I get mailed lots on this – so let’s all share some knowledge and hard earned experience. Comments please!
Al
“I was allergic to using a whip when I started riding and my instructor sat me down and said -‘you can either bite the bullet and give her a firm tap with the whip to let her know you’re serious, or you can kick her around the school for an hour. Trust me youll both be very frustrated and cross with each other by the end. So I closed my eyes and gave her a firm tap the first time she was slow to respond to a clear request (this is important – make sure she’s not just confused with the request). She jumped out of her skin (it wasn’t hard, she just didn’t expect it from me). She suddenly was on her toes, full of energy and CONCENTRATING! I didn’t need so much as a light leg aid for the rest of the lesson. We had a very productive time and were both much happier. I think that’s what Bob wanted to say.
Sarah”
“I have worked on feral and traumatised horses of all ages for the past 40yrs. A collection of remote touching tools are a must, sometimes you have to invent adapt your tool to the individual. The most useful has always been a long handled soft household sweeping brush, although it doesn’t have the flexibility of a padded schooling whip it suits so many.
But the handler (and their ability to focus on the equid’s reaction)on the end of the remote device is equally important as when the time is right for a starter cuddle the moment must not be missed 🙂
Ange”
“You’re never to old to live a dream! But you do need to “show you’re boss”, but this doesn’t have to be mean. Even horses that are worked with regularly need to go back to basics. And all that happened was that your mares treated you like a mare!
The head boss lady in a heard needs to re-establish her role from time to time, so basic round pen work is our human equivalent. At first no line, just a lead rope of lunge whip (not to hit, just to drive her hind quarters), reward with rest.
I reserve hitting only if they invade my space and don’t respond to body language/vocal commands to back off. But one tap (and usually not even hard, just to let them know I take enforcing boundaries seriously) and that sends the message clearly. This is important to address. Love IS powerful, but the lead mare (you :)) must first establish your role as the respected heard leader. Also, watching the Dog Whisperer can be helpful. He learned from horses growing up! His philosophy on establishing calm assertive dominance and giving affection only when the animal is in a calm submissive state will get you verrry far with your horse relationships. Best to you!
CJ”
“My horses are rescued horses, the three years old, no human could touch her, took me about one and a half week for she start to trust me. First you work with the food and treats, you do not bribe when you give food or treats like people tell, but you build trust.
Second, I never go direct at horse, I go in zigzag, I make them to think and for them to come at me. They know when they come at me they have a reward , treats, scratchings, etc, and all the time I have a rope and whip on my hand, and they learned the rope or the whip is a toy and not a punisment tool.
If the horse was abused , never expect for be overnight, take very long time.
Remember, you have to think like a horse, and not a horse like yoû, and you have to start to read a horse for you can understand what that horse whant to tell you. Remember they have their moods too like us the humans have, some times fill good other times not. Like my 13 years old some times she turn her head to the side when I want to halter her, and that tell me she is not in a good mood, but to let her allone, and I found out giving her treats and scraching her on her back and ramp she change her mood.
Emil”
“I LOVE this site!
I was wondering if I could “throw one out there”?
I have a stunning warmblood rising 6 who i have had since weaning. My older horse was THE most neurotic horse I had ever had and I was desperate not to have another like him so I completely de-sensitised him to EVERYTHING as a youngster which was fab til I started working him and he just ignored lungewhip and everything else I tried. I can do anything to him and with him however even since a foal he has absolutely NO concept of personal space. I gelded him late as he was going to be kept entire but a field of mares across a busy road put a stop to that! He hated me for ages after that!
?? Trust me, I have tried every trick in the book and sometimes feel I am winning the “whos boss” problem but he still at times literally stands on top of me, knocks me over, squishes me etc although the “barginess” has definitely lessened. In the field he has always been boss and really thinks the world owes him a favour. Once when being squished I hit him on the face with a snow shovel (desperate measures and I know it sounds cruel but was a him or me kind of moment). ?? Anyway, he just stood and looked at me!!!! Im sure he thinks everything is a game! Any tips?????
Nicki”
Please do let us know your thoughts and comments. The last post got lots of responses – let’s see if we can so the same again. I know it’s a subject that is too important to gloss over.
And if you haven’t taken the plunge yet, Lara’s Horse whisperer book is here.
Best
Al
This is to Nicky. Personal space is a huge issue with and to horses. If you observe horses in a herd environment, they guard their personal space carefully and the higher ranking individuals are zealously sensitive in this regard. Stallions, by their very nature, are always testing the limits of leadership. I have three and am tested on a daily basis for complete leadership. I try and make a game out of each of their reactions to a particular request and assign a 1-10 dressage score to their ability to follow my leadership. I have found that this approach to training has offered me compliant, soft horses. It must be done on an every-time you handle the horse basis. This seems to be the single largest obstacle for us humans, but so–oo very important. I would ask you to try this approach for a week on a daily basis to see if there might be a change in understanding on his part. Your boy was gelded somewhat late in his life and depending on the surgeon might still be retaining some stallion inclinations. Another suggestion, would be aroma-therapy to change the immediate mind-set when he invades your space. This is probably as a last resort, however. Just remember that you are not alone in the quest of leadership with horses. I believe that it is the single largest area of
failure that we humans have with our horses. Please. for the sake of your horse, keep trying. Take the time to plan ahead when you enter his space. I wish you the best in your effort.
Not whip
I carry a dressage whip when I ride and either a dressage or longer training whip when I work a horse in hand. I don’t carry the whip as a punisher but as a way to give cues by touching the horse on different parts of his body. I also use it to back up my leg when a horse doesn’t respond to a light aid. I first try to teach the horse by repetition and reward that I want an immediate reaction to a light aid and that usually is all I need, but if it doesn’t work I use a tapping leg and/or tapping whip. As Jane Savoie says, “Don’t ever leave a correction without retesting”, so I immediately ask again with a light aid.
I don’t use the whip as punishment but on two occasions in my life I used it to protect myself and at that time I used it with force. I continued to work with both horses and they turnout fine. I never had to use the whip again as anything other than a cue.
I do have a problem with using whips on racehorses and think it should be banned. In Norway whips are banned in horseracing and the horses still try to win.
To whip or not to whip?
Never! If it seems necessary, there is some basic training on a lunge to review the basics! What was The Horse Whisperer trying to communicate anyway!!?
Amazing that riders are so weak in their aids to the horse that they have to use a whip, What is wrong with your seat Your legs and the movement of your hips If you are relating to your horse nobody should be able to see your aids and May I mention if a horse flickers his body because a fly lands on it How can you say a whip does not hurt the horse? It is about time we started whipping people to get them to listen to us
WHIPS: the good shepherd depicted in the bible used his crook NOT to push/punish the sheep but to guide them and assist them if they got into trouble.Check out ” TEN COMMANDMENTS” by JOHN CHATTERTON and I believe that all actions towards your horse are to be calm and peaceful,whether it be your action,your voice or aids.
I f you have the perfect horse then ALL is ok,however if he has some short coming due to his earlier training which you had no control over then a whip is an ‘EXPRESS AVENUE’ to overcome a problem.The above book takes you back to raw grassroots training to overcome in trenched problems,As Robert Redford said in The Horse whisper “I don’t work for people who have horse problems,I work with horses that have people problems’.
I have previously mentioned my feral 18 year old Q/H mare that must have been mistreated in her younger days.Well last night I had her in a small yard over night for worming.Since I had not touched her for awhile I tried to quietly approach her for a pat.She let me get very close but kept eluding me.No SSTT for me.then I remembered about what I had observed /learnt from her and her last foal.
Her foal used to go under her neck and stand against her chest with no problem( ok I realise that the foal is her offspring and she readily accepts it ). No horse goes up to another in a friendly manner with its front legs extended out,they just go up and rub heads/necks . i realised that extended arms from a human to a ‘feral’ horse looks like a predator.So getting back to my mare the other night.I turned my back to her,bent over slightly,kept my arms folded,exhaled with a loud sound so she could here it.The I gradually shuffled backwards to her with little pauses at the appropriate times and in no time at all she allowed me to rub her muzzle with the point of my elbow,then a hand after a few tries and then turned to her to complete the SSTT ,which she wouldn’t let me do a few minutes earlier with the direct approach.
SO do we need the whip if we truly know how to communicate with our steed at the level of trust/obedience we had install into it?
On one of our trail riding week camps I took my swag and saddle and slept in the solid yard my apply was in ( only him ). When the officials found out in a few days I was prohibited from continuing with that.My horse knows where I am and is a mature guy.I don’t need a whip or spurs on him at all!
Any clubs to join where homo sapiens on all fours carrying a horse’s WEIGHT and we can whip away at??….Joke!!!
Worked stallions long time …no whips, no spurs…..just Horse Sense, patience and mutual respect.
Heaps of horse literature incl Equine Bahaviour and Natural methods available…so lay off whips and spurs and burs and whatever else. Please….??x Blogs like Al’s make these books etc available……buy them .. use them….and start enjoying the ride.
😛
basics again!! soft hands, well seated , clear signalling from seat legs and reins. Think anatomy of the horse….esp the mouth and what we make bit do inside/to horses mouth.
FIRST training of any horse is bonding…trust …respect…both ways….essential basic knowledge of horse anatomy and physiology soooo needed for rider to comprehend …and choose…be cruel…or be kind. I prefer the latter…..simply for the joy of the love for a horse. IT age…more than enough resources…..please use them. Forums like these is worth their value in gold. Enjoy. Also buy books on TTellington Touch.. an. amazing world will open for you and your horse.