Carrying a crop .

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tubby1

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I was chatting with another livery yesterday about over use of a crop and she was very surprised when I said I never rode with one and have never felt the need to do so on my horse. I have used them with other horse's just don't feel the need to use one with my horse. I was just wondering do most people carry a stick even if they don't need it ?
 
I do for hacking, just in case.

My instructor was a big advocate of only carrying one if we needed to though, and made us warm up without one to see what sort of mood our mounts were in that day. There was a pot with crops in it by the school door so if we felt we needed one we could pick one up halfway through the ride with little fuss. Seemed to be a good system.
 
I used to, everytime i rode. Think it became a habit as i dont need one in reality. Never use one now and dont have any issues.
 
I only carried it to back up my leg aids as horse had been driven was not well schooled(concrete sides) and if he got stubborn might need to be tapped up. I also used it to brush off horse flies too..in fact it was more useful for that I could rub it over his head and he never minded at all!! I could usually growl at him in a stern voice instead and that worked more if he needed telling off!

Have ridden other horses where they never needed tapping up though. Depends on the horse. My kids in riding school were always handed one before starting a lesson..seemed quite normal these days?
 
I always carry a schooling whip on my gelding, only carry one to school on my mare to sharpen her up don't bother at all hacking etc, really will never ever need it, she's far too polite.
 
Yes! I usually carry a schooling whip for schooling and hacking. I usually don't need to use it, but can on occasion it comes in handy especially when doing lateral work. I also find car drivers pass slightly wider when out hacking when I carry one and can be useful with gates from time to time.

I usually carry a short stick when jumping but once again, I very rarely use it. I would never go XC without one though
 
I will carry one out hacking, and I use a schooling whip for flatwork but rarely have to use it - its like he knows I have it because when I dont have it he gets lazy :D I never use it when showjumping but need it XC cause sometimes he needs a little tickle on the shoulder to remind him to keep going forward and over cause he sometimes likes to go sideways and round :D
 
On mine I only carry one for jumping,and not always then. I don't need one. I did know someone who used to carry a hunt whip out hacking, and smack the top of cars who went past her too fast, or too close with it, until she lost it embedded in some idiots roof one day!
 
I always carry one hacking, very useful to hold open gates and stop brambles from catching in the face/leg etc.

I used to carry a schooling whip all the time with my last mare. She was very nappy. Though only way I could get her to move on was to tickle her bum with the end of the whip....so she kept flinching as if a fly was on her. It used to annoy her so much that going forwards seemed much easier in the end :)
 
I always have one. I use a 1m schooling whip because I'm in the process of training Ned to go infront and out alone and it REALLY helps! I've never properly whacked him, but a tap reminds him what he should be doing.
 
I always carry one out hacking, just in case there is ever that moment when for whatever reason I NEED her to move, whether it be sideways or forwards and I don't have time for her to think about if she is going to do it or not. The drivers can be incredibly stupid around my way and knowing that I can get her out if the way if needed makes me feel a little safer (although I would feel guilty afterwards for smacking her!)
 
Misog2000 said:
I always carry one out hacking, just in case there is ever that moment when for whatever reason I NEED her to move, whether it be sideways or forwards and I don't have time for her to think about if she is going to do it or not. The drivers can be incredibly stupid around my way and knowing that I can get her out if the way if needed makes me feel a little safer (although I would feel guilty afterwards for smacking her!)
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Exactly, I am sure everyone has been hacking and heard that fast moving vehicle coming, put on a please leg yield aid and got nothing, aren't you just glad you are carrying a stick at that point !.

My personal view is - anybody who hacks out without a stick is nuts, I also don't go with the comment - the horse won't carry a stick, it will if you train it and only ever use a stick appropriately.
 
AdorableAlice said:
Exactly, I am sure everyone has been hacking and heard that fast moving vehicle coming, put on a please leg yield aid and got nothing, aren't you just glad you are carrying a stick at that point !.

My personal view is - anybody who hacks out without a stick is nuts, I also don't go with the comment - the horse won't carry a stick, it will if you train it and only ever use a stick appropriately.
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^^ Agree totally!

Also a schooling stick at right angles into the road gives me a little more room. Cars are more scared of getting scratched than hitting my horse, so I keep them happy with the anticipation! Excellent for gate latches too.
 
I always carry a whip, my cob is quite stubborn and naps a lot so I find it helpful to carry one with me even if I don't end up using. He know's if you don't have a whip with you though and he will play up like a bugger! :P
 
I carry a schooling whip when hacking out. I had a sticky incident many years ago when my horse planted and wouldn't move and I didn't have a whip, I know she would have given up if I'd tapped her, the witch. So better to have a whip I don't need, rather than to need a whip I don't have. I also have a strip of flourescent material tied to the end to keep the cars at a decent distance from us. I don't use one for schooling or jumping as it just isn't needed for mine.
 
I had a horse when I was younger who would be rather difficult if I didn't have one, but all I had to do was carry it. He knew I had it, and that was enough for him. He was the only horse I rode with one growing up, but when I started English riding lessons over here (rode mostly western back home), they always gave me one to carry. It just became a habit after that. I very rarely needed to use it.
 
Agree entirely with adorable Alice. I always carry a schooling whip to hack, even on my old pony who I've never needed to use it on in 20 years. I'd also prefer to hit a snapping dog with one than it be kicked to kingdom come. Carry one to school with dependent on the horse. And a short whip to jump, habit really & I'd rather have it & not use it than find out I need one.
 
Misog2000 said:
I always carry one out hacking, just in case there is ever that moment when for whatever reason I NEED her to move, whether it be sideways or forwards and I don't have time for her to think about if she is going to do it or not. The drivers can be incredibly stupid around my way and knowing that I can get her out if the way if needed makes me feel a little safer (although I would feel guilty afterwards for smacking her!)
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Same here, I have hardly ever even tapped with it but sometimes I just put it firmly against her shoulder when she sidesteps into the oncoming traffic on the roads to back up my aids that we are going to go past the traffic cones/roadworks/cycle path markings! I didn't take one out to start with but now I feel a lot more secure with it!
 
I always hack out with a whip, mainly to whack untrained dogs in the local woods and to hold out to "encourage" drivers to actually give my horse some room on the roads. I swear some drivers act like my horse is an obstacle for them to pretend they're Jeremy Clarkson having a bash at rallying :eek:
 
Thanks for your replies everybody some very interesting comments. Might have to think about taking one when hacking may carry one in the school first in case I have an unplanned dismount .x
 
I always ride with one, whether it be a schooling whip or a shorter jumping crop, it really depends on what mood taz seems so be in before we ride, obviously if im doing schooling then i have my schooling whip, but if he is in a spoooky mood on the way in from the field then i take a schooling whip hacking aswell, ive ridden with a crop everyday for the last 4 years pretty much and would feel lost without one
 
If I am schooling I balance it in the fence so I pick it up very easily if horsey is feeling lazy. When hacking I will carry one if nobody else in the ride is, I like to have the backup:)
 
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