QoD 24th December - Whip Usage

Vicki100

Vicki100

Well-Known Member
Jun 12, 2009
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West Mids
I was just wondering when & for what reasons people usually use whips??

How much do you think is excessive use?? Do you think too many people use it as a punishment rather than an aid??

I was at a little SJ competition yesterday with Buffy, and i was the ONLY rider who didnt carry a whip.

I was surprised at the kids mostly, all the mothers were telling them before they went in....'Smack it on the shoulder before every jump'
It just shocked me how much they used the whip throughout the whole course, it was like kick kick smack smack jump....kick kick smack smack jump....

One little girl was smacking her pony with her whip for just not standing still before going into the areana....

Maybe its me but it just seems a little excessive. I am not an experienced competitor by any means only been to a few but id rather use my legs and voice to get them through it.

Opinions?? :happy:
 
I don't have one for hacking. I pick up a schooling whip on the rare occasion I school Jack as he will walk faster if I'm holding it. Pointless using it on him as he just kicks out and doesn't go any faster. Occasionally I slap my boot with it as he's more likely to speed up to the scary noise. Never used or needed one with any of my other ridden horses.

I would prefer a rider to use it's legs than it's hands.
 
I usually carry a whip but only use it rarely.

For me its a very short sharp reprimand (wake up)used behind a leg aid or on the bottom.

I sometimes use a long one in the field if horses get to close but never actually hit them with it. I also find it useful for bargie types. Whack it on the door, before entering the stable type of thing.

Its always more of a threat, asisted with body language. I would never hit a horse under any circumstances with a view to trying to control it. It dosen't work
 
I ride with a long hi viz schooling whip when hacking, and I only hack.

I use it to make traffic give us space, to move overgrowth out of our faces, to flick her forelock back to where it should be, to flick flies away, to scratch itchy bits.

In fact, the only thing I don't use it for it to bop Joy with but its a useful hacking aid for so many other things.
 
I don't carry a whip. I may have one to drive her forwards lunging, but haven't used for ridden.
It is a tool to encourage more activity from behind not a punishment. Occasionally i have had the short whip and hit myself or the saddle, that has the same effect. Hitting yourself lets you know how hard you are being!
 
oh how sad.
i actually decided to NOT enroll my kids with a certain instructor even though she had lovely horses because i was afraid how her attitude towards the animals may shape my kids' attitudes.
I don't carry a whip while riding because i really don't have the coordination to do it.
I've ridden before with a whip under both thumbs to help me keep my hands level and that was nice.
I do have a lunge whip for lungeing and a shorter whip for in hand work. It's more of a guide because my arms aren't long enough.
None of mine have any fear of whips.
I am lucky in that for some reason i am really good at getting even horses that are used to big heavy aids to listen to my softer aids after a short time.
You'd think that they get dull all around but they are surprisingly adaptable.

Even on my last trail ride the wrangler commented on how calm and well behaved the horse I was riding was and that he usually would start trying to outrun the others on the stretch closer to base camp and be very grabby.
My riding sucks but horses tend to like me. lol
 
I carried a schooling whip for the last three years with flipo, more for when I'm walking him out Inhand rather than in the saddle but I always have it with me. I believe it's better to back up a leg aid with a tap than have to kick again and again - but I forgot I have it with me and never use it. Flipo isn't dead to the leg so never need it.
I have just switched to a shorter whip to carry out hacking as my long whip was causing issues if flip spooked, it caught him on the bum and he'd run further. I dont need it, but my RI used to tell me it's always best to have one to help get out of sticky spots - especially on a road.
 
Im another one who always carries a schooling whip out hacking, the only time I've used it was when Belle was being very nappy when I first got her and I only used it on my boot and only used it twice, never need it now.
As JC says it's much more useful to use as a fly mover/scratchy stick and car alerter than anything else.
We have a young girl on our yard who has a baby NF pony and her - the young woman who is teaching her to ride is constantly telling her the whack him with it when she asks for canter or to get him to jump! Makes my blood boil, he's struggling with canter because he's an unbalanced BABY and in my mind shouldn't be jumping at his age, he's three, but what do I know. I just feel like grabbing the damn whip and whacking her with it. Sorry that turned into a bit of a rant.
 
Back up to the leg and voice is what I use it for. Having a very thick skinned cob who can ignore spurs when it feels like it I sometimes find having a whip invaluable when we are having a problem going forwards out a hack (gets nappy sometimes and tanks off in the other direction if allowed :redface:), cant be having spinning or random braking sessions in the middle of a road.
 
I carry one in the school if he is doing 'dont want to, shant' never hit him with it, just carrying it is enough. I used to carry one with Sasha hacking, and occasionally smacked my boot with it. But she was the laziest stubbornest pony in the world.

Excessive hitting eventually becomes useless with anything, horses, kids, dogs ect and I dont want him to do what I ask just because I've hit him.
 
I carry one pretty much all the time. Rarely use it though out hacking.

I use a schooling whip in the school though to reinforce aids or teach Moët new things.

When riding major it's really needed to make sure he listens to your leg, otherwise he turns into a complete slug.
 
Kite_Rider said:
We have a young girl on our yard who has a baby NF pony and her - the young woman who is teaching her to ride is constantly telling her the whack him with it when she asks for canter or to get him to jump! Makes my blood boil, he's struggling with canter because he's an unbalanced BABY and in my mind shouldn't be jumping at his age, he's three, but what do I know. I just feel like grabbing the damn whip and whacking her with it. Sorry that turned into a bit of a rant.
Click to expand...

My new trainer doesn't want me using any kind of whip. I would change if i had someone constantly telling me to whack her one. She is 4.5yrs and is not cantering yet or jumping. We just did walk and some trot in lesson.
 
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