Ponderings on gadgets... (Warning: long and rambly)

Natch

Natch

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Inspired by the pessoa debate yesterday.

Are they ever really the answer?

Who for? Almost certainly the rider/trainer and not the horse.

And do they ever really have benefits and not drawbacks?

I used to fathfully believe in the pessoa over side reins, but having doen a bit more research now, I'm loathe to use it again. I have seen first hand the apparent benefits, but can see the point that people make about the drawbacks I had failed to spot.

I have used draw reins at my instructor's suggestion and 100% supervision, only to decide the next day that it was a gadget too far and wasn't going to achieve anything in the long run.

On the flip side I have done groundwork skills training that meant I, as a novice in groundwork, often achieved a horse who was engaged and had genuine natural flexion and egnagement. Pic of the grey in my signature shows one of the horses who I worked with. That was with minimal equipment: rope headcollar, 12ft rope and pointer (a cheaper version of a carrot stick *ducks*)
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I'm pretty sure the same could be achieved in a bog standard headcollar, lunge line and lunge whip.

I achieved that for a few moments with a few horses, longer with one, so I was far from perfect, but then I was a novice at groundwork. Since then I have worked with F and can get him working engaged and off the forehand on a circle on a line and at liberty.

I had a conversation with a friend who has vast amounts of experience lunging and long reining using different techniques and a few simple gadgets to rehab injured horses. Said lady joined in on an afternoon of a *ducks again* Parelli course, and was moving her horse on a line in figures of 8 no problems, while the others on the course initially struggled to achieve 1/2 a figure of 8. Parelli instructor commented that you could tell how skilled she was at ground work; she simply didn't need the course.

I've just been thinking: shouldn't we be concentrating on improving OUR skills of how to work the horse, instead of using a quick fix gadget? Where do gadgets really get us to in the long term? It seems that many people on here think they mean a false outline or way of going, and in some cases cruelty to the horse.
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BTW I have/do still use gadgets: have used but would try not to use again a pessoa, side reins, elastic inserts to my reins (albeit for a novel reason: when I had a weak RH wrist F decided to take advantage by jerking it!
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). I currently always use a flash noseband, and carry a schooling whip. When I work on the ground with a horse it is on a halter and line with or without my pointer, or at liberty in an enclosed area.

Not really sure what to expect in way of responses: although sloe gin and cherry brandy to those who get this far
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Feel free to ignore this post or add your point of view: I guess I just wanted to put my thoughts out there, as I'm having either a crisis of confidence in these (gadget ridden) methods, or a eureka moment: not sure which!
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I think they have their place when used with a specific goal or moment in training, but arent a quick fix. I will use a pessoa, but am not a massive fan, I muchprefer using drawreins over their backs, through their front legs to their bit, as it doesnt "hold" them anywhere, doesnt punish them for going forward (the pessoa can jab them in the mouths) and encourages them to stretch forward and out and carry themselves.

TBH, thats the only "gadget" I use now, although I'm not adverse to drawreins, bungees, side reins etc when used properly.
 
naturally, i think the same as you. I believe that short cuts don't achieve long term gains.

You may be able to help me with a question I have, apparently top dressage instructors have advised riding over bent and behind the vertical in order to achieve engagement and flexion. is this correct? Will riding in this way achieve good results in the longer term?
 
My mare had KS op and had to be worked in a pessao....after the first 3 months she still wasnt strong enough to start riding....i moved her back home (id sent her away for rehab) and needed to build our relationship up....started playing with Parelli...turns out my horse is extremely intelligent and the topline iv built up is amazing! she works soooo beautifully and thats just in a halter!

I do have all my gadgets still and im not brainwashed but iv pretty much got a new horse and shes a dream to handle now!
 
Walkingman, I think you're talking about Rollkur or hyperflexion, which is a whole kettle of fish in its own right: search this forum for countless threads on it, google it too
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In short: I wouldn't.

Hope that helps
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Yes, I know about rollkur and i understand the results. I had hoped that they were talking about something else that I hadn't heard of before, but obviously not. I'll remember to stay out of the PG in future.
 
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Who for? Almost certainly the rider/trainer and not the horse.



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You said it! Most gadgets are basically a short cut for time and patience. Very few people understand the action of their bit and how it should be used, let alone things like pessoas, etc.

If someone knows what muscles it affects and how, how it alters the horses movement and the detrimental effects under what circumstances then i will concede slightly and say it is ok to use a gadget. But not as a shortcut. HOWEVER! Who knows all this? Most people on this forum (as a representation of a population of riders), at the risk of starting a row, dont even know the parts of a horse that a snaffle bit affect. Let alone a pessoa! but they are recomended one or they see mrs jones uses one and so thats why they use it. Often not being educated about them first.

Education is great but not at the expense of the horse.
 
My boss used to be a HUGE fan of the pessoa; He always insisted that I lunge his youngsters in it even though I said I wasn't a fan and gave my reasons. A few weeks down the line he changed his mind and now advocates side reins only.
He rides nearly all his horses in draw reins and I find them quite useful, NOT because I can winch a horse's head in, but because I find I can hold a steadier contact. That said I don't use them very often though; I think it's far too easy to overuse them. I am quite a fan of my de gogue though. That was before some utter w***** cut the clips of the end
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I think improving your own skills is the best way to improving your horse. I was brought up to believe that there's no such thing as a quick fix, and that an apparent quick fix in one area creates a problem in another area, leading to a different gadget being required.

I've never yet ridden with any gadget more than a running martingale, (unless you count a daisy rein when I was 5?) and have no intention of trying to. That's not to say that my horses go perfectly - they really don't! but they do make steady improvement with time.

Every horse that I have ridden who has been regularly schooled with some gadget or other has a distinct way of going that gives you no feel of how the horse is truly going. It always feels like there's nothing going on, that the horse is on autopilot. To me anyway...
 
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