smacking on the shoulder ??

[Tory27]

As we know smacking a horse in competition, be it SJ, eventing or dressage, under under BS/BE/BD rules 3 slaps or more repeatedly behind the saddle constitutes as excessive use of the whip and can result in elimination/reprimand.

What are the rules regards smacking on the shoulder?

Reason i ask , i recently watched video of a very good friend of mine at a recent unaff SJ champ show and out of 12 fences going into at least 10 of them the horse was smacked at least twice on the approach to the fence. I appreciate a shoulder smack is not met with the same amount of force as an over the saddle but if you times 10 x 2 that 20 smacks?? should this kind of thing be picked up? Or just left ignored?

After watching the video i did mention to 'friend' do you realise you hit your horse on the shoulder at least twice over at least 10 of the fences - replay was, I always smack on the shoulder at new venues to make sure horse does not refuse....

Is this kind of riding acceptable? Should shows be putting this kind of excessive smacking in the same bracket as over the saddle?

 

[PaddyMonty]

It should be picked up on and most likely would be under rules. Unaff it happens a lot and I've yet to see anyone being brought before the judge regarding it.
To me it just shows very poor riding. Lack of confidence by the rider and useless distraction to the horse when it needs to be focused.

 

[be positive]

It should be picked up on and most likely would be under rules. Unaff it happens a lot and I've yet to see anyone being brought before the judge regarding it.
To me it just shows very poor riding. Lack of confidence by the rider and useless distraction to the horse when it needs to be focused.

This and I will add that riders doing this frequently forget they have legs to use so are not only distracting but failing to actually help the horse in any way.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

As above it's a sign of poor riding imo and is more likely to cause a problem than to help the horse. The rider hasn't really thought this through.

 

[ossy]

Agree with what’s said above. Would imply to me rider is incapable of using their legs properly. Feel sorry for the horse if that was your friends response.

 

[Antw23uk]

Bucks county show a few years ago I was watching the SJ warm up and one girl was consistently smacking her horse, over jumping it when it was clearly knacked (not lazy!) No one said anything until I told her i was going to drag her scrawny butt off said horse and beat her with her own whip if she carried on hitting it. A smack on the shoulder is a 'come on lets focus' or a 'dont you dare stop, you got this I'll help you'

If you need to do it twice over every jump then something is wrong!

 

[WelshD]

Its a real shame but only too common now. I recently saw a very novice and confused small pony clouted round an advanced course of jumps only for the owner to boast about what level he was jumping at later on Facebook, I'm amazed the stewards didn't step in

 

[Hallo2012]

Bucks county show a few years ago I was watching the SJ warm up and one girl was consistently smacking her horse, over jumping it when it was clearly knacked (not lazy!) No one said anything until I told her i was going to drag her scrawny butt off said horse and beat her with her own whip if she carried on hitting it. A smack on the shoulder is a 'come on lets focus' or a 'dont you dare stop, you got this I'll help you'

If you need to do it twice over every jump then something is wrong!

agree with this totally, once or twice in a ride is fine........................every 30 seconds is not!

when i first get on my cheeky little pony he can want to bounce off out the yard tossing his hair in the wind and swaggering along with his nose between his knees and have a cheerful buck (he is entire and full of the joys currently!) so a gentle touch on the shoulder gets his attention back perfectly without having to use the hand or leg, the most ive ever had to touch him is twice then he plops back in to walk................to my mind a touch on the shoulder is a refocusing "hey there" sort of aid and like all aids if over used will lose its effectiveness!

 

[eggs]

I used to train with a very well respected jumping trainer. His view was that hitting down the shoulder in front of a fence was completely counter productive and usually done by nervous riders.

 

[Cortez]

I used to train with a very well respected jumping trainer. His view was that hitting down the shoulder in front of a fence was completely counter productive and usually done by nervous riders.

This ^^^ totally. Utterly ineffective as an aid; if anything counterproductive. Your friend would do well to learn about impulsion and the use of the legs and seat.

 

[PapaverFollis]

In purely behavioural terms it seems to me like punishing the horse for approaching the fence i.e. somewhat counter productive! I can understand as an emergency bit of encouragement if it has gone a bit wonky or the horse backs off a bit but if they are backing off or messing up the approach every fence then I would think the training needs to back up a few steps.