Pessoa training aid?

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Cruiseonamiro

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My horse is still fairly green, despite being seven, and is still muscling up with work. The problem is is that to get him ready to event i've been galloping him every three or four days, and jumping a lot. Consequently his "jumping" muscles are much larger than his "dressage muscles," like the area behind his saddle, for instance. Because he is quite a long horse for me and I either get the front end, when he goes round looking pretty and getting about 60% in his tests, or the back end, when he's engaged but is then very difficult to get into the contact. Would using a pessoa training aid help? They're really expensive but if it would help his muscles to build up to make my job easier then it would be worth it. Or any other exercises anyone can suggest? Feel like we've got to a turning point in his flatwork, he's always done nice tests but normally places 2nd or 3rd, and I want to improve!
 
They are very helpful and when used correctly can be worth every penny. But just make sure you dont do it up too tight which often seems to happen.... you want to encourage the horse to stretch down and out and 'seek' the contact, not just force him to tuck his head into his chest in a disjointed type way!

What level are you competing at, beause galloping every three days seems a lot. Don't forget that just because youre hacking out doesnt mean he should be using his 'dressage muscles.' Hacking should be an extension of schooling, making the horse walk out properly etc etc. Likewise with jumping... I would usually warm a horse up/give it a decent school for 20 mins before jumping. There shouldnt be a great difference between "dressage" and "jumping" muscles, since both require decent engaged work!
 
It's their position I mean...
Basically he's competing pony club events at PN height, and will affiliate in august.
I know it seems a lot, but he was quite unfit and as my only horse he's now competing a lot.
When I say galloping I mean fitness work, like he'll do hill work once a week and then canter work a few days later, which I suppose works out as every three or four days. If he's xc schooling then we miss a session of fitness work.
I will have a look on ebay and see what I can come up with!
 
The pessoa jabs the horse in his or her mouth every single stride. Look at the way the pulley system works on videos / pictures and you'll see that everytime the horse strides, its own hind leg action will jab him in his mouth.

Dont like them and wont use them. Save the money and put it on lessons
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To the back or the front? Im still not liking the fact that even then, the horses own hind leg action would be niggling with its head. To ever reach true collection, the horse has to learn to accept the contact itself; fiddling with its head doesnt accomplish this - it just encourages evasions and fear of the riders hands. I cant really see how the horse could stretch forwards and out with anything jabbing at either its mouth or its nose.

You dont want to reinforce any kind of fear of the hand, equally you dont want to encourage the horse not to push out behind (we actually had this at the last yard i worked on. A youngster lunged in a pessoa who developed the strangest trot gait ive ever seen where he almost arched upwards as if attempting to buck and then shuffled along with his hind legs)

For those desperatly wanting something to lunge in, the only thing id be comfortable with would be a chambon as its the only lunging aid that lets the horse stretch down and OUT. Its being able to stretch outwards that is so critical. Just about every gadget you'll look at does nothing more than drag the head down and in which isnt really something you want to encourage.
 
No, to be fair, the de gogue isnt bad because again, it allows a degree of freedom more than many gadgets. I do prefer chambons as they dont have the lil thingie that runs from the bit rings to the main rein (hope that makes sense) ;p I prefer if the nose can stretch totally out and forwards.
 
Actually, I've seen a couple of designs for the de gogue. The one I use is like this...

PIDG01-de-gogue.jpg


Now... from this pic...

7245%20chambon.jpg


...Wouldn't a chambon yank a horse in the mouth if it threw its head up? And in fact wouldn't it pull upwards on the bit rings? I've never used a Chambon before and really haven't got anything against them, I'm just curious. Oh, and why can't one ride in them?
 
I wont ride in ANY additional reins or gadgets as i hate anything else having any influence over whats going on. That aside, i dont like auxiliary reins tying heads down and such from a safety point of view.

In regards to the upwards pull on the bit from the picture you posted. Yes there would be. On the other hand, I use UPWARDS nudges on the bit rings to ask for a lowering of the poll these days (means heads go up and forwards in relation to the neck but ive used it to great success on the ground particularly)
 
Thanks -- it's all very well when you're established, but my boy is green and I have limited experience on the flat, I've only been on horses a couple of years and having ponies that showjumped, the extent of my knowledge was walk and canter! I sometimes ride in side reins, to make it easier for me, and when we're going nicely I take them off. It's just to give me a feel for what I should be getting. I do have lessons but was getting myself in a bit of a muddle.
 
To be honest, I would spend more time doing hills than fast work, you will build up more correct muscle doing that and making him work into a contact. It is also much easier for you because he will have to push from behind to get up the hills and it will be easier to have him between hand and leg.

I appreciate the difficulty you are having but it is generally just hard work and there is no quick fix. Having said that I totally agree with what Teirra has said, Pessoas are not the wonder gadget they are made out to be (many will disagree no doubt) but the chambon is excellent. Again, you would have to start loose. I use a chambon with my ex racehorse and do a lot of polework with her on the lunge and she looks great, but its taken over a year to build up the correct muscle.

I only started doing flat work properly 2 years ago (did endurance for 10 years) and only now do I physically feel strong enough to get a horse to work correctly so if you have just moved on to horses I wouldn't be so hard on yourself!
 
Do hillwork but don't let him belt up them - a steady trot on the bit with half halts, ensuring the hind legs stay underneath, really makes them work over their backs.

I suggest that if you're doing all that work and not building up back muscles then you should doublecheck the saddle and also get lessons with someone else. No matter what you're doing with your horse, if you have a real connection between hand and leg then he should be building back muscle.
 
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