Whip use - thoughts please!

I agree with everyone else. You need to show a horse who's boss, and giving his a smack once in a while does this. I personally carry a whip with me when riding, but I tend not to use it unless I really have to cos if you whip to much sometimes the horse just ignores it
 
I use a whip as an extension of me.

Sometimes it will back up my leg, sometimes it's a tap down the shoulder to say keep that over there lass, sometimes it provides an ear rub, flicks a fly off, tickles a muzzle (what can I say, she seems to like it :cool:). I should think that if it were used in anger I'd be swiftly deposited in a ditch :rolleyes:.
 
question for those that never carry one and feel there is no need for them, how do you persuade a 17hh opinionated mare to leave the yard when she flatly refuses? she's 16 years old and knows every trick in the book, she knows she's bigger than you and happily takes the pee?
 
planete said:
Horses can be conditioned to instant forward movement without whips. It takes longer, requires a bit of lateral thinking, good timing and empathy, all commodities in short supply, hence the popularity of the whip. 'nough said, I am going to become highly unpopular if I go on. Just one of my pet hates (and, yes, I used to carry one, we were all trained to do so).
Click to expand...
Not unpopular with me - I like this post very much! :)
 
PentathlonQueen said:
I agree with everyone else. You need to show a horse who's boss, and giving his a smack once in a while does this. I personally carry a whip with me when riding, but I tend not to use it unless I really have to cos if you whip to much sometimes the horse just ignores it
Click to expand...

So the fact that the horse ignores the whip after you have used it too much is the only reason that stops you? And you think that using the whip shows him who's boss?
 
Ibblebibble said:
question for those that never carry one and feel there is no need for them, how do you persuade a 17hh opinionated mare to leave the yard when she flatly refuses? she's 16 years old and knows every trick in the book, she knows she's bigger than you and happily takes the pee?
Click to expand...

Your horse takes the pee and is very opinionated? What does she have especially strong views on? Now that is a clever horse.
 
Wagtail said:
Your horse takes the pee and is very opinionated? What does she have especially strong views on? Now that is a clever horse.
Click to expand...

:rolleyes: haha:rolleyes: shame no one who is against the use of whips could give me a sensible answer, always the same thing, act all holier than thou but not willing to put forward any tips or ideas.:rolleyes:
 
Ibblebibble said:
:rolleyes: haha:rolleyes: shame no one who is against the use of whips could give me a sensible answer, always the same thing, act all holier than thou but not willing to put forward any tips or ideas.:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I have to admit (to my shame) that I went down the whip route for an identical problem with my mare. It didn't work and I felt dreadful afterwards. I still would be feeling guilty now, even if it HAD worked. So what worked? Getting off and leading her worked. Took a few times but soon she was walking out all by herself and passed everything I asked her to. If I was in a situation where it was dangerous or impractical to get off, I used my voice. It worked wonders with her and seemed to give her confidence. Soothing voice first and if that didn't work, an authoritative voice. 'Get on!' No whip needed. Another trick that works on some horses is to rhythmically kick (not a squeeze but not a pony club boot either). It is practically effortless, but irritating to the horse. As soon as it moves you stop. Works a treat. Other horses respond to being turned in a circle, others to being backed up. There are plenty of alternatives to using the whip in a painful manner. A tickle with the whip to back up your leg is fine however.
 
PentathlonQueen said:
I agree with everyone else. You need to show a horse who's boss, and giving his a smack once in a while does this. I personally carry a whip with me when riding, but I tend not to use it unless I really have to cos if you whip to much sometimes the horse just ignores it
Click to expand...

YOU have totally missed the point of this thread. In fact, it's people like you that the ban is aimed at.
 
meandmyself said:
What would you do if your horse was backing up towards something dangerous, and wasn't listening to your leg aids? (And please don't say your horses are so well trained that it'd never happen. ;) )
Click to expand...
I don't know because it depends. :rolleyes: I might jump off, especially if it was a cliff edge. I might ask for a turn and perhaps a very sharp turn to move the back end, I might stay still and as calm as I could and then ask for forward. I might 'drop' the reins to ask for stop...
I'm sure many experienced riders have much better ideas than me and my horses that aren't 'perfectly' trained btw. they are not machines I can switch off.

On the other hand I might be struck rigid with fear or sit there screaming and waving my arms about. :cool:
 
Sometimes one has to do extreme stuff to avert disaster, save life and limb (including the horse's), etc. In such situations, I would have no qualms about smacking a horse with a whip if there was no clear alternative. I'm not sure I personally go as far as to say there is always an alternative to whipping - "never say never". Assuming alternatives existed, however, hitting a horse wouldn't be my preferred course of action.
 
I'm one for never say never but I was asked a direct question. My reply may be laughable to many but if you don't think of or train other ways you will always use a whip.

This thread was asking for opinions, I have given mine. No one has to agree with me, after all there are many, many people who know better and kinder ways (to their thinking) than me. :p
 
You can't say what you'd do in a hypothetical scenario because each situation is so different... in the case I was talking about earlier, the horse in question was not listening, wouldn't turn (he had a neck like I don't know what and when he set it, that was that!), and was so tall that I had trouble getting back on if I'd jumped off without something to stand on (he was also very round, and had a saddle that slipped:mad:) :o - plus, with this particular horse, I think if I'd jumped off it would have scared him silly - and on the other side f the ditch was a road, it was really not the place for playing silly buggers. He was a bit of a sensitive soul in some ways, bless his gigantic hairy feet! So I still think that in that situation as it occurred I was better off using a crop than not. In another situation, I wouldn't use a crop, I'd sit it out, or do something else... but I'm just saying, never say never.

Crops and whips are not in themselves cruel, any more than bits are - it's how you use them. You can use a schooling whip to give a tickle - as in literally, a tickling movement - to waken a lazy horse up a bit, you can press a crop into the shoulder to further strengthen a lateral aid, you can brush away a fly as Mrs M says - none of these things are hurting or hitting the horse.
 
piebaldsparkle said:
I have seen a mother drag her child off a pony and give her a hefty smack with the whip after she had smacked the pony round a course of jumps!!:eek:
Click to expand...

Good! serves the child right.

I've seen it to often when being part of the arena party for my PC senior ODE.... NEVER been the branch im in just a few but always the same PC and people. I've seen sooooo many children come out on their ponys/ horses and smack..(well whallop several times.. understatement in some case). my friend saw the SAME girl i saw come out and litterally whallop her pony 6 times stop at a fence in a SJcomp her mum go in, get the stick of her daughter and smack the pony round the head!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :mad:

spoilt brat. saying this, her pony is fat. she has everyone else do the work. barley ridden. she only rides it at shows.
 
Nagling - Totally with you on your thoughts. I carry one, but very very rarely use it (and if I do, its a very light tap on the shoulder. I've never properly smacked my horse). I'd be quite happy for a ban of whips in all disiplines (I event and showjump). I think that would prove so much more about how well a person rides and how well schooled a horse is - do away with whips, spurs, strong/nasty bits and straps which either hold the mouth shut or pull the horses head down!

I definately support the idea of banning whips in the racing world. Children should never be allowed to carry one either (OR WEAR SPURS - AGH!).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top