11/11/2025
🐴The Effects of the Pessoa Training Aid – Get the Facts
Something I know I've talked about before but it still pains me to see so many using it without quite understanding what it is doing. It is a familiar sight in arenas across the country and even the world. It is marketed as a way to “develop topline” and “encourage engagement of the hindquarters,” so it’s easy to see why many owners turn to it in the hope of improving their horse’s posture and strength. However, despite the appealing promises, the Pessoa can do far more harm than good. From muscular imbalance to mental tension, its mechanical design forces the horse into a frame rather than allowing true, functional movement. As a result, it can create or worsen the very problems it claims to fix.
🤓How it works – it consists of a series of ropes and pulleys that run from the bit, through the roller, to the hindquarters. As the horse moves forward, the tension from the system pulls the hindquarters underneath while simultaneously restricting the head and neck. In theory, this is supposed to “encourage engagement.” In practice, it often causes the horse to brace against the pressure, hollow the thoracolumbar region, and move in a restricted, tension-based posture..
📢True engagement comes from relaxation, balance & correct muscular development, not mechanical restraint
💪The Physical Consequences
1. Hypertrophy of the Bracing Muscles – When forced into a fixed outline, the muscles responsible for resisting movement — rather than producing it — become overdeveloped aka bracing muscles, and hypertrophy here is a clear sign of mechanical rather than biomechanical training.
🔑Key muscles affected include:
– Brachiocephalicus and sternocephalicus – become tight and bulky from resisting the poll pressure.
– Splenius and semispinalis capitis – often overdeveloped at the top of the neck, creating a false “crest” while the deeper postural muscles (longus colli and multifidus) remain weak.
– Longissimus dorsi – rather than lifting to support the rider or collect, it braces, becomes rigid and hypertrophied, contributing to a hollow back.
– Gluteal group (superficial and middle gluteals) – instead of engaging the lumbosacral junction correctly, the horse pushes from behind with stiffness, hypertrophying the glutes while leaving the psoas and hamstring chains underdeveloped.
Over time, this pattern results in a horse that looks “muscly” but actually lacks core strength and correct postural stability — much like a human who trains only the outer muscles while neglecting the deep stabilisers.
2. Back and Pelvic Strain
Because the Pessoa restricts the natural swing of the neck and back, the horse cannot use the thoracolumbar fascia effectively to transmit force between forehand and hindquarters. The back becomes rigid rather than elastic, reducing spinal mobility.
⛔️Particularly detrimental for horses with:
– Kissing spines (overriding dorsal spinous processes) – as the back is forced into extension, the spinous processes are drawn closer together, increasing pain and inflammation.
– Sacroiliac dysfunction – restricted pelvic motion from the forced “engagement” aggravates asymmetry and joint irritation.
– Hock or stifle issues – the false engagement encourages pushing rather than carrying, increasing strain through the reciprocal apparatus.
3. Loss of Proprioception and Balance
The fixed frame interferes with the horse’s ability to stabilise itself naturally. Without freedom to move their neck for balance — a vital part of the horse’s proprioceptive system — the horse becomes tense, mentally and physically. This often presents as rushing, tripping, or unevenness on the circle.
🧠The Psychological Impact
A horse learns through release and reward. The pessoa maintains constant pressure so the horse cannot find the release that signals “you’re doing it right.” This often leads to confusion, frustration, or learned helplessness — where the horse stops offering any responses at all.
This mental stress manifests physically too: tight lips & ears, grinding teeth, tension throughout the fascia. Over time, the nervous system becomes conditioned to brace, further cementing the dysfunctional posture.
🐎Why Correct Groundwork Is the Healthier Alternative
⭐️Groundwork builds the horse from the inside out — developing postural strength, flexibility, and understanding without the use of force.
⭐Encourages correct muscle recruitment: Proper lunging, long-lining, and in-hand work engage the deep stabilising muscles — such as the multifidus, transverse abdominis, and psoas — which support the spine and joints.
⭐Promotes true self-carriage: The horse learns to lift and carry itself through correct balance rather than mechanical containment.
⭐Improves proprioception and coordination: When allowed to use its neck and back freely, the horse becomes more confident and balanced through natural movement.
⭐Strengthens the bond: Groundwork fosters communication and mutual understanding, creating a relaxed and trusting partnership rather than one built on resistance.
⭐Simple exercises inhand such as transitions, lateral movements, raised poles, and gentle specific core & activation work all promote healthy movement patterns.
🏡Take home – The Pessoa is not a shortcut to correct posture — it’s a tool that often masks weakness, reinforces tension, and risks both physical and psychological harm. The apparent “outline” it produces is superficial; true engagement and collection come only when the horse moves freely, in balance, and with correct muscular support. If you want a horse that’s strong, sound, and supple, put the Pessoa away! Invest that time instead in correct groundwork, where the horse learns to carry itself naturally; not through force, but through feel, connection, and understanding. Not sure how, feel free to get in touch
