thoughts on pessoa training aids?

[gemmahaywardx]

so today i ordered i pessoa training aid. after reading some thoughts on them im not so sure i should have splashed out! i know its a bit late now but i was wondering what everyones thoughts on them were?
i have a 14.2hh french show pony, who regularly wins at county level showing and i competes at regional finals inc. olympia qualifiers. he has been on box rest since june 2010 and came back into work in october, but due to the snow has been on off work again since the end of november. he's still on box rest. he's very sharp, but eager to learn. he goes on a beautiful outline but he has an awful habit of going very heavy on the forehand which i cannot get him out of. this effects his canter and his jump specifically. i hear the pessoa is meant to help with this though?
i dont want loads of people telling me i dont need to use a pessoa if he already goes on an outline, which isnt false i might add. many people i know use a pessoa, and both my vet and i think he would benefit from a pessoa, i just want to know what everyone else thinks of them? does anyone have success/horror stories? please dont be too negative :L
thanks
x

 

[zoelouisem]

I think its with any training aid if they are used correctly they can be very good. Used incorrectly they can cause lots of damage.
Put that aside i use a perssoa on my work horses and find it invaluable espeacially in a vetran horse i show in the vetran classes, it helps strenten his back along side his normal schooling. I use it on the low setting for him to encourage him to stretch down and engage his backend. It works very well for him, but there is also one horse that we dont use it on as he really doesnt like it and makes him go like a bag of rubbish!!!

 

[gemmahaywardx]

I think its with any training aid if they are used correctly they can be very good. Used incorrectly they can cause lots of damage.
Put that aside i use a perssoa on my work horses and find it invaluable espeacially in a vetran horse i show in the vetran classes, it helps strenten his back along side his normal schooling. I use it on the low setting for him to encourage him to stretch down and engage his backend. It works very well for him, but there is also one horse that we dont use it on as he really doesnt like it and makes him go like a bag of rubbish!!!

thanks a lot because athos is a veteran himself so thank you for that!

 

[cm2581]

Good training aid but be very careful of using it in the low setting if the pony is at all athletic with the front legs!! In a leap of exhuberance with the low setting I've often thought it would be possible for a leg to get caught through the ropes. There is no quick release and i don't suppose the real one will have particularly weak clips!! I have a cheap copy and the clips are rubbish and I think they would break if needed.

 

[gemmahaywardx]

Good training aid but be very careful of using it in the low setting if the pony is at all athletic with the front legs!! In a leap of exhuberance with the low setting I've often thought it would be possible for a leg to get caught through the ropes. There is no quick release and i don't suppose the real one will have particularly weak clips!! I have a cheap copy and the clips are rubbish and I think they would break if needed.

thanks a lot i'll keep that in mind! another injury is the last thing i need! x