# Do you ride with a crop?



## mrstorres2566 (Apr 25, 2013)

I never have before, but my gelding had 2 weeks off due to a knee injury. It was normal looking after a week (the vet had cleared him), and he showed no pain, but I didn't want to push it. SO after his 2 weeks off, he decided going back to work was a TERRIBLE idea (he is the laziest horse ever to begin with). He decided rubbing his rider off on objects was awesome. He would literally run full speed, sideways at objects, and other horses, ignoring every cue. My BO and instructor suggested a riding crop to "remind" him to behave. The first time he started at a sideways canter, a nice tap on his shoulder corrected RIGHT away. He tried it one more time and got corrected again. After that he was perfect, and was totally in tune to me. I always thought riding crops were cruel, but I just realized they were a good tool if used correctly.


----------



## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

cruel? not hardly. most of the time, just having one is all it takes. more often than not, I hit my own boot when Z is being lazy and has ignored my leg. the noise is all it takes to wake him up.


----------



## mrstorres2566 (Apr 25, 2013)

tinyliny said:


> cruel? not hardly. most of the time, just having one is all it takes. more often than not, I hit my own boot when Z is being lazy and has ignored my leg. the noise is all it takes to wake him up.


I'm not sure he knew what it was. My instructor was like, "show it to him, make him aware you have it." I did, but he didn't seem to pay attention. She owned him for 3 years before me and said she never used one, because he mostly did lead line for beginners, so he probably had no idea what it was. But once it was used, and it was only a firm tap, he started paying more attention to me. He kept one ear firmly trained on me, making sure he heard whatever I was asking.


----------



## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

My 'crop' is wrapped around the saddle horn. It isn't used often, but it is nice to have available at all times. 

Used properly, a crop or whip makes the horse SOFTER to cues. When I took lessons a few years ago, the instructor put me on one horse and let me kick that **** SOB for 30 minutes...and he didn't ever trot. She then handed me a crop. One whack, and he then trotted at light pressure from the calf for the rest of the lesson. Her point was that if you have the option of escalating, then the horse will often choose to respond quickly to light pressure. But if the horse knows you cannot escalate, he may call your bluff...










And like tinyliny, I often just hit my leg or the saddle. The noise is usually enough. The worst I've ever used it on her wouldn't hurt me if it hit me that hard in the face.

Actually, I did try once to make her go forward when she was scared by hitting her HARD on the rump. She put it into reverse and we flew back up the trail 50-75 yards, until she felt safer and I realized that I will never hit Mia hard enough to MAKE her do anything! ​


----------



## GamingGrrl (Jan 16, 2013)

I very rarely use one. I use them while running speed events at competitions, but only if my horse is being lazy and not giving it his all. I'll occasionally use one if we're having a respect issue ("uh no, let's go to the arena gate now, rides over, I'm the boss now" sort of stuff from the horses)
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## mrstorres2566 (Apr 25, 2013)

GamingGrrl said:


> I very rarely use one. I use them while running speed events at competitions, but only if my horse is being lazy and not giving it his all. I'll occasionally use one if we're having a respect issue ("uh no, let's go to the arena gate now, rides over, I'm the boss now" sort of stuff from the horses)
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


My horse and I have a lot of respect issues. But again, he was always used for beginner riders who had no idea how to correct him, so he pretty much got away with everything for 3 whole years. There is only 3 people who he rarely pulls his crap with and that's BO, the other trainer and our junior trainer. Because he knows if he does there WILL be consequences. He is learning I mean business as well, but it takes time I suppose.


----------



## mrstorres2566 (Apr 25, 2013)

Yeah, I just gave him a firm tap, just to get his attention. And it worked.



bsms said:


> My 'crop' is wrapped around the saddle horn. It isn't used often, but it is nice to have available at all times.
> 
> Used properly, a crop or whip makes the horse SOFTER to cues. When I took lessons a few years ago, the instructor put me on one horse and let me kick that **** SOB for 30 minutes...and he didn't ever trot. She then handed me a crop. One whack, and he then trotted at light pressure from the calf for the rest of the lesson. Her point was that if you have the option of escalating, then the horse will often choose to respond quickly to light pressure. But if the horse knows you cannot escalate, he may call your bluff...
> 
> ...


----------



## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

I don't ususally tap my horse. I already "tapped" him when I asked him with my leg . if I use the crop, it's going to be impressionable. Don't tap, smack! once, and if you want to , smack your own boot. But, it should be firm, quick and make an impresssion. otherwise you simple take away the power of the crop, one TAP at a time.


----------



## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

I rode my good trail gelding bareback a lot but never without a crop. His sense of humor sometimes warranted my suggestion of delivering a whack behind my leg.


----------



## Allison Finch (Oct 21, 2009)

While I seldom need to use a crop/whip...I ALWAYS carry one. One of my past coaches, Jack LeGoff once told me that a "Good rider always carries a stick and never uses it".

Words I live by, it seems.


----------



## tlkng1 (Dec 14, 2011)

In my case I use it as support. With all the horses I have had in recent past, a simple tap, let alone a firm smack, would have sent me to the moon so I rarely, if ever, carried one. My current horse can get a little lazy to my leg, but, all I have to do is touch him, and I mean not even tap, with the end of the dressage whip and all of a sudden he is back to his responsive self. I rarely actually carry it as he is more than responsive, nearly too much so, for a few days afterwards. I find that if he gets bored with what we are working on is when he starts to get lazy to my leg..if I change out the exercises and really keep his mind interested and challenged, he enjoys himself more and stays responsive.


----------



## Captain Evil (Apr 18, 2012)

I ride with a dressage whip always, every time. Even though I don't use it much, probably less often than I should, I hate to nag. We ride in traffic a lot, and when I want a response, I want it.


----------



## mrstorres2566 (Apr 25, 2013)

tinyliny said:


> I don't ususally tap my horse. I already "tapped" him when I asked him with my leg . if I use the crop, it's going to be impressionable. Don't tap, smack! once, and if you want to , smack your own boot. But, it should be firm, quick and make an impresssion. otherwise you simple take away the power of the crop, one TAP at a time.


Well, I don't use it to aid in speed. THAT he is responsive to (normally, not always) it's mostly for his respect issues. Right now, a tap worked. But if I have to smack him, I will. He knows this.


----------



## existentialpony (Dec 4, 2012)

tinyliny said:


> Don't tap, smack! once, and if you want to, smack your own boot.


I do this all of the time! If my gelding is ignoring my cues, I will whap him with a dressage whip to say "pay attention, I'm going to ask for something!" or if he's ignoring a lateral aid, I'll reinforce it alongside my leg. But sometimes, he's trying his heart out and just gets tired. I'll whap my leg to get his attention, then ask for something new to try to get him to perk up. It's a great way to use the whip for horses that are easily "offended." :wink:


----------



## mrstorres2566 (Apr 25, 2013)

existentialpony said:


> I do this all of the time! If my gelding is ignoring my cues, I will whap him with a dressage whip to say "pay attention, I'm going to ask for something!" or if he's ignoring a lateral aid, I'll reinforce it alongside my leg. But sometimes, he's trying his heart out and just gets tired. I'll whap my leg to get his attention, then ask for something new to try to get him to perk up. It's a great way to use the whip for horses that are easily "offended." :wink:


He's definitely not sensitive or easily offended. He's an Appy(I know people say you can't blame the breed, but if you have never experienced an Appy, you just don't understand), so he can be a down right *** sometimes. He gives you the Appy stink eye quite often!


----------



## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

I always ride with a whip - as others have said, it's better to have it there 'just in case' you need the escalation, than be stuck without it. 
I prefer to use my spur if it's an issue of the horse being against the aids, but if I need it, it's there. I've had one like your horse OP, that thought running flat out sideways and slamming the rider into the arena rails was a brilliant idea. 
I can tell you what, that welt on her backside sure as heck got the message through and she didn't try it again. Sometimes it is best to escalate HARD, get the point across incredibly clearly, and then never have to use it again. 
That same mare was as stubborn as a mule, but when she attempted to try something on, simply swishing the whip through the air, or hitting my boot, was more than enough for her to double think and carry on as good as gold.


----------



## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

mrstorres2566 said:


> He's definitely not sensitive or easily offended. He's an Appy(I know people say you can't blame the breed, but if you have never experienced an Appy, you just don't understand), so he can be a down right *** sometimes. He gives you the Appy stink eye quite often!


Surprise spurprise, my mare was an appy x :wink:


----------



## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

I need to find my dressage whip and ride with it soon, my filly is getting a bit lazy to forward aids and needs a reminder!

I don't bother with a crop, not unless I'm jumping [which I'm not at present], because they're just too short, there's not enough bite, and I'd rather not have to take my hand off the reins to use my whip. But a dressage whip is a bit long to jump with so I'll carry a crop when I'm jumping, especially on a horse I don't know.

My filly is easily offended, being a red Thoroughbred mare, but I don't care if she's offended or not. She's going to listen, or she's going to wish she had.


----------



## mrstorres2566 (Apr 25, 2013)

Kayty said:


> Surprise spurprise, my mare was an appy x :wink:


See what I mean! I find the people who preach "don't blame the breed" have clearly never had an Appy. They are truly a breed of their own. When they are good, it's magic, when they are bad...well, nothing good comes of it.


----------



## its lbs not miles (Sep 1, 2011)

Anything can be cruel if you make the effort to make it so, but you'd have to work pretty hard had it with a riding crop. Most parts of a horse can tolerate a great deal (just look at how they treat each other at times when they're dealing with their herd hierarchy).
I've always found that a crop can be a great tool with some horses (and not needed with others).
e.g. sometimes a green new horse will freeze up when it's suppose start and you can just give it a tickle on the flank for a "start" reminder that it needs to go on command. I've found that most times just a touch or light tap will usually get me what I want with most of the horses I've dealt with. Of course there are some that never needed it.
It's just a tool to be used if needed. I use one if it's needed for the horse and stop using when things have progressed to the point that it's not needed. Used it with my current older mare when I started working with her, but couldn't say for sure where it is now since I've never needed with the younger mare.


----------



## Shoebox (Apr 18, 2012)

I not only ride with one, I carry one with me when I'm out. The only time I ever had to use it was when I made a horse move for me. He didn't like it, pinned his ears and went for a chomp (right at my face level). You bet you butt he got got the crop across his cheek, chased down the pasture and back, complete with me yelling and flapping and my mare thinking it was a hilarious game (usually SHE'S the one chasing horses away.) After that he moved if I looked at him sideways. Had I not had it I might have less face than I do now 

I have one while riding for the occasional reminder, but I rarely need it. My legs and feet are more than sufficient for the most part, but it's come in handy a time or two. Honestly it's more valuable to me on the ground, but at this point it's habit to have it, and like I said is sometimes convenient when my leg isn't enough.


----------



## CandyCanes (Jul 1, 2013)

I carry a crop sometimes. Diddly is your typical lazy sport horse, and sometimes he just needs a whack behind the saddle, just once, to get him going. It keeps him going for a couple of rides, then he forgets, and goes lazy again... And so the cycle continues  
But I always think one smack behind the saddle is kinder than ten hard kicks!


----------



## thetempest89 (Aug 18, 2013)

It really depends on the horse. Lesson horse I don't need one for her, she's mostly easy on the leg even on lazy days.

The other horse I ride, I need one. He's lazy, and need to remind him about leg cues.

However, if I ride around the area or trails it does not matter on the horse. I always bring a crop with me.


----------

