cook on her?

Sorry to hi-jack, but how did you get on with Dr Cook and Pessoa combo with the horse who was used to it? I am toying with the idea of getting a Pessoa type aid and use Dr Cooks.

 

[Natch]

http://www.sustainabledressage.com/tack/gadgets.php#drawreins

2/3 of the way down the page, Food for thought on the Pessoa's effectiveness at getting the horse to work through from behind, never mind the mouth.

 

[SCG]

Alot of people don't like the pessoa for this reason (eg look at some previous threads on here) because as the horse gets active behind and starts using his back end, he can get jabbed in the mouth with every stride. I actually saw this happening with my last horse - even though on very low setting, not tight at all - so at that time I stopped using it.

I later introduced him to the Dr Cooks BB after going through about 10 different bits and he took to it immediately. Once he was happy and used to the bitless, I then re-introduced the pessoa and had about 2 - 3 short sessions a week for several weeks and it absolutely transformed his way of going, not only whilst using the pessoa but it also transferred to his ridden work.

So I guess I could introduce the Dr Cooks to my horse but he's pretty green and wanted to re-school him with a bit, may be transferring to a bitless later on when the foundations are in place.

Alot of people seem to prefer the Equiami http://www.equiami.com/ , its a much simpler set up than the pessoa, is self-centring so horse can't lean (as some do with the pessoa), is set up slightly differently so can't jab horse in the mouth and because of how its made you don't have to adjust each side to make sure exactly level etc, think you adjust from one point. There seem to be people who are anti the pessoa but who are happy to use the Equiami for these reasons.

Sorry bout the long essay