tail swishing

[Shavings]

ok bare with me on this one

had my lessons yesterday (Sunday)

with instructor, we only been having lessons with his man since December, but we are doing well and i am happy with hi, Chance really likes him and does try to snake in to the middle of the school to see if he has mints (when he is meant to be working!)

so often getting the forwards can be difficult for us at the moment, which i am not complaining about as when i went to buy another horse i was very clear i didnt want some think fasting away with me !

any way yesterday to try and focus more on my hands then fighting for the forwards i was given a schooling whip!

well what a difference we got 2 whole laps of the arenas with out braking (often its a real fight to get half of one!) i didn't "beat" or "hit" chance with the whip at all, when he did back off or try to brake i was told just to "touch" him (behind saddle) and sure enough he get carried on, now in all honest-ness i was asked to touch him 5 times in the whole hours lessons so dont feel it was over used and out of those 5 times i am pretty sure i only touched him twice as i am no balanced yet as we are really a new pair in our riding career/relationship!
plus twice i managed to miss him completely and goes over his bottom, i tapped my leg with the same focus i am touching him and it didn't hurt now did it string

however ever time i touched chance with the whip he would swish his tail, do you think this is pain? or just a little protest at the fact he is being made to work and go forward?

instructor said he thinks its because chance has had it so easy for the last 18 month (3 days after i got him to the island i broke my elbow in a work accident) so he has either been hacking on the buckle once every 14 days or field ornament

but i just wanted some one elses few on the matter, we are currently working on chance going forward and lowering his frame so i dont have a lot of contact on the front at the moment, if i do he tenses up and curly his head in like a swan which isn't good for him and can put me on edge, instructor has been very supportive and made me feel at easy and like i can get back to riding

Editted to say saddle is checked as are teeth and physio , we have a Richard Maxwell lesson in April coming too

 

[be positive]

He probably thought it was a fly landing on him Many horses will swish at a flick from a schooling whip, it tends to be the lazy ones that are behind the leg, such as Chance, and is a minor protest to being told a little more clearly that being so lazy is going to be less of an option in the future, try not to overthink it, your instructor sounds as if he is helping you go in the right direction and if it means Chance has to get on with a bit more work it will be far better for both of you long term.

 

[milliepops]

or just a little protest at the fact he is being made to work and go forward?

this.
Given you on top of the other things, and that is the only thing you've changed
One of mine swishes her tail every time I touch her with the whip. she's always done it.

 

[eggs]

Agree with bp and mp above. The whip is to back up the leg aid and should not be used as a punishment. You are using it correctly. One of mine will happily sit behind the leg but as soon as I pick up a schooling stick he magically transforms and I don't even have to touch him with it.

 

[JFTDWS]

I suspect he's being grumpy because it's much easier to apply the brakes and stop! Carry on and don't let him con you into thinking you're not doing the right thing.

 

[Shavings]

Thank you all, you have reassured me

looks like Mr schooling whip is to stay then chance.. even if it does me i flick it over your bottom and my left with it a lot, maybe my aim will get better over time with it!

 

[Tarragon]

I am envious of your lesson with Richard Maxwell! I would love to hear how that goes if you have the time

 

[Rumtytum]

My RS horse Flyte always tail swishes when that dratted ‘fly’ has landed on him again but he’s definitely more forward which makes it easier for both of us.

 

[Surbie]

I only have to carry one for cobbus to behave impeccably in the school. I rarely have to even touch him with it. I try to ride without it at least once a week.

 

[Shavings]

I am envious of your lesson with Richard Maxwell! I would love to hear how that goes if you have the time

I can give you a report once it is done this will be our second one with him, as he only comes to island once a year but he is a amazing man who really has helped with chance and my old Tb massively

 

[Trouper]

If Chance were doing it at other times too - such as tacking up - I might suspect pain somewhere but if it is only in lessons then agree he is just being a grumpy gelding being made to do a bit of work! The fitter he gets the easier he will find it.

 

[Cob Life]

Mine does it when he's being lazy and gets a tap with the whip as an "I'll do what you said but just so you know I don't WANT to"

 

[milliepops]

I was thinking about this thread today while riding. Kira swishes her tail so much she makes ridges in her bum hair where the tail sweeps round to. It's like 2 long straight whirls about 4" either side of her tail She has a very strong sense of right and wrong and if someone looks at her wrong the tail starts swirling about they can be very expressive!

 

[Keith_Beef]

any way yesterday to try and focus more on my hands then fighting for the forwards i was given a schooling whip!

well what a difference we got 2 whole laps of the arenas with out braking (often its a real fight to get half of one!) i didn't "beat" or "hit" chance with the whip at all, when he did back off or try to brake i was told just to "touch" him (behind saddle) and sure enough he get carried on, now in all honest-ness i was asked to touch him 5 times in the whole hours lessons so dont feel it was over used and out of those 5 times i am pretty sure i only touched him twice as i am no balanced yet as we are really a new pair in our riding career/relationship!
plus twice i managed to miss him completely and goes over his bottom, i tapped my leg with the same focus i am touching him and it didn't hurt now did it string

This could almost be a description of me riding Heavy, a "lazy" gelding at my riding school. Now I just show him the whip from time to time and hardly ever have to touch him with it.

I remember a lesson from about six years ago, when I'd only just started riding; the instructor had us all bring our horses to line up along the middle of the arena, and one at a time squeeze with out calves and listen out for the swishing tail.

Oh, and sometimes out current instructor will ask a rider to use a whip rather an crop so as to be able to reach to tap behind the leg without having to take their hands off the reins.

 

[Wheels]

Can just be a little protest! That might be because the horse is resisting, it can be because the rider has used too much pressure or too harsh an aid for the required response. You can try and find the smallest amount of pressure where you still get the desired response and see if the tail still swishes

 

[Pinkvboots]

I was thinking about this thread today while riding. Kira swishes her tail so much she makes ridges in her bum hair where the tail sweeps round to. It's like 2 long straight whirls about 4" either side of her tail She has a very strong sense of right and wrong and if someone looks at her wrong the tail starts swirling about they can be very expressive!

This made me laugh as one of my Arabs will show his mood by flinging his tail over his back, most of the time it's in a tail bag so then it sometimes hits me in the back but when it's loose it has full on hit me in the face, not a good look when your trying to look good in the ring!

 

[tristar]

i suppose if you are not used to a long schooling whip it comes as a bit of a shock to see one flying round your back end, i always start youngsters by carrying a long whip at all times so they are used to seeing it, but obviously would not use it due the risk of explosions at that stage, but get them used to it on the ground as well, running it all over their body

for me the whole idea of the schooling whip is a gentle touch or tickle to reinforce a leg aid, always being careful where to touch as it can come into contact with sensitive areas.

i think your instructor sounds good, i have found once the horse realizes what is being demanded and moved onto a new level of responsiveness and ability from doing things differently you no longer need to touch with the whip, but my aim is to sensitize the horse to the leg aids making the leg aids light and soft.

possibly the tail swishing is nervousness being unsure what is being asked and not being used to responding to the leg aids in such a sharp way, although it is a common reaction in horses not used to being asked to work harder than they are used to

 

[Annagain]

Have a read of my other posts on the lazy horses threads about "click, flick, kick,stick". I think Charm would respond to that really well. I don't even carry a schooling whip on M any more as we rarely get past 'flick' these days.