Thought on whips?

Agree with naturally. I had a lesson based mostly on using the whip correctly. It was a very useful lesson indeed. The instruction was to ask once then tap. The objective was to never having to use it and to get a response at first ask. I carry one hacking ASBO cob as he's learnt (been allowed to by owner) to graze whenever he choses to and will yank your arms off in the process. He gets a tap on his shoulder for trying to picnic and initially behind my leg if he did not respond to a squeeze. He's really responsive to my leg but still tries to eat occasionally if I'm not paying attention. I also carry it sticking out if we are on the road because of cars passing too close.
 
I sometimes ride with one when schooling, lazy boy perks up when I carry one, seldom if ever have to use it. Infact I don't think I've ever had to use it. Even if I did have to use it, it would be a single tap to remind him he has a job to do, and to wake up.
 
Carl Hester had a very good point about using achooling whips on dressage horses. When you can't use them, say at a champs, your horse switches off as its used to you carrying one. He makes a good point.

I tend to carry one when hacking in my right hand to get the borse to move away from traffic if needs be.
 
So Pale Rider how do you ride so that you never need or would want to use a whip in any way ever, nor use your leg in more than a gentle way?

I would love to be enlightened so I can throw mine away :)

PS my favourite use of a whip is to batter cars with as they pass within a metre of me :)
 
Batgirl said:
So Pale Rider how do you ride so that you never need or would want to use a whip in any way ever, nor use your leg in more than a gentle way?

I would love to be enlightened so I can throw mine away :)

PS my favourite use of a whip is to batter cars with as they pass within a metre of me :)
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PS my favourite use of a whip is to batter cars with as they pass within a metre of me : Lol, thats the best and only use for a whip.

In answer to your question, ride with feel. Raise and lower your energy in accordance with what you want, don't ride in a mechanical way. The horse feels what you feel, feel what he feels , focus and then focus some more.
 
Pale Rider said:
PS my favourite use of a whip is to batter cars with as they pass within a metre of me : Lol, thats the best and only use for a whip.

In answer to your question, ride with feel. Raise and lower your energy in accordance with what you want, don't ride in a mechanical way. The horse feels what you feel, feel what he feels , focus and then focus some more.
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I'm sure raising your energy will save you if you're on the road and need your horse to move, stat.

Why don't you give a proper answer rather than spouting new age gibberish?
 
meandmyself said:
I'm sure raising your energy will save you if you're on the road and need your horse to move, stat.

Why don't you give a proper answer rather than spouting new age gibberish?
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Ditto, I do ride with my energy however my energy doesn't tell a horse it hasn't done what it should have done, what do you actually do when teaching a horse a movement and it doesn't respond to your leg

Raising energy does not get my horses bum a metre to the left when it is in front of a speeding car.
 
My TB doesn't need one she is very responsive to the leg, but my Sec D on the other hand if in one of her ignorant, plodding moods is dead to the leg. She is an ex Dartmoor trekking horse need I say more! I always carry my whip if she is in a co-operative mood it isn't needed but if not a couple listen to me and have some manners taps is normally enough.
 
I used to use a whip as a hot headed teen but ever since then ive never used one, not for hacking, jumping, xc. From ex racers to native ponies ive never been riding and thought 'i wish i'd had a whip then' . And for the measure I dont have to boot them either. Maybe I'm just lucky and have a responsive bunch.
 
ALWAYS carry a schooling whip when out hacking - very rarely have to use it but IMO it is essential that I can get an immediate reaction when in a tricky situation.

The main use of my stick is to keep cars off mt right ankle - I wrap a few inches of fluorescent tape around the end of it and carry it at an angle from my horse so that it is pointing out into the road (a little like those sticky out things that some bicycles have) - it does seem to make drivers more aware of my space.
 
I carry a schooling whip when I ride as my boy is generally off the leg but can be a bit lazy, its just a slightly sharper aid, he never needs more than a flick as he reacts well to it. I also use it when teaching him lateral work, if he needs clarifying to move off that particular leg.
I have never needed to properly smack him but I would if the situation required it.
My old share pony was very slow off the leg and lazy, and would ignore small taps. I found a couple of proper smacks woke her up and was a lot better than nag nag nag, and then it wouldn't need to be used again.
 
I always carry a whip when riding and would much rather back up my leg aids with a tickle or tap from a schooling whip than resort to kicking or nagging a lazy horse to get them to go fowards.

Two of mine have been known to be a bit nappy out hacking and a well timed tap down the shoulder or behind the leg has prevented many a brat attack.

I'm pro using a whip to back up leg aids when appropriate and find one a useful tool when doing groundwork also.
 
Pale Rider said:
Lots of high minded talk about 'tools' and 'not using them'.

Not much you can do with this tool.

You do use a whip as a whip, I've seen you. If you carry one you'll use it.
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High minded opinion I would say.......A whip is useful, as are spurs (which I always wear when hunting, even on the most forward going horse) because they are a get out of trouble quick solution. I am riding a baby at the moment - and would rather give him a quick flick with the schooling whip to say, come on guy its OK, move on - then I would kick, kick, kick and kick to eternity.....Also how many people who carry a whip really know how to use it when a horse is behaving very badly (i.e. napping.....) most keep hold of both reins and flap the stick on the horses neck, rather than taking one hand off the rein, using the whip once soundly, following up with the leg - and then if the horse goes forward, giving him a pat to say well done chap - you did well........
 
If you cannot move your horse from standing still to a canter or a gallop without a whip or booting the crap out of it you cannot ride.

Lots of people have no problem riding their horses safely, on roads and anywhere else, without all the crap like whips and spurs and harsh bits.

I can, all my horses ride the same, so there is no reason why anyone else can't.
 
Pale Rider said:
If you cannot move your horse from standing still to a canter or a gallop without a whip or booting the crap out of it you cannot ride.

Lots of people have no problem riding their horses safely, on roads and anywhere else, without all the crap like whips and spurs and harsh bits.

I can, all my horses ride the same, so there is no reason why anyone else can't.
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So what would you do if you were out on the road, your horse took aversion to something and spooked into the middle or the road, and at that point a car came speeding along straight at you?
 
dressedkez said:
High minded opinion I would say.......A whip is useful, as are spurs (which I always wear when hunting, even on the most forward going horse) because they are a get out of trouble quick solution. I am riding a baby at the moment - and would rather give him a quick flick with the schooling whip to say, come on guy its OK, move on - then I would kick, kick, kick and kick to eternity.....Also how many people who carry a whip really know how to use it when a horse is behaving very badly (i.e. napping.....) most keep hold of both reins and flap the stick on the horses neck, rather than taking one hand off the rein, using the whip once soundly, following up with the leg - and then if the horse goes forward, giving him a pat to say well done chap - you did well........
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And I'm accused of gibberish, lol.

Whip them if you want, your horses but don't try to make a virtue out of it.
 
Pale Rider said:
If you cannot move your horse from standing still to a canter or a gallop without a whip or booting the crap out of it you cannot ride.

Lots of people have no problem riding their horses safely, on roads and anywhere else, without all the crap like whips and spurs and harsh bits.

I can, all my horses ride the same, so there is no reason why anyone else can't.
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Clearly then most of us on this Forum will hang up our hats, saddles and bridles tonight - and transport our horses up to the far North to you Pale Rider.......tomorrow morning as dawn rises in the Penines you will find your fields awash with horses / ponies big and small - as the rest of us have a lovely sleep in - and look forward to taking up the gentle art of crochet for the rest of our lives......you will indeed be very happy at having saved all these 1,000's of mistreated horses / ponies from that fete of being badly ridden - and by the end of the day, you will have taught them all to canter from a stand still - your lifes work will be complete. Amen
 
Pale Rider said:
In answer to your question, ride with feel. Raise and lower your energy in accordance with what you want, don't ride in a mechanical way. The horse feels what you feel, feel what he feels , focus and then focus some more.
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When my fresh young horse is focusing on the alligator lurking in the hedge and not feeling my outside leg mechanically asking for shoulder fore left and right bend, my energy level rises as I realise the vehicle coming towards me - a Ford Focus - may just be about to have a feely, focused, low energy green baby horse as a mascot on his Ford Focus bonnet.

To prevent this Feely Ford Focus Fxx up, I will apply a quick focused tap with my schooling whip to my alligator focused horse and we will all survive to enjoy more feely focused fun in the future.
 
Cortez said:
A whip is a tool, not a weapon. Can be used as either.
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I agree with this. And it is a tool which must be used with good coordination to reinforce the cue (aid) which it drives. So if a horse hangs off of your leg cue, and then you apply the whip and the horse responds off of the whip, then it is useful in so far only as the horse associates the follow-up with the whip to be the consequence of not responding to the preceding leg cue. So timing first is key.
 
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