Pessoas - opinions and benefits

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I have heard many people talk about using a pessoa on their horses, but I was wondering what benefits they had and whether they actually worked?

I was thinking of getting one for using on Hannah, and then on Grace when she starts coming back into work...
 
I swear by mine. My horse is prone to sore backs and the vet prescribed 12 weeks lunging in a pessoa to build up his muscles without having the weight of a rider. He looked and felt like a different horse. He then had box rest for a leg problem and with the weather and work I haven't been doing so much with him lately. I can definately see and feel the difference so am starting to do more lunging with it again.
 
i use a pessoa on mine and its helped loads to build him his topline and getting him working correctly, of course it hasnt all come from the pessoa ive had to do alot of ridden work but its definately helped and he stretches really well in it, i try and use it every week/two weeks!
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I don't have a problem with them provided they are used correctly and in short bursts (15/20 mins max). It wouldn't be a piece of kit that I'd put a very green horse in either.
 
No, I can see why you wouldn't put it on a green horse and I wouldn't either.

Both my horses are balanced in their paces, but both could do with a bit more work through their topline without a rider. Both will work long and low and swing through their backs in ridden work, but not when lunged
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I don't really like the rigidity of side reins which is why I have started thinking about one of the Pessoas.

How would it be for bringing a horse back into work with? (with someone walking at the head to stop major outbursts...) What has made me think about it is some of the recent posts about KS operations and their uses after this surgery.
 
I have to say I don't really like them. I usually lunge in a chambon but someone recommended a pessoa on my lad to try and get him to really use his back and engage his hindquaters so I borrowed one to try it. He really didn't go well in it, everytime he'd step under with his hind it would pull on his mouth and he eventually packed up and refused to move. It was fitted correctly but I didn't like the action and I tried on my other horse and she didn't go particularly well in it either. I didn't like the action of it as, like I said, the movement from the hind legs pulled at the bit in his mouth, so every time he'd step under himself, he'd get yanked in the mouth. I'm now back to the chambon and they both work well in this, really use their back and I keep the forward motion with voice and lunge stick. That's just my opinion and experience of a pessoa. I have heard of people using them with good results but maybe it depends on the horse and they might take a while to get used to them. I didn't persevere with using one as neither of mine were happy in it.
 
I use my pessoa once or twice a fortnight, or more in this wet weather! I only lunge for about 15 minutes and this has been the best for my horse because you can alter the positions from long and low to higher depending on their training level. I think that they need to be carefully fitted and introduced slowly so the horse does not get frightened by the feeling of being "contained". Also that the horse is sent forward and made to work from behind, and allowed to stretch at the end (like any lungeing session) Yes, really good and less restrictive than side reins.
 
I've been using a pessoa on my lad since I bought him two months ago to try & build up his topline. He goes well in it & doesn't seem to have any objection to it. I'm currently trying to lunge him in it twice a week. He is also ridden 4 days a week. Lots of people on my yard use the pessoa for various different reasons & most seem to prefer it to side reins.
 
I used to be a big fan and did get some great results last year by lunging Sam for 10-15mins every morning before work. Now that his flatwork is a bit more established I find it more of a hinderance than a help and find a chambon much more effective in getting him to work over his back and build topline.

I think they suit some horses better than others, I know a few horses who just won't go in them at all.
 
I use mine on Lottie once a week, and then a harbridge once a week. Flo refuses to lunge, which is a bl**dy pain as shes the one who could use it
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I made mine...
DSCN2966.jpg


It most definitely gets them to work long and low and engage their backend. But I like to use the harbridge aswell so they're not relying on the pessoa.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I use mine on Lottie once a week, and then a harbridge once a week. Flo refuses to lunge, which is a bl**dy pain as shes the one who could use it
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I made mine...
DSCN2966.jpg


It most definitely gets them to work long and low and engage their backend. But I like to use the harbridge aswell so they're not relying on the pessoa.

[/ QUOTE ]

Very impressive, I couldnt work out how to fit mine at all and my pony didnt like that roller behind him and got himself in a right state, so it had to go back to Derby House, its a really good idea but quite expensive for what it is. I was looking forward to using it.
 
I'm not a huge fan, but that is more due to mis-use rather than the gadget itself. If you were to use it, I'd be inclined not to use it on Grace until quite a bit later into her rehab work as it works certain muscles harder than lunging or ridden work.

If you'd like to improve their topline and frame but without a rider, would long-reining be something you could try?
 
I aim to use it twice a week for about 20 mins at a time. I've got the Mark Todd one, which I wouldn't recommend as I've had a lot of problems with the fastenings slipping.
 
I use the Derby House version on Haj - as recommended by his previous vet (with his old owners). He's built downhill (as are a lot of arabs) and has a tendency to drag himself along with his front end, plus endurance does tend to get them strung out a bit. He drags his hind toes in the school unless doing his special arab trot (which is reserved for when something exciting is happening outside the school).

I'm sure it depends on the horse but in his case it really gets him using his back end - he starts swinging through his back and using his abdo muscles. It made a huge difference competing last season. Before I started using it he would stumble over his hind feet towards the end of a ride, or if the ground was very muddy/slippy or deep, resulting in overreaching behind. After a couple of months using the pessoa he was so much better on rides, not slipping or stumbling behind at all. He was much more balanced and pushing from behind, even when tired at the end of a ride. During the season I would use it two or three times a week.

If you want to have a go with it with Hannah then you're very welcome to borrow mine
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Becki - surely having the lunge line attached through the bit rings as well as the 'pessoa' attached to them doesn't help?

I thought the lunge shuould be attached to a cavesson, then you're not interfering with the action of the pessoa on the contact. That might be why, in the picture, your horse is not really stretching, eventhough the pessoa is attached to the girth? Well done making one though!

My boy works beautifully long and low when his Pessoa is fixed to his girth. That's great for us because he tends to be overbent all the time - I think it depends what you're trying to achieve?
 
sorry to hijack the post - but what does everyone think of the cheaper versions of the pessoa? (more like £40 as apposed to £80)

being January and all i am rather skint - that is an understatement - but i could do with something extra to help me build on Frankie's non existent topline
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The Pessoa encourages horses to lower their heads while being lunged... if thats what you want then go for it.

The other thing it does is jab the horses mouth every time it takes a stride with its back end. Its own hind leg action, more specifically the hocks, jabs the horse in its mouth - which i find delightful ;p

Its this that prevents the horse really stretching in a pessoa... it will lower the head yes, but more often than not, this head lowering is NOT coupled with correct stretching - the horse just ducks its head behind the bit instead.

So yea, basically what Boss said is correct - the horse is punished due to its own hock action which, due to the pulley system, causes a jab in the mouth with every stride - thus lowering the head but not resulting in a proper stretch at all. Bit like someone riding with very jabby, sawing hands but kicking them on enough to say "Look! its tracking up so must be working!"

Not a fan at all. Never will be.
 
I like them, but only really set very loose and I think it is more the bit behind th legs that I like, I found it very useful for getting the correct way of working, and it was correct, long and low, in the youngster but agreed when tightened the jabbing the horse in the mouth I did notice! So I am thinking possing side reins with the pessoa bum strap?
 
I think that in experienced hands they can be ok, and you need to know what you are doing - it is easy for someone green to whack it on and pull the horse in (as someone did to Beau!!!). I personally also don't like the jabbing in the mouth that happens with it when tighter than loose. if there was a way to more fix the middle-mouth part and then have another part moving through reins to bum I think ti would be better..
 
Triplesand, try reading this then:-

http://www.sustainabledressage.com/tack/gadgets.php#2part_chambon

The author is very against all gadgets generally but suggests this as a kinder option for those who do need their horses to stretch on the lunge but dont like the nasties that come with most other contraptions.

Ive never tried it. Tbh, i lunge from a cavesson with absolutely nothing else on as I find long and low work plenty under saddle and prefer, when lunging, to just be able to watch how he moves completly free of any hinderance. Also after a couple of years of him realising that he wont get jabbed on the lunge, hes actually started to carry his head reasonably himself and shows more genuine degree of neck stretch than most do when in the so called wonder gadgets
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Anyway! Dunno if its of any use to you? But it should at least allow some correct stretching. In 99% of pictures you see of horses being lunged in pessoas, their neck is low, but not stretched correctly and the head is ducking behind the verticle as they evade the bit and the jabbing action from the pulleys. For the stretch to be correct, the neck needs to be low, stretching forwards and the nose on or ahead of the verticle.
 
see mine don't duck behind the vertical, but then mine is as loose as it goes, it is actually the green horse I find it most useful for in teaching him the basic idea and then it comes out when ridden, he knows to go down and out rather than stay fixed up if you know what I mean?
Yes, that is exactly what I would think of. I wonder actually if Icould make something up as I have a bungee (the best thing for stretching I think, if they're long an dlow it is loose) and the pessoa, might see if I can convert it!
 
I suppose jabbing in the mouth could happen if its set too tight. The horse I use it with is extremely sensitive in the mouth and lets you know very strongly if he's not happy, so if he was being jabbed in the mouth by the pessoa he'd be on his back legs. I never use it set between his legs as I don't want him working long and low. I always use it going from the bit back to the side rings on the roller. He doesn't drop behind the vertical instead he actually starts to work uphill. His shoulders lift, his back legs start swinging through, you can see his back and abdo muscles start to work. I think, like anything, if you use it properly then its fine but obviously its easy to abuse if you have a tolerant horse.
 
I have just bought the topflyte training aid of ebay for about £28.00, its great has loads of different setting for what you want to acheive!
 
Totally agree with those who dislike the Pessoa. It does create an unsteady connection to the horses mouth. You can see quite clearly in the picture posted that as the horse moves each alternate hind leg the contact on the mouth will change resulting in perhaps not quite the 'see-saw' mentioned earlier but a subtle side to side action. Its the eqivalent of someone alternately squeezing the reins in rhythm with the reins when riding which although common place is not desirable.
As there is a connection from the part that goes round the bum to the mouth this is unavoidable no matter how loose it is fitted.
 
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