Artificial aids - whips / spurs

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thecourier

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These days we hear so much about natural horsemanship etc but do any of your prefer to stick to the more traditional methods and use of artificial aids such as whips and spurs.

Lets have some honesty here guys. I personally always ride in both and am more than happy to use them if they are needed.

Just wondered what you guys thought ? Any particular incidents where you have used them and if you had not have done you feel the outcome would have been different ?
 
I've used a whip but never spurs. I think you have to be a super competent and experienced rider to use spurs, which I am not. When I've used a whip it's always been a last resort when leg aids are being ignored. I hate seeing people spurring and whipping their horses...
 
I use both, but just to clarify what I'm asking. I wear roller ball spurs for flatwork only (to be more precise /clear) and carry a schooling whip so that I can touch my mare with it to clarify an aid. I wouldn't carry a whip or wear spurs for anything else & wouldn't use either to 'punish' a horse.
 
I have used spurs on a mare because she would not listen to my leg... but she soon got the idea and I stopped using them after that, now I keep them just in case I ever need them again but generally as a rule I wont use either.

I think it depends on the horse... but should never be used instead of schooling.

I do get very cross when I see children using whips and spurs :mad:

I once gave a friend a good telling off at an event for over use of spurs!
 
I was always taught that spurs and a whip were only for people who had an incorrectly trained animal or didn't give the correct leg aids. (Lessons from over 40 years ago!)
Both of my mares don't need spurs or the whip. The fjord can be lazy and a schooling whip is used when the leg aid is ignored. Mostly it's carried to just to remind him.
When used correctly they can help to train a unresponsive horse to respond to leg aids but how many times have we all seen people using them incorrectly?

We were recently at an international dressage stables for a training week and one of the other riders there used her spurs so much on her mare that the mare had marks on both her sides. And she wondered why she had problems with her?
In my book there is no excuse for poor training/riding.
 
I only ever used spurs on one horse. She didn't need them 99% of the time but every now and again she would have an 'I'm not moving' moment on a hack and at that point there was nothing else that worked. Voice commands, legs and reins were all ignored and the whip got a violent reaction (though never any other time, usually she would accept a tap when she was difficult). If I wore spurs I just had to nudge her with them and she would walk on. However if I used the spurs at any other time she would leap forward and do a buck-ette. Taught me pretty d@mn quick how to use them only when I needed to. Very tricksy mare, I never tried to train her out of it as such I just learned to deal with it, she was getting on a bit, very set in her ways and I was by no means good enough to do anything about her opinions. She was actually a very lovely ride as long as I listened to her and worked with her.
 
I have used both on mine. I jump in either rollerballs or short blunt spurs, I dont care what others think but he's only small and we cant afford to mess arround to a relativley large fence especally xc. Schooling over jumps at home I dont tend to bother as he isnt as likely to back off.

Always carry a whip as well apart from eventing dressage and when rules say you cant competing. Nothing wrong with carrying it dont always have to use it but have been known to put a schooling whip in each hand if he has been particulary ignorant to the leg.

Both can be carried with out being used so I dont see the problem with some one having both with them and using them when they need to.
 
I ride with a whip, but not spurs. I don't know if they'd work with Ned and I don't know how to use them properly, so I stick with whips. I have never had to properly hit him, I don't like doing/seeing it, a little tap usually works.
 
I've never used spurs as I personally don't feel competent enough to use them correctly, but I don't see that they are a problem unless used incorrectly. I usually carry a schooling whip for flatwork as my horse does sometimes need a little reminder about what I'm asking him to do. Generally when I'm jumping (SJ or XC) I will carry a short whip but it's more so I know it's there; I very rarely would actually use it.

ETA I used to have a horse who was a chronic rearer and also liked to buck. I had never used a stick on him as he always kicked out if I did, but when I moved to a livery yard everyone said 'he just needs a good crack to sort him out'. One day I followed the advice just to show them...we put several holes in the kickboards of the indoor arena :D That approach just didn't work!
 
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I always find it strange that the horse is the only animal, in this country, that you can hit with a stick and its not classed as cruelty and the person hitting the horse isn't reported to the RSPCA. Hitting dogs or cats, or animals in slaughterhouses is quite rightly condemned, yet we can still hit our horses. Bizarre!
 
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sandy3924 said:
I always find it strange that the horse is the only animal, in this country, that you can hit with a stick and its not classed as cruelty and the person hitting the horse isn't reported to the RSPCA. Can't hit dogs or cats, hitting animals in slaughterhouses is quite rightly condemned, yet we can still hit our horses. Very strange!
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^^ agree :confused: ^^
 
micramadam said:
I was always taught that spurs and a whip were only for people who had an incorrectly trained animal or didn't give the correct leg aids.
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:D Very funny

sandy3924 said:
I always find it strange that the horse is the only animal, in this country, that you can hit with a stick and its not classed as cruelty
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What legislation is this please?

Interesting 1st post OP. Journalist, are we?
 
I almost always ride with a whip of some sort, not necessarily because I need it, but because I'll have it if I need it, and I'm not prepared to tolerate being ignored / not responded to swiftly so I have it in case the beast needs a reminder of manners.

I often use spurs on Fergs - for horseball or sometimes for jumping away from home. Don't always use them as I don't want him to be reliant on them, but I will use them if I'm xc-ing or sometimes sj as he backs off from fences, which is frankly dangerous out xc and I want to retain as much of his attention as I can.
 
Use both on and off.....depends on tye horse and the rider and situation but in the right hands and feet i have no problem with them being used
 
I have a lazy backward thinking warmblood, I ALWAYS ride in spurs on varying lengths then if sj I use a short whip and if flatwork then use a schooling whip, if anybody would like to ride him without these things be my guest!, I can safely say he will be a git
 
@ Rhino. If you are going to quote me,please quote me properly! :(
I did say that this was over 40 years ago.
I'm not against them and I'm grateful I don't have to use them but I believe people should be taught when and how to use them rather than having to witness horse being beaten for the incompetence of the rider. :mad:
 
sandy3924 said:
I always find it strange that the horse is the only animal, in this country, that you can hit with a stick and its not classed as cruelty and the person hitting the horse isn't reported to the RSPCA. Hitting dogs or cats, or animals in slaughterhouses is quite rightly condemned, yet we can still hit our horses. Bizarre!
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Wouldn't dream of hitting a horse with a stick but I do carry (and use) a schooling whip for flatwork. Only so I can touch her with it to (politely) request that she use her hind leg.
 
If you're going with what I personally think is the logical working definition of natural horsemanship - e.g sympathetic handling, then I don't see how a distinction can be made between riding using artificial aids and following NH (unless you're into the sort of NH that involves bowing in front of your horse and carrot sticks)

Artificial aids are just that - aids, not a punishment or a quick fix for ineffective riders. Legs and hands still need to be used correctly, and you cant just jab away and magically get the right results, nor are they just to 'go faster'.
Spurs and whips are to back up what you already have, and with 1000lbs of galloping horse on an xc course something I'm happy to use!

As for the hint of cruelty above, the average educated rider isn't doing damage with their whip or spurs, only the idiot - who can do just as much damage with a bit too!
 
micramadam said:
@ Rhino. If you are going to quote me,please quote me properly! :(
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I changed nothing in your quote, and quoted the section I felt relevant to my reply :confused: I have heard the same thing many a time. Just find it amusing when in dressage spurs are mandatory, and I hardly think ALL FEI dressage horses are badly schooled ;). That, and the ignorance of many as to why they are actually used!

Agree with the rest of the post, as I now only compete in CRC dressage and lower level sj/eventing I don't use spurs, and I don't even own a whip. Personal choice though :D
 
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Have used both in the past on different horses, current horse would have a puloory fit if i used either on her, she becomes very tense if she sees it and i soon realised with her it causes more problems than solutions i only carry a whip xc but havent needed to use it
 
Oh this old chestnut again.....

Whips aren't carried to beat your horse up, they are carried to give an additional/back up aid. I carry a long schooling whip and use it to give a flick behind my leg to activate they hind, or reinforce my leg aid, or to ask for the quarters to move over. Spurs are used to refine the leg aid, not to poke holes in your horses flanks.

Many of the world's best riders use artificial aids. Not just competitive riders either, check out the Spanish riding school.
 
Correct me if I am wrong, but a whip is an extension of your hand and a whip is to help refine an aid. Rightly needed at top level when you need to distinguish between aids and ask for the right ones.

I am not a top level rider, I do low level stuff and require fairly blunt acceptance of basic aids. I do not need spurs or whips.

If I ever leave mediocre riding and start doing piaffes and passages... I MAY utilise these things if I felt I needed a bit of help...
 
sandy3924 said:
I always find it strange that the horse is the only animal, in this country, that you can hit with a stick and its not classed as cruelty and the person hitting the horse isn't reported to the RSPCA. Hitting dogs or cats, or animals in slaughterhouses is quite rightly condemned, yet we can still hit our horses. Bizarre!
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Along the same lines...my mother won't let me cure my dog of her fear of yogurt pots/lids, but she actively helps me wave tarpaulin/plastic bags etc in Ned's face XD
 
I always carry a whip - long for schooling and hacking and short if jumping.

I rarely ever wear spurs except for turnout classes. Good schooling usually means you just don't need them.

I hate seeing chilldren wearing spurs especially when the pony is also wearing a stronger bit.

I don't use running martingales as I don't like tha effect it has on the horses mouth, but do use a standing martingale when teaching a horse to jump. Nosebands always use a cavesson or occaisionally a drop with a Fulmer snaffle.
 
I don't use either as my horse doesn't need them. It actually feels really alien to me carrying a whip now.

I would use them if I felt they were needed though but in the past have only really used spurs in competitions
 
I've never used spurs - I don't feel my lower leg is secure enough for them.
I always carry a whip with me. Its to back up my leg aid. Having it on the road, means if pony was to ignore me, the whip is there to encourage her to move over, (not had to use it yet).
 
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