Smacking horses...

Do you think it is acceptable to smack a horse for refusing at a fence??

I smacked Badger today for stopping (once and not very hard) which I haven't done before, and now I feel really bad!!
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He doesn't ever get told off for anything, mainly because he doesn't really do anything wrong, and it really seemed to shocked him!
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It was just a spooky moment and he doesn't stop very often.

Just wondered what you all think in case the situation arises again.
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B

Bossanova

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If it wasnt your fault then its acceptable to smack once, hard, whilst still facing the fence.

I cant stand people who get rough when a horse stops even though it's blatently rider error or people who smack the horse once theyve turned away from the fence.
 
Yes, and to add to Boss' list, I think it is also acceptable to smack behind the leg on the way into a fence if you feel them backing off. I also think if you've turned away, put your leg on and got no reaction, a smack behind the leg to make them go forwards more is also fine.
 
I see it a little differently.
I think it is fine to smack a horse for being behind your leg, rather than for not jumping...so it's fine to smack as you turn away from the fence if the horse is ignoring the leg aid on that turn.
S
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Yes, I think it's acceptable.

I tend to smack my horse quite often, not just for the sake of it but because he's such a lazy horse that he needs a smack to wake him up and get responding to my leg aids.

I have watched a professional showjumper ride my horse and smack him multiple times extremley hard, just to get him moving. It was not nice to watch, but boy was he clearing fences with a foot to spare!
 
[ QUOTE ]
I see it a little differently.
I think it is fine to smack a horse for being behind your leg, rather than for not jumping...so it's fine to smack as you turn away from the fence if the horse is ignoring the leg aid on that turn.
S
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[/ QUOTE ]

Did you QR? Coz I'd swear blind that's what I said...
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I don't think it was my fault, I rode it the same as any other fence, we were on a good stride and it was only a little upright. he was going into it fine, then all of a sudden did a big spook at the filler and kind of stopped and spun around. So it was after I'd/he'd turned away. When ever he does anything like that he's normally pretty sharp about it and spins round/ducks out the side.
 
I sometimes smack going into a fence if I feel her backing off or if April naps at any time in the school.

If she refuses and it is definitely her being naughty I was taught by an instructor to give her a smack her whilst she is at the fence then turn a small circle and present her again. The instructor happened to be Ian Stark and I'm not going to argue with such an expert lol! It really, really helped and she definitely refuses less now - I still hate doing it though!!
 
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I don't think it was my fault, I rode it the same as any other fence, we were on a good stride and it was only a little upright. he was going into it fine, then all of a sudden did a big spook at the filler and kind of stopped and spun around. So it was after I'd/he'd turned away. When ever he does anything like that he's normally pretty sharp about it and spins round/ducks out the side.

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Do you know how he was ridden before you had him? Its just that a lot of horses who whip around after they've stopped do it because they've been smacked when they've stopped before, so try and run away from the smack.

Getting back to your original Q, I don't have a problem with smacking once to punish a dirty stop.
 
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Do you know how he was ridden before you had him? Its just that a lot of horses who whip around after they've stopped do it because they've been smacked when they've stopped before, so try and run away from the smack.


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Agree with this, could be the reason why he whips round?
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I see it a little differently.
I think it is fine to smack a horse for being behind your leg, rather than for not jumping...so it's fine to smack as you turn away from the fence if the horse is ignoring the leg aid on that turn.
S
grin.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

Did you QR? Coz I'd swear blind that's what I said...
tongue.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

I did QR...and yours wasn't there at the time.
Although I don't see how it is my problem if you're in your own personal time-warp, spottything.
tongue.gif

S
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PS Is this the first time anyone's agreed with you?
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Fillers used to make mine back off big time and if I used my leg and voice to push on and he chose to stop - yes he would get a smack. The fence was very low, the stride was correct, he had done very similar fences before, was fit and happy, and I had been very clear what I wanted - I think that is fair. For the rest of the session I did not have to do it again, and probably would not have to for some time. As I saw it if I was not prepared to smack then my leg and voice would eventually be OK to ignore.
 
Thats the thing, he never backs off and all ways pegs it in one direction or the other after!
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TBH, it's not a big problem SJ (where he had a stop today), I think it was just a one off. But he does run out at skinnies and stuff XC sometimes and then he is normally really strong just to get back round to the fence so he normally gets away with it.

Megan - I bought him from our ex-huntsman as a six year old and he was very green, from what I can gather they tried and failed to bring him on a bit. I can imagine he might have had a Bashing at some point.
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He is a lot better now, but when we first got him he was very wary of men, especially to handle.
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[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I see it a little differently.
I think it is fine to smack a horse for being behind your leg, rather than for not jumping...so it's fine to smack as you turn away from the fence if the horse is ignoring the leg aid on that turn.
S
grin.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

Did you QR? Coz I'd swear blind that's what I said...
tongue.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

I did QR...and yours wasn't there at the time.
Although I don't see how it is my problem if you're in your own personal time-warp, spottything.
tongue.gif

S
grin.gif


PS Is this the first time anyone's agreed with you?
wink.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

It might be! In fact, if you could add me to the mega-thread in SB where no-one has said anything nice about me - 'I agreed with her once' would be fine....
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Yes, I always go for the stick after any refusal caused by disobedience, normally a couple of swift whacks with the stick held upright. Refusing can be very dangerous and so the horse must learn that there are consequences. Don't feel bad about having to discipline your horse. It will only hurt him for a few seconds and a whack from a whip is nothing compared to being kicked by the herd leader!

Sarah
 
I use my whip behind my leg if Boomer puts in a dirty stop. I usually know when it's a rider error (as it usually is), and in that case I just circle him, take him into the jump and correct what I did wrong. The thing is with Boomer is that even if he does stop for no reason, he hates being smacked and just bolts after and I have no control, so usually I just leave it. I also occasionally give him a tap on the shoulder if he backs off a fence or is not coming off my leg. This method has worked well for me as we rarely have stops any more
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As everyone else has said, it depends on the circumstance. Daisy doesn't generally stop but she has tried to run out a couple of times recently at a skinny. I don't think she gets why she should bother jumping something so small when she can easily go around. A quick smack down the shoulder on the side that she ran out on the first time usually sends her over nicely the second time
 
I don't ride with a whip. It's not that i don't agree with smacking/whipping, it's just that i never seem to need a whip with Sol and if Red stops, 9 times out 10 its my fault!
 
I very rarely smack a horse but I will smack for a naughty refusal. If I am not quick enough to get a smack in while the horse is still facing the fence then I will give it a smack on the way back in, not as a punishment then but as a reinforcement that I expect them to keep going forwards this time.
 
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