Does anyone's horse hate the schooling whip?

newforest

newforest

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Mar 15, 2008
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The schooling whip she either runs away from or bites it and goes in cirles-ridden or on the ground. When had a lesson I had to throw it away and instructor had it to encourage forwards.
Never bites me, always checks where I am holding, and goes above or below my hand-teeth just done as I thought that again.
She just hates me walking with it even being neutral. If I have it in the hand furthest away she will reach over at it and try to get it off me. If I do drop it to get rid of it she settles and we can carry on. She isn't playing if anyone thinks its a case of tapping her on the nose, this isn't play.

Solution, don't carry it then-done that, but for schooling it would be more polite surely for me to just give her a gentle flick reminder to listen, rather than a tap with the short one. I don't have a problem with a lunge whip or the short one, so what's the big deal with this one. It would also be useful to get her walking out better rather than the rope flicking her bum.:confused:
 
hm, hopefully it's just a phase? Appley cow kicked at it a few times when I first carried it :p it does sound likebad manners though, I wouldn't pander to it but stick (feeling pun-tastic today ...) with carrying it - you're in charge, you should be able to carry what you like! she's not an abused horse after all.
 
W dislikes it. Shoots forward or handstands. I agree, dont pander her with it. If you want to carry a schooling whip carry one. After perservering I can carry one, he doesn't like it but tough, hes not battered and abused, he just doesn't agree with them. It makes his life harder - he cant nap, harder to fall out through his shoulder ... and he hates to school with a passion
 
Yes, one of the new mares HATES them. She does not need one anyway. She's far too forward going and willing.
 
Henry loved them. He used to carry mine down the drive on the way back from hacks although he did get a bit over excited once and try and carry my friend's whip when we were out hacking... and bit the end off it! :D
 
Wally said:
Yes, one of the new mares HATES them. She does not need one anyway. She's far too forward going and willing.
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At the moment she is responding to leg, seat and voice, its just on the occasion she doesn't I can tap. Its not the end of the world I guess, but it is a real hate as in attacks it type of hate, ears back.
 
Mr T bought me a lovely pink one, one Christmas complete with matching pale pink saddle cloth (back in the days when I used one). Imagine my disappointment when madam freaked out and had a total Benny moment in the school! (Crossroads Benny for the uninitiated) I think it scared her cos it was longer than she was used to?! We used to hack with my lovely hacking cane or a purple short whip without a problem. Weird.
 
When you said it was pink I thought you were going to say she didn't like pink.:bounce:

But it is very weird that the short one is fine and long one isnt. I wonder if I have touched her with it by accident and I annoy her. I would like one shorter than I have to be honest.
 
Mine is purple and its on my list of things to work on. Its one of things with a youngster you can't teach everything all in one go.
 
Schooling whips sting, and Tobes dislikes them. However, Tobes pretty much dislikes anything that doesn't suit, and that is pretty much tough. If he goes forward when schooling, there is no need to use it. Not going forward means that he needs to be flicked with it.

For a horse that is very forward, I wouldn't dream of using a schooling whip whilst schooling because IMO, it is unnecessary. If they need to learn to get off your leg, then they need a schooling whip.

For a while I had to carry two schooling whips whilst hacking out, because he developed a new habit of dropping out through his shoulder as he couldn't possibly go first. Swapping whip hands, meant he dropped out through the other shoulder, so two schooling whips were the order of the day. We possibly hacked out three times with this routine, and he has now decided that he can go in front - whether it was the two schooling whips, or whether he had a change of heart, I am not sure, but in the interim I also toughened up on his groundwork. He had to move when I wanted to pick out his hooves rather than me tying him up and moving around etc.
 
I am a bit 'wibbley' about schooling whips. Generally I will not let RS riders carry them. They like spurs are refinements and need to be carried and applied carefully, a tickle at the right moment and in the right place to enhance an aid.
A short stick is a far easier thing to understand, from a novice who lacks leg and can carry a stick to encourage the horse forward, to tapping on the neck as a wake up call or 'I am sorry I just can't use my leg' to using it with intent to back up a leg aid for a horse being rude.

If a horse is not getting off my leg at all a short stick is my first prefered option, a schooling stick is a refinement.

SJP1, surely dropping out through shoulder needs short shoulder blocking sticks not a schooling stick behind the leg, I am a great believer in the stick as a shoulder correction as well.
 
She understands and accepts the short one, as you say eml to back up the leg to go forwards or to stop/correct the shoulder that sometimes positions itself with the intent of being rude/pushing through an aid.
I do wonder whether she/we are actually ready for the schooling whip?
 
The odd thing is that our RIs horses are terrified of a whip when wielded by her. I always put it down to their training.
And since only schooling whips are allowed (no short whips on her yard even for hacking!)

I am a bit 'wibbley' about schooling whips. Generally I will not let RS riders carry them.
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That was so at the BHS school where I started and where I hack. Funny how some teachers hate one and some hate the other. So you get taught both by RIs who believe only in their own type!
When grand daugther came for a hack at the hacking yard, I had to lend her a short whip. She had never owned or used one.
 
I don't know of any yard that would allow a schooling whip for a child? Isn't it way too long and cumbersome for them to carry on what is likely but not necessarily a shorter backed animal? Unless having actual dressage lessons then perhaps they may. I have had a dressage trainer who refused to teach me unless I carried one-how to carry and use correctly would have been useful here!
 
Just a general observation that children/novices given sticks unless with specific instruction will use them instead of leg, I am not sure many novices/children will have sufficient coordination to hold rein still and use schooling whip behind leg at appropriate times?
 
Sorry. It was late at night and I didn't make clear that grand daughter and even younger kids when ready to use a whip are taught only with a schooling whip .
The hands stay on the reins and the wrist rotates. Goodness knows if she ever uses it. I rarely actually use a whip. But have observed that just carrying one cows the horses. So long as my escort and I have one whip between us.
I think it is movement rather than type of whip which counts.
 
Part of all my horse's education is to desensitise to ropes and whips of all types by progressively moving through having them hanging around, carrying them, waving them about, tickling horses with them. (No not progressing to hitting them!)

So they are not scared at all of ropes/lines/whips when it comes to long-reining and later, using them as aids.
 
Yes we have done all that, she is fine with being driven forwards longreining and lunging. But that's the only times I really have it as everything else is voice. I am going to shorten the one I have as i think its too long based on her being short bodied.

I hate seeing people longrein without a stick but they use the horses mouth to hit the lines on its side, to me that a go stop go stop request, but I see it so often.
 
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