Does someone have expirience of riding without whip long term?

Skib said:
That is a negative way of reporting what could be a positive dressage lesson. It is how I was taught.
I too had a beautiful long, silver tipped dressage whip. It isnt used to discipline the horse but simply to touch the horse behind the rider's leg. A younger, more flexible rider than me would no doubt have used their leg.
And while sharing that dressage lesson horse, I also hacked with a long whip.
These days. Different RS, different share and it is a short whip.
Click to expand...
Sorry, I think you may have misunderstood. The instructor wasn't asking my friend to use the whip as a light aid behind her leg to back up her leg and seat aids (which is what I believe you're describing, but do correct me if I've misunderstood). She was being asked to use only the whip in a transition (albeit behind her leg); that is, not using her leg or seat at all in asking the horse to transition to a faster gait when normal leg and seat aids would be appropriate to begin with (and only backed up by a touch behind the leg if the horse did not respond). My friend would definitely fall into the 'younger, more flexible rider' category, who has no physical issue at all with being able to give leg aids.
 
I have just remembered a few years back with my old mare after she got badly attacked by a dog, I did start riding out with a long schooling whip. It was to ward of anymore dogs that randomly fly out of farm yards around here and try to eat her legs for dinner.

Before that I did ride with a short stick stuck down my boots for several years, but again only because we do have a huge problem with loose aggressive dogs around here. Unfortunately it just wasn't long enough to protect from the dog that hurt her so badly, but a schooling whip would have worked, hence my decision to always carry one from then on.
 
2ndtimearound said:
Sorry, I think you may have misunderstood. The instructor wasn't asking my friend to use the whip as a light aid behind her leg to back up her leg and seat aids (which is what I believe you're describing, but do correct me if I've misunderstood). She was being asked to use only the whip in a transition (albeit behind her leg); that is, not using her leg or seat at all in asking the horse to transition to a faster gait when normal leg and seat aids would be appropriate to begin with (and only backed up by a touch behind the leg if the horse did not respond). My friend would definitely fall into the 'younger, more flexible rider' category, who has no physical issue at all with being able to give leg aids.
Click to expand...
I still remember being asked to do just that when I was about 12 at a pony club rally when riding my saintly hand me down schoolmistress mare 😢.

In those days, over 50 years ago, you didn’t question what your instructor said. We were ordered to ask for canter using only the whip as an aid, nothing else. Not fecking idea even now what this was supposed to achieve. My lovely mare bucked into canter as a protest and, after the ride was over, I cuddled her for ages as an apology.

If I still hacked on the road (I don’t) I’d carry a whip as back up in case the horse decided to spook out into traffic when gawping at a purple flower.
 
Tiddlypom said:
I still remember being asked to do just that when I was about 12 at a pony club rally when riding my saintly hand me down schoolmistress mare 😢.

In those days, over 50 years ago, you didn’t question what your instructor said. We were ordered to ask for canter using only the whip as an aid, nothing else. Not fecking idea even now what this was supposed to achieve. My lovely mare bucked into canter as a protest and, after the ride was over, I cuddled her for ages as an apology.

If I still hacked on the road (I don’t) I’d carry a whip as back up in case the horse decided to spook out into traffic when gawping at a purple flower.
Click to expand...
Interesting! And I certainly don't blame you for not questioning it as a 12-year-old!
 
I carry one but rarely use it. In the ten years I've owned my boy, I've used it to hit him once, when he was napping backwards towards a steep muddy hill. Two smacks behind my leg and he went forwards again.

He's generally an angel hacking and listens well schooling so really doesn't need the extra aid. I do carry one hacking (and for XC) because you just never know when you might need a bit extra, or for other stuff like flies and rouge dogs!
 
Dogs! I carry one to flap at any dog that comes close with ill intent.

I tend to carry one hacking too, in case something catches him unawares on the street and a car is coming. I would rather use a whip to keep him straight than risk a mishap.

If I forget it, it is no big deal as both horses are saints!

2ndtimearound said:
No, you've not read it wrong. That's what my friend told me at least (unless, of course, she misunderstood what she was being asked to do). It seemed very strange to her too!
Click to expand...
I had a lesson like this once, with an eminent trainer. The horse was somewhat shut down and would close down even more if the leg was used. He felt the leg constricted his ribs, I think. I had to up my energy, engage my seat and tap with the whip for upward. I was a gentle touch/tap, no different to a leg really. The horse soon offered more energy with me lifting mine, and the leg was then overshadowed back to being useful, and the whip was no longer needed.

The horse was transformed within one lesson.

The horse was tapped for communication, not 'whipped' so to speak.
 
Red-1 said:
I had a lesson like this once, with an eminent trainer. The horse was somewhat shut down and would close down even more if the leg was used. He felt the leg constricted his ribs, I think. I had to up my energy, engage my seat and tap with the whip for upward. I was a gentle touch/tap, no different to a leg really. The horse soon offered more energy with me lifting mine, and the leg was then overshadowed back to being useful, and the whip was no longer needed.

The horse was transformed within one lesson.

The horse was tapped for communication, not 'whipped' so to speak.
Click to expand...
Now that I can understand. It had a specific purpose for a specific horse. Definitely different to advising that use of aid as a matter of course.
 
The little pony has an issue with whips and given she's otherwise bombproof i don't carry one with her (I suspect she's passed through travellers given her meltdown when I unloaded near a campsite once).

I do carry a schooling whip on the younger cob. On the roads he can get wiggly and i cant afford for his backside to get in the way of a car. Its also a useful fly swisher

Interesting about retraining the leg sensitivity by using the whip. I'm going to ponder that.
 
I rode my old mare without a whip (unless riding XC as can be a helpful tool in an oh shit moment) and it wasn’t an issue at all.

She didn’t need it.
 
I stopped carrying a whip a long time ago, just decided I didnt need one. Probably one of very few who dont carry one competing, Im glad not to so do there as I personally cant see any good coming from a whip in a competition environment. Only time I might consider carrying one again would be a schooling whip if I went out hacking purely for flicking away loose dogs etc. Ive never had a moment where Ive regretted not having one.
 
My last horse would barely tolerate leg contact and carrying a whip just sent him into meltdown so I got out of the habit of carrying one and haven't ridden my current horse with one at all. It did cross my mind recently that it would be useful to flick flies away but not to the point where I could be bothered to unearth one.

My usual tactic with unruly dogs is to swear very loudly and aggressively at them...
 
SunnySide12 said:
Hiya!

In short we decided with trainer that my horse moves better and I can communicate with him better without holding whip. What is wierd xd Buuutt im confused in long term will this cause issues? I just have wierd feelings regards whips, I see them as tiny help if horse dosent respond to leg but if I wont have whip what will I do xd
Click to expand...
15 years with my boy, he hated them even being held, never need it....they are all different tbh
 
I never carry one on my horse, due to experiences in a past home he's very whip shy. I only miss it when I can't reach flies!
 
Mrs. Jingle said:
I have just remembered a few years back with my old mare after she got badly attacked by a dog, I did start riding out with a long schooling whip. It was to ward of anymore dogs that randomly fly out of farm yards around here and try to eat her legs for dinner.

Before that I did ride with a short stick stuck down my boots for several years, but again only because we do have a huge problem with loose aggressive dogs around here. Unfortunately it just wasn't long enough to protect from the dog that hurt her so badly, but a schooling whip would have worked, hence my decision to always carry one from then on.
Click to expand...
an older farmer near me solved the dog problem out riding and carried a stock whip. That reached and soon sorted the aggressive dogs. :D:D
 
SunnySide12 said:
Actually its oposite. Im more relaxed and horse as well without it. Yeahhhh dumb question 😂
Click to expand...
Anything that makes us more relaxed is worth doing in my opinion.

It's funny because your question made me realise that not one of my friend Betty's family - who are all into horses - ever used a whip. I mean, I never saw any of them with a whip of any kind. Their horses were always forward though and never poked along like a lot of horses are allowed to do.
 
I always carry one hacking as a defensive weapon against cars and dogs.

My horses aren't whip shy, so I can scream and wave one around like a two-headed alien from a Doctor Who episode, and they don't care. Scares the sh3t out of most dogs, though.
 
Last edited:
2ndtimearound said:
Now that I can understand. It had a specific purpose for a specific horse. Definitely different to advising that use of aid as a matter of course.
Click to expand...
Yes. In Janet Foy and Steffen Peters 'Training through the Levels' 2007 US clinic, [all now on YouTube] there was one video where Steffen had a clinic rider whose horse just ignored her leg so he got her to ride it forward just from a whip tap, then brought the leg back in as main aid. The whole process took about ten minutes -- be hard to find again as there are 61 'episodes' but that was definitely what he was advising.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top