Spurs or Whip?

MrsMozart

MrsMozart

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Ok, so which do you prefe?

I used to always think that spurs were cruel, then I thought they were only for dressage/high level work, but now I wonder. Is it better to use a whip to encourage forwards motion, or spurs?

Part of my query is based on my new mare. She's very good at going backwards and tapping with a schooling whip elicits a buck, which is not helpful
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So I was wondering if it would be better if I were to use spurs.
 
I use both together, i find spurs are more subtle and you can use them more quietly with less reaction ie buck from your horse!! I use impulse spurs at home and normal ones when competing!!
 
Marymoo - I keep hearing about impulse spurs, and wondered if there would be good for a spur newbie like me.

Masterbronze - good point! I'll try and do the shoulder instead: I've been doing the bum to help drive forwards, but the bucks are just adding chaso to confusion
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I'm a spur newbie too! Lol. I bought impulse spurs to use on one of the riding school horses because we were practising for dressage and he's hard work. They're good because they're mild and helped me get used to wearing them. So hopefully when i move on to proper spurs i'll be used to wearing them (sort of).
 
I use both, depending on the horse and situation. Schooling my mare, I use spurs rather than whip as she over-reacts to a schooling whip and if I touch her with it she has a major huff. Hacking is a different story, I prefer a short stick with a big flappy end, and if she drops behind my leg I will give a slap down the shoulder. Only use it behind my leg if she is being nappy/naughty - and then with 2 fingers in the breastplate as she usually shoots forward!!

My mare is usually pretty good off the leg though, so in the school I use spurs only to refine the aids. If I'm riding an idle or ignorant horse that needs to learn to respond to the leg correctly I prefer to be able to boot it without spurs if necessary, and use a stick as a wake-up.

ETA - I like the whips with flappy ends as it seems to be the noise, as much as the actual strike with the whip, that causes the reaction from the horse. IMO a flap is a 'milder' feeling than a schooling whip as it spreads the impact over a wider area, and you can tap quite lightly to get a loud slap noise. I like flap end schooling whips for the same reason - worth a think?
 
Definitely spurs!
When I wear spurs I don't have to use my legs like I do without them - I just use them to provide aids -but I don't have to nag or repeat like I do without them
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Kate x
 
I prefer whips just because my leg isn't educated enough to use spurs propperly. I've always believed they are supposed to be a refinement of the aid not a way to get them forward as such. Anywho because of that I'd rather have a schooling whip, i have even ridden with two on the odd occassion for a few mins of sharpening up.
 
I ride Ted with spurs.. If I ride with a whip he become tense, anxious and upset. With the spurs, I find I can give subtle direction without any negative reactions.
Lou x
 
I've started riding in spurs recently, just for schooling, and I much prefer them to the whip. They make me keep my lower leg under control because I'm aware of it; also they sort of "lift" the horse at the belly if you use them right. Horse knows I love him too much to really whack him, so the effect of the whip died a long time ago. Spurs help keep my leg relaxed and long and I find them so much easier to "apply". I use my whip for sort of keeping time, to maintain a good rhythm, but that's all really. And that very occasionally, as he does it anyway.
 
I use both, but my spurs are only little rounded ones. With my boy i warm up without spurs on and with a schooling whip and then put my spurs on when I'm warmed up, I find that he just listens to my leg a little more and I can maintain a really steady contact because I'm not having to flick him with the stick as much.
 
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My mare is exactly the same....she is very backwards thinking and i must admit a tap on the bum gets the same response as your mare gives you. I now find tapping her on the shoulder works better.

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Ditto.
 
Now I have a good enough leg position to start using small spurs, I find it depends on the horse! My mare prefers spurs, as she tends to react badly to the whip (sometimes the smallest, lightest touch makes her kick/buck!) whereas she accepts the spurs and moves off them.
I occasionally ride a horse who has been reacting very badly to the whip (admittedly his owner is a novice who harasses him with the whip, but he has chucked his owner off a fair few times as a reaction to the whip.) He tends to ignore or respect the spurs, depending on how you use them. I have spurs on when I ride him (tiny ones) but always carry a whip as well so I have the choice. If he ignores my leg and then also my spurs, a smack will get him going without annoying him (*touch wood!*)
I carry a schooling whip on 99% of the horses I ride, as I don't have to use it but it's nice to have it just in case!
I would try spurs with your horse, as long as you know your leg position is secure enough. Worth a try!
 
Both but it does depend on the horse.

In your circumstances, with a horse thats a bit backwards or lazy I would probably ride in spurs and also carry a whip. My mare used to be like this, quite backwards thinking and very difficult to get going forward but I don't like to constantly be flicking with a whip, or nagging with the legs. Spurs should help sharpen her up off your leg but its always helpful to carry a whip as well if you just need something extra to wake her up!
 
This is the interesting point: she's very forward, will stride out well, tracking up or over tracking. It's when she either gets scared, or is asked to stand still for longer than thirty seconds, that we go backwards, with the back humping.
 
For naughty-ness, spurs are better than a whip with the exception of bucking!

However I use a dressage whip a lot, I'll tap on the very top of the bottom when dressage schooling when I want them to quicken with the hind legs and behind my leg if they are not being quick enough off the aid. These are aids, and my horses accept them as such. I think horses that are funny with the dressage whip have generally not been schooled with the whip as a true 'aid'.

Guess its the symptom of the whip being seen as a punishment device and having no other purpose. Not that I'd go as far as parelli, but I think its a shame when horses miss this education and view whips with fear.
 
CSJ - I don't believe Diz has been taught the use of the whip as an aid for anything other than when she has not moved off the leg in good time. My use of it was to back up the (obviously ineffective) legs that were asking her to go forward.

She did the backwards when scared of a red van on Saturday; and today it was in response to being asked to stand still for more then thirty seconds. I can turn her, but she almost whips round, and because she's so on her toes at the moment (young, new home, out hacking, small herd, me!) I feel we could easily part company. I feel the start of a movement and go to block it/direct it to where I want her to go, but it's a bit like playing chess with a computer - she's quicker than me lol, hence the comment somewhere on here about riding a wriggly snake on a roller coaster
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. Maybe I just need to be stronger with the leg; maybe I need to try the Thelwell Legs.

I tend to ride with a schooling whip rather than the shorter one, as I now have to do a lot of my schooling on hacks and find it useul as you say for backing up the aids, especially on Little Cob when he says he can't feel my aids to leg yield
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but I think its a shame when horses miss this education and view whips with fear.

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I think thats one of the reason people go for paralli, do you remember a thread where a paralli person was going on about the carrot stick being an extention of their arm where a whip is for punishment? She was imediatly shot down in flames as we all said thats how we use our schooling whips. She especially was got by sidesaddlers and drivers! lol
I use a long whip as an aid in all sorts of situations, v useful for leading bolshy percherons who certain other staff members let walk on top of them!
 
I either use a whip diectly behind the leg to back up a leg aid or or the shoulder as a repremand for a nappy horse. a slap on the bum will usually make a horse buck in my experience.
 
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I think horses that are funny with the dressage whip have generally not been schooled with the whip as a true 'aid'.

Guess its the symptom of the whip being seen as a punishment device and having no other purpose. Not that I'd go as far as parelli, but I think its a shame when horses miss this education and view whips with fear.

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I don't think that is necessarily the case at all.

Of course some horses will view the whip with fear, but I've ridden many horses that kick out at a flick from the schooling whip, and they don't do it due to fear, but because they are obstinate and lazy!
 
well Ive used both and none of them on difrent horses.

In Dressage you can use a whip and spurs but at festivals etc you are not allowed to use a whip also when you get to higher level in dressage you have to wear spurs as its in the rules.

I think its better to ride in spurs in Flat work as it gets the horse to responde to the leg rather than using your whip as its a unreal aid. yes it does work to get horses to move forward and work though from behinde but i choose spurs as a dressage rider because if i have a slighty young horse say 6 years old I will ride in spurs now and then to get the horse used to them as when the horse gets higher in its level of training and dressage I will need to waer them all the time.

so spurs for me.

TheDressageRider
 
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