# how much do you use your pessoa?



## twinkle (28 August 2006)

how many times a week do you use your pessoa? i use mine twice a week but would like to use it a bit more.when i do use it i only do 15 mins everytime in walk and trot and a lilttle canter on each rein, i only have it on the lowest setting even thow she could proberly have it on the next one i have been doing this for about four/five months.would it be ok do use it a bit more?just dont want to use it to much a   
	
	
		
		
	


	




 hurt horse in any way  

thanks in advance for any replies


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## RachelB (28 August 2006)

Once or twice a week, my horse schools better than she lunges though so it's easier for me to sit on rather than try and get her going from the ground.
The question I would ask is... how often do you work your horse in an outline? How often do you school? I know people who school for five days and hack once, with one day off. If they do an hour or more in the school, I would say it is the equivalent of a 15-20 minute lunge in the pessoa? So as long as your horse is fit enough to be schooled for twice as much as you use the pessoa?
That's pure guess though, I'm sure someone more knowledgable will come along and shoot me down!


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## Sal_E (28 August 2006)

Good answer from Rachel! (I use mine about once a week by the way).

It's probably more about how long/how you do it per session, than how many sessions - don't be tempted to go over 20 mins. However, going round &amp; round (&amp; round...) many times a week is going to be pretty boring &amp; not great for the legs if the surface isn't great, the horse is young or the circle too small.

Personally, I can't see any benefit to lunging more than you're currently doing - if it's a time issue, could you consider giving the horse an additional day off?


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## hantastic (28 August 2006)

I use mine twice a week max. Why do you only use it for 15 mins? that is by no means long enough for your horse to warm up or cool off enough? You should do a min of 5 mins walking on each rein with the passoa on a very loose setting before even thinking about trotting or cantering. Why not build the time up that you use it to make it more worth while?


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## Sal_E (28 August 2006)

Lately - advice on lunging always states that, in most instances, you shouldn't do more than 20 minutes, working on the theory that the pressure put on the horse (constantly on a circle) equates to 20 mins lunging = 1 hour schooling.


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## nelliefinellie (28 August 2006)

I don't get the 20 mins lunging = 1 hour schooling. 20 minutes is 20 minutes, and lungeing is actually less work for the horse as it doesn't have the rider's weight to contend with. I agree about the stress of the legs from continuous circles but you can avoid this by using the long sides (keeps you fit too!) making plenty of transitions, and changing the rein frequently. Plenty of walk to warm up is important - I put mine on the walker for 20 mins first, then he does 20 - 30 mins on the pessoa, and 10 mins on the walker at the end to cool off. No reason why they cant work on the pessoa every day if its used correctly (though a bit boring). you can use ground and raised poles to vary the work and encourage more hind leg flexion. My horse has chronic sacroliliac problems, he works on 3 day cycles of schooling, pessoa, hacking which seems to work for him.


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## Weezy (28 August 2006)

Nellie I am with you - I move my horse around the school and if I only work him for 20 mins (inclu warm up and cool down) he doesnt even break into the slightest sweat!

Personally I warm up with the rear line over his back for 5 to 10 mins, then I pop that down and work for a good 30 mins - small and big circles, straight lines, out and in, lots of transitions, etc
I lunge once or twice a week


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## hantastic (28 August 2006)

I have never really understood where that came from to be honest. There is no evidence to back that up. My horses would never work on a circle continously of the same size, they work in straight lines and of circles of varoius different sizes. I dont belive you can ask a horse to canter in a passoa in only 15mins.


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## Governor (28 August 2006)

I use it about once a week (along with three or four sessions schooling, probably for 45 minutes at a time, and one or two hacks between 30 minutes and 2 hours per week).

I long rein and lunge Govlett in his and like Nellie and Louise we use the whole school.

Personally I wouldn't use it more than twice a week because I know Governor would get bored and he schools better with me on him than on the ground. Plus he's working in an outline 6 out of 7/8 hours a week. But with another horse who required more muscle etc then I probably would use it more.


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## nelliefinellie (28 August 2006)

Hurrah! I'm glad we've shattered the 20 mins lungeing = 1 hour's schooling myth.

I do however believe that 20 mins lungeing = 1 hour at the gym (for the persaon doing the lungeing!)


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## hantastic (28 August 2006)

hell yes, esp when you get on to more advanced movements or extended trot down the long side!


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## Weezy (28 August 2006)

I deffo sweat more than my horses when i work them from the ground!


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## Baggybreeches (28 August 2006)

I am glad you do too, I was lunging our new one the other day and because i was sweating and out of breath, my friend was laughing at me saying I was really unfit, although i have always got puffed lunging even when i was 12 or 13. It proves that we put plenty of effort into what we are doing! Eh


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## Caritas (28 August 2006)

You can use it everyday if you like, my horse had a back operation before xmas and he was lunged everyday for six weeks without even a day off. As long as u build him up gradually he will be fine, honest!!


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## vicm2509 (28 August 2006)

I usually warm my horse up without the pessoa. Then put it on for about 10 mins on each rein. I personally only do 20 mins in the pessoa as I am trying to build up his muscle and dont think he is up to much more at the moment. After the 20 mins I usually take it off to cool him down or free school him for a bit, so in total lunge for about 30 mins (I think any longer would make me a little dizzy).

Oh and I only use it about once a week but thats only because I am making the most of the nice hacking weather at the moment


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## lizzie_liz (28 August 2006)

I use the pessoa twice a week for about 30 minutes...
5 minutes trot each way
5 minuted canter work each way
5 minutes tort each way
then cool her off at the end, she doesn't really walk on the lunge!
She then gets schooled 2 or 3 times a week for about 45 minutes and competed once a week.
She is hacked 6 times a week in the evenings but i have reduced her workload as am back to uni in 3 weeks and she will have a couple of weeks off and then mum will be riding her


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## Sal_E (29 August 2006)

Guys, 20 mins lunging = 1 hr schooling is NOT a myth, although probably not realistically accurate - it's a safe 'rule' for people to think about though.

The majority of people do not know how to lunge properly  they stick on a 15/20 metre circle &amp; just trot round &amp; round (&amp; round). Then, for something a bit different, they then canter round &amp; round (&amp; round). They warm up &amp; cool down with the side reins/Pessoa/whatever fully attached &amp; as the horse looks nice with his head a bit over-bent they generally have whatever gadget theyre using unsuitably tight. They change the rein once &amp; dont bother timing it so inevitably the horse gets more of a workout on one rein than the other. Lets not also forget that loads of people stick with the Pessoa on the lowest long &amp; low setting &amp; canter with it  shoving the horse on the forehand with his head on the floor.

Therefore, a 20 minute session for most horses &amp; most people, really is quite enough! 

The same people possibly do school for 60 minutes, but will do much more warm-up &amp; cool down, with breaks in-between the bursts of hard work. Because of their own fitness levels, the session is never going to be as hard going as 60 minutes on the lunge (proven by how much more tiring a 45 minute lesson is than a usual 45 minutes of schooling on your own  I certainly know I feel the difference)

So, for the majority of horses &amp; handlers, 20 minutes on the lunge really is enough.


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## twinkle (29 August 2006)

thanks for your rplies guys 
just thought i would ad i warm up without pessoa on and the same with cooling off


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