Rehab in a Pessoa?

[RachelB]

My horse has lost all her condition in the last 18 months through being off work and turned away due to her tendon injury and then foot problems. I think I've finally managed to sort out her feet and she's looking better than ever soundness-wise. I need to go all-out in these last two months before the clocks change to get her back under saddle (vet prescribed two months of walking in-hand) or I won't have time to be walking her and I'll just have to turn her away again until next year.
Up until now I've just been walking her out with a bridle on, nothing else. She had two weeks off while I was on holiday and is now on day three of walk work, which is just less than 10 minutes a day. I will be increasing her work by about five minutes every four days, and hopefully by the end of the two months I will be walking her in-hand for 40 minutes a day. Then I can hop on

My question is, will it do her any harm (or any good for that matter) to be walked out in a Pessoa? She has NO topline whatsoever and TBH I think it's going to put a LOT of strain on her long back when I finally stick her saddle back on and get on her

Would it be a good idea or overkill to stick the Pessoa on each day (loosely at first, obviously)? Would it be too much to keep it on for the whole two months, so eventually she's walking in it for 40 minutes a day?

 

[Darkly_Dreaming_Dex]

Hi, so pleased M is in rehab!

I use a pessoa for rehab as it helps rebuild topline ready for riding. I have a 4 acre paddock (I find most schools too deep and/or small) and i lunge huge circles (so lots of walking and hopefully fitness for me too) This stops them "motorbiking" round in ever decreasing circles. I always brushing boot and overreach boot all round (yes i know they dont support but they stop a nasty brushing injury) and start with 5 mins per side increasing over 4-6 weeks to 15mins per rein.

 

[RachelB]

I'm not allowed to lunge her again

but I can stick it on for her walking on the roads. So you don't think it's a good idea to use it for the whole 40 minutes? Considering she's walking in a straight line? I'm not doubting your opinion, I just haven't got a clue lol

 

[Dressagebabe]

The Pessoa will do wonders while walking her in hand, Once you get upto 40 minutes she should be quite a bit fitter so you should be fine to keep the Pessoa on the whole time but I would just loosen the rings off 10 mins before the end of the walk so that she can stretch a little further down and through her back. I use mine all the time for youngsters, rehab & oldies its just a case of using them correctly and allowing the warm up and warm down by stretching on longer settings. I am sure you will but, make sure you boot her up well as the Pessoa will encourage her to really use her back & back end so she may over track/reach!!

 

[RachelB]

hahahaha sorry got to laugh, my horse is built like a steamtrain and the thought of her tracking up let alone over-reaching is quite funny

Luckily no shoes yet either so no risk of pulling them off. Being paranoid I may stick boots on anyway, especially once we get on the road and have to do a bit more cornering!
Thanks guys for the comments

 

[ajf]

Hi so glad ur gettin back on track. Just done rehab in pessoa on one of ours. He was lunged but here's the info on where the "bits" were attached!!
* Always start of not attached to bit so has time to warm up
* Attach to bit and between front legs
* Then move up to girth level
This was it for first 3 weeks
* Then it was also moved up to top of roller (more hand position)
Ours was sometimes a little sh*t with this bit so sometimes it was moved back down again to make him work properley!!!
* Then nothing attached to stretch and cool down
Also we had to add extensions to our pessoa as it wasn't big enough but the more he did the more compact he bacame and the shorter the pessoa could be made
He is now just startin full ridden work but will be lunged 3 times a week and when in full work we will continue to use it once a week
Good luck and hope this kinda helped/made sense!!!