Carrying a whip on a newly backed horse

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Foxfolly

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Just wondered if and when you would?

Felix has been backed 2-3 months now and can be quite lazy in the school. He has a lovely forward trot out hacking and in the school but dies when we drop back to walk. I think he thinks he has done enough and turns into a beach donkey!!!
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I was wondering if I ought to carry one so I am not having to constantly nag with my legs.

What would you carry first time? A short jump whip or a bendy schooling whip?
 
Depends. If they are naturally a bit sharp but just need sensitising to the leg then I would carry a short jump whip. If they are quite laid back anyway then I would go for the schooling whip straight away for ease of use. It may be that you only have to tap your boot to get a reaction but at least with the schooling whip you can back up your leg more quickly and without having to take one hand off the rein.
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Just be very careful on a newly backed horse that laziness is not tiredness and you asking too much. If the horse is nicely working and then suddenly goes "lazy" especially at the end of a week, its time for a rest!

Dad did not do this and ended up with a fractured skull.
 
He needs to learn what the whip means, and once you have taught him the whip means forwards, then I would use a schooling whip TBH. As bananaman said then you can keep both hands on the reins.

Some of our 3yos have days where they are totally half asleep, so I'll ask someone on the ground to back me up with the lunge whip so I dont have to nag, and so that they understand I want them to respond now. Then we'll start to replace the lunge whip with the schooling whip, although to be fair they do learn quite quickly to go when i say so. LOL
 
Always carry a short stick to help with turning and to help teach leg aids. Pretty much from day one unless I think theyre likely to be volatile!
 
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Always carry a short stick to help with turning and to help teach leg aids. Pretty much from day one unless I think theyre likely to be volatile!

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same as mine really ride him with a short whip and smack on the neck !! he has learnt pretty quickly that legs mean forwards though - but the stick also helps with turning and keeping him off the track !!!
 
The only time we have used a whip on him was when he reared when we were covering, he was fine, it was a case of oh ok you mean it then ... OK I suppose i'd better behave!!....So he's not really sharp!!!

The other 4yo would probably go into orbit if we ever carried a whip on him!!

I have been warned that stallions are quite often lazy when ridden!! Be interested to know if that is just an old wives tale!!

Felix was tired last night at the end of the session (45mins walking and trotting and a short canter at the end), but he is consistant in his 'beach donkey' impression once he comes back to walk from trot in the school. But not when we hack out, and out hacking I am doing a bit of trotting up hills and increasing the distance, so his fitness shouldn't be bad...so I am pretty confident it is laziness!! Bless his cottons...
 
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