# Action of a Pessoa......



## lostmymarbles (15 April 2010)

could some kind person enlighten me as to how, if used correctly, which bits of the horse a Pessoa works,

many thanks.


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## Ludi-doodi (15 April 2010)

Have a look at this site - http://www.sustainabledressage.com/tack/gadgets.php#pessoa 

There's lot of useful information although pessoa and other lunging equipment appears to come under the category 'gadgets'.  This site does seem to be against almost everything, but I'm no expert so who knows.... Certainly lots of people use a pessoa so suspect they can't all be wrong!

Or a slightly more positive approach - but this was taken from a site that sells them!

_The pessoa training aid is a revolutionary lunging aid for horses that strengthens the back, stretches the top line and gentle encourages the horse to work correctly. The Pessoa training aid should be used for frequent short sessions for best effect, and encourages the horse to work rather than using force. The pessoa training aid persuades and suggests which is the philosophy of the great Nelson Pessoa, and gives long lasting results under saddle as a result. An important difference between the pessoa and other schooling aids is that it does not create a rigidly fixed contact between the horse's mouth & girth. Schooling aids that allow this to happen are notorious for creating an over bent outline with the horse working too much on its forehand and too little from behind. The pessoa training aid works to free the back muscles so that the horse can use them for balance, impulsion and support for both himself and the riders weight. The Pessoa has been designed to be used while lunging, the pessoa training aid employs a sympathetic system of ropes & pulleys. Useful for fit horses to maintain their muscle tone, it also helps youngsters begin their work in the right shape. The rope used in the Pessoa is far superior than in cheaper copies, and this is a vital reason the pessoa works as well as it does._


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## Nailed (15 April 2010)

The passoa is a pully system, if the horse is not going forwards, the horse will not be comfortable, once the horse goes forwards, the pressure on the poll and mouth increase (not constant pressure) and the horse is encouraged to lower the head and to become long and rounded. 

Once the passoa in fitted correctly, the horse has excepted it, and the horse is going forwards in a good rhythm, the back, buttocks, neck and legs are all worked.

It is fantastic when used twice a week, for improving fitness, balence and overall muscle tone. It also teaches the horse to be less resistant of the hand.

Lou x


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## Mocha (15 April 2010)

I find it brilliant ... however, they are several different ways of adjusting it setting it up, and I rarely ever use any other setting then the 'long and low' one, to get the horses stepping through and building up its back.

There are a few disadvantages... the horse can evade it, by 'sitting' on the back roller and refusing to step through, in which case, it will jab them in the mouth like the sustainable dressage article suggests.

I prefer to use it with longreins, because if the horse does lean on the bit and goes on the forehand, you can use use longreins like a contact and lift them off the bit with a half-halt.
(Rather then just tightening the pessoa which will cause constant pressure on the mouth and is less likely to work.)













No jabbing here...





You can see the line going from the roller to the bit is slack. The line throught the middle ring of the roller is the the second lunge line.

Its much more effective then side-reins which promote a fixed headset and don't do anything to stop the horse trundling along on the forehand.


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## lostmymarbles (15 April 2010)

Thank you all for your replies, the information is very useful.


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