Which do use - Chambon, Pessoa or Side Reins ?

[Zaffy]

As in the title - interested to know thoughts on which is most effective for lunging to support in strengthening the back muscles. What are the pros and cons ?

Cheers

Z

 

[Coffee_Bean]

Personally I use a pessoa (well cheap ebay copy but basically the same) , my girl works well in it and its useful as you can use it on several different settings. But there are some people on here who hate it, sure they will give you their view

It is essential that is fits right though.

 

[only_me]

i use none of them, more old fashioned hill work

and correct training

(was taught to ride by old fashioned instructor

)

if i had the finances i would use the pessoa for building up muscle, as if used correctly is very effective.

side reins can create a "broken" outline - ie yes in an outline but not working properly from the back. it can lead to them being very stiff in the back, imo.

 

[xnaughtybutnicex]

I like the lungie bungie things but other people on here dont like them. it is good as the horse can bend how it likes without as much force or stiffness as side reins

 

[only_me]

ohh i hate the lungie bungie!! my old ponio came to me was worked ONLY on the bungie - he was so nearly ruined as as soon as bungie was taken off his head went up

took me a year to get him working correctly in an outline on the bit - most people thought i wouldnt ever be able to get him on the bit!!

its my most hated gadget

im sure it works wonders in the right hands though

 

[rubyred]

I love chambons! No restriction through the front end so encourages a swinging back but do need to use transitions etc to keep engagement, not just have them trundling round on their head.

 

[xnaughtybutnicex]

[ QUOTE ]
ohh i hate the lungie bungie!! my old ponio came to me was worked ONLY on the bungie - he was so nearly ruined as as soon as bungie was taken off his head went up

took me a year to get him working correctly in an outline on the bit - most people thought i wouldnt ever be able to get him on the bit!!

its my most hated gadget

im sure it works wonders in the right hands though

[/ QUOTE ]

LOL i can see you were trying not to offend there, but it really depends on the horses, some horses hate it.

 

[Hullabaloo]

I use a pessoa as advised by my vet as my horse had a weak back. He said a chambon wouldn't do the same job as it doesn't work the back end.
I've found the pessoa very effective, and as someone else said it has the advantage of having more than one setting.

 

[rocketdog69]

I agree with pooh-bah.

In my eyes gadgets cause more harm than good in the end.

Plenty of hill work, ride and lead, build up muscle naturally, dont force it!

 

[jen1]

Yes totally agree! My horse is good (or was but that's another story) at looking fantastic in side reins but although his head and neck look good there's nothing happening from behind, found the Pessoa much better for a whole and rounded outline. Not used the other products so can't comment.

 

[RachelFerd]

I don't see how putting a bit of string around the horses quarters 'works' the back end. have seen too many horses being pulled in the mouth by the pessoa when they actually work with the hindlegs.

I personally use side reins or a chambon. Prefer the chambon - it is non restrictive - encourages the horse to stretch forwards and down with a swinging back - waving a 6ft lunge whip is usually enough to make the back end 'work'

Side reins do a different job to the chambon, and I think are useful with horses that have not yet learnt to accept a steady contact. Would always lunge in side reins rather than nothing, as it gives something for the horse to work into.

 

[Shipley]

I use a pessoa but also lunge with nothing and do hill work

 

[Hullabaloo]

Well I'm happy to defer to the vet as he specialises in backs and is one the leading vets in the country in this area. All I can say it it has made a huge difference to my horse who was on the point of being unrideable.
My horse has always worked happily in a pessoa but hates a chambon.

 

[RachelFerd]

not criticising your choice - just my personal take on it. I know plenty of horses that will work well with the hindleg in a chambon - it's just a case of the lunger working the horse rather than the equipment working the horse.

I could never use a pessoa - I'd tangle it unfathomably straight away.

 

[volatis]

Hate the pessoa, the physics and forces involced frighten me. Would never use one

Use either a chambon or side reins. You do have to know how to lunge well to use a chambon to get the horse using its hocks, but I do like it to work the back correctly

 

[malibu211211]

None of the above, just to be awkward

I use two lunge lines which is what my instructor told me to do when Monty came home from being schooled. Unlike all the above you control the feel through the reins, more like riding them I think

Have found it works better with stirrups secured under the horse with an old leather. You can also adjust the height of the stirrups depending on whether you want to work them long and low or not. Can also control the bend more if you have inside rein going from stirrup through bit to hand.

 

[checkmate1]

I do what the stropster does, lunge with two lines, I do have a pessoa, but have never used it!!! She works correctly in walk on trot, used her back, tracks up the whole works wiht 2 lunge lines. (Am not cantering at the mo-horse injured)

 

[Hullabaloo]

Mine obviously wasn't one of them - we did try a chambon before the vet suggested the pessoa and it didn't have the same effect. Maybe it was the lunger - but I've had plenty of practice since (12 weeks lunging last summer!)

In an ideal world I wouldn't use gadgets, but the pessoa is effective for my horse (and not too hard to untangle as long as you don't drop it or lend it to a friend!)

 

[only_me]

the lunging with 2 reins is called long reining

thats what we do instead of using gadgets!

my YO (instructor as well

) is fantastic at long reining - she gets horses going fantastically on it, and she gives me and her daughter lessons on horse whilst she is long reining sometimes - its fantastic for your position - she can change the rein at any time

 

[lauraanddolly]

I use side reins, but have used the pessoa, she didn't go badly in it, but I don't like the fact they are jabbed in the mouth every stride by there own action. Considering trying a chambon instead. I found this site quite informative I thought. http://www.sustainabledressage.com/tack/gadgets.php

 

[xnaughtybutnicex]

I've never used the pessoa but looking at that site i completely understand how the horse is being jab in the mouth and i though they were quite good before this but that has def. put me off.

 

[xnaughtybutnicex]

This is what is said about the lungie bungie.. i do know there are diff. ones btw.


"It is ideal for use on young horses in their early schooling or on the older horses who need remouthing," says Clayton Fredericks, who worked on the idea with his wife, Lucinda.

The Lungie Bungie is designed primarily for use while lunging but it can also be used on a horse being ridden. "It allows lateral movement of the head and is particularly useful and successful when working on the canter," he says. "The horses find their balance much more quickly."

"This aid can also be used when the horse is being ridden or for very short times in the stable to encourage the horse to develop the muscles enabling it to find self carriage."

 

[Shilasdair]

QR
Not aimed at anyone, but I don't think anyone should use any of these gadgets until they can name all the bones in the skeleton, and explain the location and function of most of the muscles, tendons and ligaments, too.
There are far too many people throwing gadgets on as a shortcut to proper outlines/collection/engagement.

(Not saying everyone falls into this category...)
S

 

[Zebedee]

Surely though all anyone needs to know about any gadget is that so long as it makes the horse tuck it's nose in & look pretty then it's being used correctly?

I actually agree with Shiladair. Anyone who doesn't understand the underlying skeletal / muscular structures should not be using any kind of "gadget".

 

[xnaughtybutnicex]

S..
I think i could name alot of them but not all as i have read books, books and more books and have also looked into which gadgets put the most pressure where, which gadgets allow for most freedom of movement ect. and have used the lungie bungie before but generally i dont lunge in gadgets(TBO i dont lunge that much) and this is not how i taught my horse to work in an outline, done that with plenty of schooling(along with my sister as she rides her aswell) and it did take months and still still does not work constantly in an outline. I do not used draw reins ever but have nothing against those who do.

was not offended by your comment btw just felt i needed to clarify the fact that i didnt constantly use these things.

 

[RachelB]

[ QUOTE ]
Surely though all anyone needs to know about any gadget is that so long as it makes the horse tuck it's nose in & look pretty then it's being used correctly?

[/ QUOTE ]
That's what I always thought, make sure the front end is firmly tied in and you're sorted?!

I use a Pessoa but I use it more loosely than I "should"... so it's more of a guide than forcing the horse down (and that was it doesn't jab them in the mouth). I do a lot of lungeing in draw reins too, but mostly only on the horses who are already off the forehand or it ends up dragging more weight onto the shoulders. I've never tried a chambon so can't comment on that. I dislike side reins for anything apart from babies really, they are just too "fixed" for my liking. Berlin would spend the entire time fighting them and my horse just ignored them!

 

[kirstyhen]

My horse would be an ideal advert for anyone who thought that any gadjets are pants!
Put anything on him and he will drop behind the vertical, become solid in his neck and shuffle his hindlegs along, no matter how much you growl/chase with the whip/stamp you feet/beat him to death!!

He does it in side reins, pessoa, equi ami, chambon etc etc!
To be honest lunging him for me is more about seeing him move from the ground, I find it impossible to do any groundwork with him, as he just becomes tense and unbalanced, or launches himself towards you!!
So he does lots of schooling (on hacks as well as in the school) and lots of long, slow hillwork.

 

[Bounty]

I use the Equi Ami - just once, possibly twice, a week when I lunge. However, it is used loosely and I am religious about warming up and cooling down naked, and very thoroughly.

Our gelding has recently had kissing spine surgery and is shortly commencing 6weeks rehab on the lunge - dreading it as it goes against all of my principles

IMO side reins have no place in schooling, other than perhaps loosely in the very initial backing/breaking of a youngster to teach them about a contact on the mouth, though I much prefer to long line to do this.
My side reins, however, I am indebted to atm as they are helping keep me safe and earthbound while handwalking my 6yo who is just coming off box rest and feeling VERY well!

 

[rara007]

None of them. None of them, which the exception of lunging on 2 lines IMO can help a horse 'learn' to use its whole body. IMO to get a horse going well it needs to have something human on the end of the reins. Mechanical things can only acheive 'false' outlines. Admittedly they can get the head in, and with alot of shouting/whip waving you may just he able to get them to rush enough to track up.

 

[username223]

None of them, a roller with a tail bandage tied round the back end. Cheap and effective, makes the horse more aware of their back end and use their hocks aswell, but at the same time has nothing jabbing them in the mouth.. really helped my youngster develop back muscles..