starting riding again and anxious about using crop

[beefbrisket]

hi everyone i am very excited to start riding again and i hope i will be doing it again soon, but basically i have ridden before: last time i had regular lessons was probably a few years ago now, and my last lesson there was super stressful as i was on a very desensitised horse, who i was really struggling to get to go and carry on going, and my instructor was screaming at me to whip the horse!!! use your crop!!! but i hate that so much, it just doesn’t feel right to me at all. she said it doesn’t hurt the horse but somehow i don’t believe it, and even if it doesn’t happen to hurt them, my morals just won’t allow me to do it. i have been preparing myself to start again by watching some useful videos on riding ‘lazy’ horses and i think they were very informative and i will try to apply them when i start again, however it’s hard to say whether they will really work for me, and i really really don’t want a repeat of my last experience. i am hoping things will go smoothly, and i will only need to use my body, voice and the crop to tap, but my anxieties are getting ahead of me so i am looking for advice i suppose, if anyone can offer any.

 

[YoLaTango]

The way I see it is … you use the lightest aid you can to get and keep them going. If the lightest doesn’t have the effect, you move it up a notch. The crop is an aid. If you leg aid is not working, then the crop is used. The hope is that, then a lighter aid will work. My aim is to give horsey chance to respond to light, but follow up with heavier. I have found that they will respond to consistent lighter aids then.

Using a crop sparingly is better than pony club kicking repeatedly.

 

[Nari]

Step one is find a good school with nicely trained horses, then the situation shouldn't arise. Be prepared to pay for this though, horses that remain well trained for pupils to ride only do so as staff work them inbetween lessons.

 

[nagblagger]

Of course a whip hurts the horse, so you were absolutely correct to challenge the instructor. I would love to have hit the instructor with the whip to prove the point.
Do your homework about where you go for your lessons, maybe even watch a lesson, you will get the vibes whether that school will suit your needs. A good instructor will listen to your anxieties and develop a teaching programme that goes at your pace with a suitable horse to get your confidence.
Good luck and keep us posted with your journey.

 

[Palindrome]

Are you going to the same place for lessons? What do you want to get out of riding? Is schooling that important to you?
Perhaps find a trekking center and go for nice hacks, the horse will naturally want to follow the others in front.

 

[Barton Bounty]

I never use a crop, perfectly good other aids you can use. Exciting starting again! Hacking to get some confidence back and then start schooling

 

[AmyMay]

Step one is find a good school with nicely trained horses, then the situation shouldn't arise. Be prepared to pay for this though, horses that remain well trained for pupils to ride only do so as staff work them inbetween lessons.

This.

Yes, used harshly, a whip (crops grow in a field) will hurt the horse. But a light tap to back up your leg won’t.

 

[Equi]

Sometimes it just takes one wiggle with a whip to let the horse know you have it can result in them being forward for the rest of the ride. I don’t even have to use my whip with my horse, and never have. He will be forward just knowing I have it.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

I honestly couldn't tell you the last time I even carried a stick. Yes it can be a useful piece of kit but if it's not required there's no point in carrying one.

 

[nagblagger]

My last cob was absolutely terrified of any kind of whip, even if my friend carried hers whilst riding, so i learnt not to carry one. I think i did it out of habit (obviously the wrong reason). Now i hardly ever carry one as my mare is apprehensive but not so dramatic as old cob.
I don't understand why a riding school should allow a novice rider a whip, too much to think about - staying on and hand position!

 

[Maxidoodle]

OP, if you’re not comfortable using one, then tell them, I started to refuse to use one when I was learning many years ago, we were all routinely given one and told to use it to back up every leg aid, refusing to use one definitely made me a better rider.

I always think, a horse can feel a fly land on its skin, so anyone saying it doesn’t hurt them is so wrong. Having once been on the receiving end of a “playful” crack across the butt from someone passing me on a yard many years ago, I can tell you it hurts.

 

[SantaVera]

OP, if you’re not comfortable using one, then tell them, I started to refuse to use one when I was learning many years ago, we were all routinely given one and told to use it to back up every leg aid, refusing to use one definitely made me a better rider.

I always think, a horse can feel a fly land on its skin, so anyone saying it doesn’t hurt them is so wrong. Having once been on the receiving end of a “playful” crack across the butt from someone passing me on a yard many years ago, I can tell you it hurts.

Well said and I completely agree.

 

[SantaVera]

Tell them you are not going to carry a crop and if they argue find somewhere else to ride and spend your hard-earned money.

 

[mariew]

I use a crop to reinforce leg aids rather than boot a horse in the ribs if they don't listen. Often all you need is to carry one to get a more forward horse.

I'd be surprised if you got asked to carry one to start with and simply say you don't feel comfortable with one. They shouldn't be a beating stick.

 

[moosea]

Hi,
So from a riding school point of view you will probably be on the least resonsive horse to start with to keep you safe.
You could look for a riding school that is approved by the BHS or ABRS and ring them to discuss your needs - tell them what you have told us - and maybe think about having a course of lunge lessons where the horse will be responding to the instructors aid as well as your aids. If you are perhaps not as clear as you could be with yours the instructor is there to back up with theirs? You can also work on your position and balance, which in turn helps you to be able to give clear, accurate aids.
Good luck, keep us updated!

 

[Hepsibah]

I was exactly the same as you, didn't want to use a stick of any description. My instructor told me that for new riders, my horse behaved better in the first lesson or two if a stick was carried. I carried it for one lesson and when the horse ignored my aids I smacked my own boot to make a noise. It seemed to do the trick.

 

[ponynutz]

I was exactly the same as you, didn't want to use a stick of any description. My instructor told me that for new riders, my horse behaved better in the first lesson or two if a stick was carried. I carried it for one lesson and when the horse ignored my aids I smacked my own boot to make a noise. It seemed to do the trick.

I agree with this. Even as a non-novice I rarely use a whip and if I do it's just a tickle as a reminder or a slap against me (to make the sound). Most of the time just carrying one is enough.

 

[Keith_Beef]

I honestly couldn't tell you the last time I even carried a stick. Yes it can be a useful piece of kit but if it's not required there's no point in carrying one.

As a novice, I always carry a crop or a stick in lessons, even when I'm riding a horse that I know doesn't need one.

For example I need to learn to hold it properly when mounting and to be able to pass it from from one hand to the other when changing from one rein to the other.

 

[Nari]

I agree with this. Even as a non-novice I rarely use a whip and if I do it's just a tickle as a reminder or a slap against me (to make the sound). Most of the time just carrying one is enough.

I would say the better the rider the less need there is to use a whip as a normal part of riding.

 

[Gloi]

A lot of riding school horses and especially ponies are wily enough to know if you aren't carrying a crop and ignore leg aids even more.

 

[showjumper112M]

I've had something similar recently. I grew up riding horses and went though Pony Club until mid-university, so I am (was!) a competent rider. Then I lost interest and discovered other things. As a man in his early-40s (christ!) I decided to take it up again. So I went to my local riding school and asked for some lessons to get me back into the swing. After about 10 mins in the saddle I suddenly realised I knew how to do this (albeit with a bigger belly and significantly less balance than last time around).

My instructor poked me with a whip and said I'd need it as 'some of these riding school horses need it'. I felt a little uncomfortable at first but realised she was right. Whilst I felt initially uncomfortable in taking a whip I quickly showed it to the horse (a 16 hands plodder) who suddenly got a move on.

I was really surprised that a lot of teenage girls (let's face it, demographics of horse riding now!) seemed to shy away from taking a whip but thought nothing of booting the horse in the ribs constantly. I really don't get that.... In my mind a sharp smack with a whip behind the leg is much kinder than constant kicking? To be fair I seemed to end up making myself (boot and leg) a couple of times just to get his attention, but...

 

[Kaylum]

I take it your carrying a schooling whip, which backs up the aids, especially with a school horse. A tap behind the leg rather than nagging with your legs much better if you have got your aids correct. I carried one with my lad, never used it as he was well schooled, but its good to learn how to carry one to fend off dogs or stick out in the road so cars pass wider.

 

[pistolpete]

I always tell riding schools I’ll carry one but I am not happy really. So as soon as they know that they rarely ask you to use it. Some horses in riding schools unfortunately will switch off completely if you don’t have one. I tend to only go to those places once! My own horses I never used one but often carried one for helping with gates moving brambles etc.

 

[Barklands]

Can you ask if they have a schooling/dressage whip instead? This is used on the hindleg to tickle almost like an annoyance to back up the leg aids when they have switched off. I used to teach and IMO it's much kinder than repeatedly thumping with legs if the horse has quickly got the measure that the leg aids of the rider aren't quite up to scratch yet.

Apologies if you already know about them (don't want to be condescending!) but essentially they are much longer and thinner than a crop with a little bit of material at the end. You never smack a horse with a schooling whip and just use it on the hindquarters to encourage - worth an ask maybe?

 

[lynz88]

This.

Yes, used harshly, a whip (crops grow in a field) will hurt the horse. But a light tap to back up your leg won’t.

If you are from north america, then the shorter whip is called a crop. Just like I don't say "headcollar" but use "halter.

Sometimes all a horse needs is to be "shown" the whip/crop as encouragement to move off the leg (mine is a perfect example of that where, with a longer schooling whip I just need to flick it so it does not touch him but encourages him to move forward and listen to my leg next time. If riding with a shorter crop, you can do similar but it doesnt have the length to "reach" behind the horse. IME both work though some horses are more responsive to the longer schooling whip. If I still don't get the response then I will tap it behind my leg in addition to using my leg - not in a harsh way but in a "hey, pay attention!" Way as he has a tendancy to drift off into la-la-land).

Many riding school horses become dead to the leg from many riders bouncing around, flapping/kicking, etc. This isn't a bad thing because they simply don't react and create a potentially dangerous situation for the rider. As a result, some need extra encouragement when you ask nicely to move forward. It doesn't mean smacking the living daylights out of them.

 

[showjumper112M]

If you are from north america, then the shorter whip is called a crop. Just like I don't say "headcollar" but use "halter.

Sometimes all a horse needs is to be "shown" the whip/crop as encouragement to move off the leg (mine is a perfect example of that where, with a longer schooling whip I just need to flick it so it does not touch him but encourages him to move forward and listen to my leg next time. If riding with a shorter crop, you can do similar but it doesnt have the length to "reach" behind the horse. IME both work though some horses are more responsive to the longer schooling whip. If I still don't get the response then I will tap it behind my leg in addition to using my leg - not in a harsh way but in a "hey, pay attention!" Way as he has a tendancy to drift off into la-la-land).

Many riding school horses become dead to the leg from many riders bouncing around, flapping/kicking, etc. This isn't a bad thing because they simply don't react and create a potentially dangerous situation for the rider. As a result, some need extra encouragement when you ask nicely to move forward. It doesn't mean smacking the living daylights out of them.

Same here... I usually carry a crop / short whip / whatever but seem to spend more time swishing it through the air or hitting my boot just to make a noise!

 

[ycbm]

This.

Yes, used harshly, a whip (crops grow in a field) will hurt the horse. But a light tap to back up your leg won’t.

Old thread alert, but I was taught and still use the term riding crop for any short whip.
.

 

[Glitter's fun]

(OP is long gone, by the way!)

It's old fashioned but perfectly correct to call a short, stiff whip with a leather flap on the end a "crop". Comes from "cropped whip" - i.e. shortened by not having a lash. I think it used to be called a "hunting crop". Hence being stronger, wider and stiffer than a dressage whip. You are meant to be able to stop a swinging gate with it.
This is the HOYS rule book, which still refers to "hunting crops" ,

https://hoys.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/HOYS-Rules-2022.pdf

(Sherlock Holmes carried a "loaded hunting crop" as a weapon, being stiffened even more with a metal insert!)

When I learned to ride in the 1960s we all carried a crop to practice holding it & swapping hands. We were not permitted to use it on the pony.
This is still a good idea.
I carry a schooling whip sometimes now & I'm glad I learned to handle one when I was starting out.

 

[Keith_Beef]

(OP is long gone, by the way!)

It's old fashioned but perfectly correct to call a short, stiff whip with a leather flap on the end a "crop". Comes from "cropped whip" - i.e. shortened by not having a lash. I think it used to be called a "hunting crop". Hence being stronger, wider and stiffer than a dressage whip. You are meant to be able to stop a swinging gate with it.
This is the HOYS rule book, which still refers to "hunting crops" ,

https://hoys.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/HOYS-Rules-2022.pdf

(Sherlock Holmes carried a "loaded hunting crop" as a weapon, being stiffened even more with a metal insert!)

When I learned to ride in the 1960s we all carried a crop to practice holding it & swapping hands. We were not permitted to use it on the pony.
This is still a good idea.
I carry a schooling whip sometimes now & I'm glad I learned to handle one when I was starting out.

I learnt the word "crop" long before I started learning to ride... I wonder if it came from my grandmother, or possible from going pony trekking once on holiday in the 1970s... I also used to use the word "halter" and only learnt headcollar after joining the forum.

By "loaded hunting crop", I would understand that its weight had been increased, perhaps by adding lead... and a quick search found me a page about this, showing an extract from a Manufrance catalogue of 1914 with a crop with a leaded pommel.

I usually carry a crop for a riding lesson even when I know that I won't need it, for two reasons:

• to practice holding it and not dropping it,
• to reinforce the habit of holding it in the same hand as the rein we're going on (by that, I mean holding it in the left hand when riding round on the left rein and in the right hand when riding round on the right rein.

 

[Cadbury]

No one should force you to use a whip if you don’t want to use one. You’re less likely to need one out hacking so maybe that would be an idea, but if not (and I understand you probably want to have a few lessons before heading out into the unknown if it’s been a while since you last rode!) then I would discuss this issue with your instructor at the point of booking the lesson and go from there. If they insist you use a whip you can decide to go elsewhere, but by letting them know in advance they may be able to put you on a horse that won’t need one.

Do bear in mind though, that the reason the horse you rode in your last lesson was desensitised may well be because it was repeatedly kicked along until it became dead to the leg rather than being given the odd reminder with the whip. Personally I think having to boot a horse along constantly to keep it going is a lot more unkind than using a whip - provided it’s not used excessively of course!