Do you ride with whip and/or spurs?

jenh166

jenh166

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Just curious, as I've ridden a variety:
-Classically trained german mare - spurs but no whip as she spent the whole time watching it out of the corner of her eye and whizzing off!
-ex racehorse: Whip and spurs! I'd have never thought that but it's true!
- connemara: whip and spurs, but not too long a whip as he puts in a littel buck when you tap him!
-old grade A boy: v short whip for 'just incase' moments but he was a bit scared of ot tbh
- new horse arriving soon - no whip or spurs as he is responsive and off the leg always - dream come true!

I always use round ended spurs, but quite long ones!
 
Never used spurs, never intend to either. I ride with a whip tucked in my wellies and only use for emergencies only to 'remind' the horse.
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Yes, both and I make sure I give her an extra hard smack if the Parelli folk are watching
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On a serious note. She doesn't object to either of them and I find them both useful although in different ways so why not?
 
depends on the horse, one i wear just spurs on, but carry a stick aswell when hacking as he can be a bit nappy... and the other just a stick,, no spurs as he is so responsive and quite ticklish
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Yes, both. I quite often school in spurs and try to carry a long whip too, although my horse also does the scooting-away-from-whip trick. I find it useful to carry one if she needs to sharpen up to my leg aids though so try to desensitise her to seeing it.

I always hack with a short stick. Either for bashing through the undergrowth, or for 'insurance', should I come across something unexpected (e.g. cows - my horse *knows* they aren't going to eat her but still tries it on - I like to have a stick with me if we are going to have a tantrum on the road!
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Yeah generally I prefer to have both, but not use either unless I need to. I do always try and steer away from spurs when I'm riding the babies at my yard though as don't want them to get too used to them and then possibly go dead to the leg in the future...
 
Depends on the horse, on my youngster and both ex racehorses I use spurs and whip. On my intermediate eventer and old semi retired pony club horse just spurs, as otherwise they are always watching the whip.
 
I find it amazing how often I've been out for a hack with someone who "doesn't carry a whip" only to find them asking to borrow mine to deal with a napping horse...

Its much like the strong bit debate. To me there is nothing inherently evil about wearing spurs or carrying a whip, its all about what you do with them.
 
I always ride with a stick, in the school a schooling stick, when out carry a short stick but rarely need to use it. I sometimes use spurs, however I try to use them occastionally as then they get more of a responce when I do use them as Pickle can be V V Lazy.
 
Sounds awful actually, I suddenly read this as if I didn't have a horse and reading as a spectator to the sport. Riding with whips and spurs sounds awful and then I also thought about some horrible owners (none of you) that would actually wack their horse for their own bad riding!!

I am very fluffy with everything to do with animals, (probably why my mare takes the piss) but I ride with spurs and sometimes a whip should I remember to grap one (handy out hacking for gates etc) and it's all very normal but for a moment then, it all sounded really harsh.. lol!

I will stop my rambling now
 
I agree they can both used horrendously in the wrong hands, but are so helpful just for gentle re-inforcement. As a tiny 7 st teenager on an old ploddy showjumper trying to do dressage I was pulled up by the judge at the end who advised me to wear longer spurs as my lower leg was secure enough in her eyes!
 
Wear spurs for my lessons and always carry a whip. Pony used to nap quite badly during the first year I had him and so have to carry one now just in case but only about once a year does he even bother trying napping now and I think it's done just to keep me on my toes! He also will sometimes ignore the leg so in my lessons I will use it to back up my leg aids. However if we practice with lots of transition exercises he gets better and better in just responding to the leg with no need of whip.
 
always ride 2 of my horses in spurs, mainly as i dont carry a whip when im riding/leading. i dont use either whip/spurs on my youngsters or mums pony as it is nutty lol
 
when riding the bosses horse i use a short whip, which i generally don't need. my own horse i use a dressage whip this is mainly as i take the dog with me and harsh as it sounds he sometimes just needs a tap when not listening to me. hunting i also use spurs but only because she can be nappy when it comes to leaving the others at the end of the day so i use them to get her to listen.
 
Long whip for schooling and short one for jumping and hacking. Long whip I only use to give a tap to make sure she's listening and I rarely have to use the short one. She would go mad if I gave her a proper smack.

Dont use spurs. Never tried them. I'm worried to cuz my feet stick out like penguins even when I walk. I think my legs/feet grew up that way cuz when I turn my feet straight I feel like my knees turn in and it makes me grip the saddle. So if I wore spurs i'd probably use them all the time when I dont mean to!
 
I wouldn't dare use spurs because my lower leg isn't secure enough - I need to get a bit more in control of it before I try anything metal and pokey! I doubt I'd use them on Scooby anyway, because he's very sensitive to the leg so I don't know if he'd need them (it's not like I do any complicated dressage on him). I don't use a whip because, as I said, he listens well to my leg so I've never seen the need for one. I will probably carry one the first time I hack him out alone, because I was told he naps (he's tried napping with me once before but I got him through it with just my legs, but it can't hurt to have a bit of backup just in case).

I don't like riding with a whip though - not because of any fluffy bunny ideas of cruelty or anything, but just because I'm not co-ordinated enough to hold onto the reins and the whip at the same time... my contact goes to pot!
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I'm making myself sound like such a good rider lol...
 
Never spurs. Not needed, wanted or had them suggested.

Yes to whip because owner of my share horse uses one (well, carries, hardly ever uses) and I think consistency for him is slightly more important than my personal dislike of whips.

Prefer a dressage one but usually carry a short one as we can do a surprise jump/go for a little hack and he has been mistreated in the past and did occasionally take off when a long one swapped sides before he trusted me.

(He particularly panics if you change the side/use a whip in the middle of the school so I expect something happened with a previous trainer rather than rider if you see what I mean, never had an issue on the track...)
 
Yep. I use a short whip for jumping and hacking, and impuls spurs for flatwork on the advise of a very experienced person I have lessons with! His reasoning was I'm not allowed a long whip in eventing dr, so he doesnt want young horses to learn not to go if you arent carrying a whip, however, spurs can be there just to sharpen up the response off the leg if it isn't always quick enough
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I ride the horse with a schooling whip all the time as she's a lazy cow - sometimes I use spurs as well as when she has a strop she becomes dead to the leg.
 
I've only had one horse who I briefly rode in spurs whilst working on his canter transitions. TBH, I wish I had more experience in using them, but I've always had *very* forward going horses. So much so, whenever I ride other people then I can't make them go!
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I *always* carry a schooling whip for hacking
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And as to whether I use one on the flat or a crop jumping it depends on the individual. Never needed either with Beans; she was so perfect to ride, and keen in her work...
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I use some form of whip all the time, she does need reminding! I wear spurs for all lessons and 75% of lone schooling sessions, and always spurs when hacking alone. If we ever get out hunting again, if the ground ever thaws, I shall wear spurs as I didn't last time and she was a very backwards, crabby old cow.
 
I think both are really useful when used properly. However, as pointed out they can also be abusive in the wrong hands. Same story with bits/bridles. Spurs give more precision to your aids, and are much more effective than drumming away at poor horse's sides! But as you say, they should only be used by those with secure leg position. I find schooling whips really useful in particular. Not only for riding purposes, but also as tools eg excess tree branches/difficult gates! Just because you wear/carry artificial aids doesn't mean you have to use them! Saying that, I rode a really forward going horse the other week who needed neither.
 
I don't trust myself enough for spurs and they all learn to respect the leg for fowards being naturally onwards bound
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Carry schooling whip but don't use it, except like a driving whip
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Always carry a whip - you never know when you will need it - and even the most un-nappy horse sometimes needs a bit of directional impetus (but I am a devotee of the ultra padded racing whip) Only pop the spurs on for hunting... because sometimes one needs to get out of a tight spot ultra quickly. Bless him - when I ride my lazy TB (winning Pointer) to the meet he always cranks himself up a gear, becuase I have the spurs on - he knows, you know! I would love to wear spurs all the time - because he is so lazy - not forward going in his hacking - and I hate riding him out, but have to do it daily to get him fit....... but I would use them far too often, so just use my legs instead and lots of cussing!
 
No to spurs.

Carry a short whip when hacking and jumping and a schooling whip when flatwork though very rarely use them. He just knows when you don't carry one and plays up.
 
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