# Help Get Long And Low



## Honeysrider (22 February 2017)

I've been lunging my horse in a pessoa now for a month or two daily gradually doing more to build up her strengh. shes going well and has even started hangin her head low when she naturally moves around, but the second she trots under saddle or on her own her head goes right up, she listens to the pressure and puts her head down but still isnt learning to naturally cary it down, im stuck i dont know what to do i dont want to strap her head down i want to encourage it but nothings working


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## Auslander (22 February 2017)

Honeysrider said:



			I've been lunging my horse in a pessoa now for a month or two daily gradually doing more to build up her strengh. shes going well and has even started hangin her head low when she naturally moves around, but the second she trots under saddle or on her own her head goes right up, she listens to the pressure and puts her head down but still isnt learning to naturally cary it down, im stuck i dont know what to do i don't want to strap her head down i want to encourage it but nothings working
		
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How are you asking her to stretch down?


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## Honeysrider (22 February 2017)

with the pessoa, the pressure is released when she lowers and entends, i havent ridden her in a month uve been focussing on getting her naturally down before i ask under saddle


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## Auslander (22 February 2017)

Honeysrider said:



			with the pessoa, the pressure is released when she lowers and entends, i havent ridden her in a month uve been focussing on getting her naturally down before i ask under saddle
		
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I know how a pessoa is supposed to work! 

My question was in response to you saying "the second she trots under saddle or on her own her head goes right up, she listens to the pressure and puts her head down but still isnt learning to naturally cary it down, im stuck i dont know what to do i don't want to strap her head down i want to encourage it but nothings working" - which implied that you were trying to get her to work long and low under saddle, but not succeeding. 
Horses don't naturally spend their time long and low. They need to be worked correctly to achieve the correct musculature to support themselves comfortably whilst working in an outline. A pessoa will give them the idea of working in a round frame, but it's no substitute for a competent rider on top, working the horse correctly. 
Do you have lessons - that might be a good place to start


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## Pinkvboots (22 February 2017)

The pessoa will only work when you use it to lunge it will have no bearing on how the horse goes once your on board, how are you riding her ? does she accept a contact when ridden ?


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## chestnut cob (22 February 2017)

What does your instructor say about getting her L&L when you are riding in your lessons?


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## Shay (22 February 2017)

Another confused response... why do you want her to hold her head long and low "as she moves naturally"?  Horses don't do that.  They hold their heads up to look around, spot danger etc.  Are you using the pessoa whilst she has a saddle on?  Its not really designed to work like that.


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## Sugar_and_Spice (22 February 2017)

You're far too fixated on where your horses head is.  A correct outline doesn't come from the placement of the head/neck.  It comes from the horse being supple laterally and longitudinally, as their strength improves the impulsion increases and they start to push forwards into the bridle from the hind legs.  Pessoas are the work of the devil IMO, especially in the hands of those who don't know what they're doing.  

Look at the horse on the lunge and loose, is it under tracking, tracking up or over tracking?  I see so many who don't have a rounded outline, but who are at least using their back end naturally.  Then they're put into a pessoa and suddely the head is pulled in (the horse holds it there due to repeatedly being jabbed in the mouth by the device), but there's tension through the whole body and the horse is undertracking massively, where it wasn't before, with the handler so fixated on what the head is doing they haven't even noticed the effect on the hind end.


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## lamlyn2012 (24 February 2017)

Lunging every day for 'a month or two' is putting a great deal of stress on the joints. Once a week for lunging is enough. 
To help build strength get out and do some gentle hacking including hill work which is good for strengthening and fitness. You need to get the horse working from behind.


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## FestiveFuzz (27 February 2017)

Is there a reason why you haven't ridden for a month OP?

As others have mentioned lunging every day is quite intensive and you may find she's getting sore which won't help you achieve the suppleness you're seeking, and also won't encourage your horse to work L&L in trot. In your shoes, I'd mix it up a bit with some ridden work, and if you're not already, weekly lessons with an instructor that can help you work your horse correctly.


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