It’s quite doable. And the physics of it makes it a really hard hit. Sit on a bale of hay and give it a whirl. The whip is held upright in the hand when you do it this way. Western reins can be manipulated to hit one side of the horse to the the other in one clean motion, which I think is the over and under. Overhanded hitting was banned in racing a long time ago, so I can’t even find an example online which is good. I probably am showing my age and the fact that the good old days weren’t always good.
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With a longer whip it is possible to hit the horse on both sides rapidly. If in the right hand, strike right side, reach over in front of oneself (over the rein hand) and hit the other side.
Easiest to do at the shoulder. Needs a long whip or a quirt to do along the sides.
The side away from the whip hand isn’t as convincing a strike. But the rider can go back and forth to even out the pressure on the horse and not have the horse shying away so much from just one side.
Some purposes are to get a horse moving from a canter/lope into a gallop, or to urge a balky horse over a trail obstacle like a stream or ditch.
It’s not easy to do at first try, and probably most riders will never want or need to do this. But I’ve seen trainers who are adept at it. Interestingly of all the whip-use videos on youtube, I didn’t find any demonstrating this.
I have no idea what OT was doing, though.
The flank is behind and below the level of the saddle. Trying to hit a horse on the left flank, with the right hand, on a cross country course, is a good way to fall.
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I’ve never been a fan. But he gets the results that the deep pockets are apparently looking for. Such a stain on the sport.
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There actually is a thing called and “over and under” It’s a short length - about 20" of stiff rope with a loop at one end and sometimes a strip of leather at the other. Gamers and barrel racers use them, the loop hangs on the horn and the rider can “over and under” the horse with one hand.
First of all- it is against the rules.
Second, it is somewhat awkward to do WHILE galloping, but it can be done.
It is quite easy to do as punishment for a refusal - reins in one hand, flip the whip in the other hand, and reach across.
I’ve done it myself, as punishment for a dirty stop. It happened so quickly that I did it before even having time to remember it was illegal- and I am a TD. Luckily it was not at an actual Horse Trial, and nobody else cared.
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This is a move I learned from the one and only George Morris! Reins in left hand, hold the stick pointing up in the right, and go from near (right) side to far side by swinging your right arm/stick over the horse’s neck and towards your left hip, aiming to make contact with the horse’s left side.
- It’s best done with long arms and a long stick. Also great way to hit the crap out of your left leg. Ultimate results are questionable.
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I carry the stick in my left hand and actually hit my left leg whenever I go to tap approaching a jump. A sit up and smack at the shoulder or hind after a dirty stop is more accurate but I just cannot figure out the logistics of crossing over and hitting! I think it’s my petite self and stubby little arms.
Good for me my horse is pretty sensitive and responds well to the sound of the stick hitting my leg as well as it tapping her actual self.
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This thread aged well. Considering the XC ride this week.
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Thank you for the link. I can’t believe how someone wouldn’t pull up after practically landing on top of that jump.
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He was in such an awful position/giving such a bad ride, he also came right down on the horse’s back over that jump. That’s not ‘winning ugly’, that’s gross incompetence at your chosen sport. Back to basics, man.
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What’s perplexing about OT at Badminton is that Swallow Springs was not going to remain in a top placing after incurring the 11 penalties (with likely time penalties) on that table. Most riders at least take their foot off the pedal (or retire to save their horse for another day) when they know their horse is not going to be at the top. So many things wrong with his decision to keep going after his horse went crashing down on the table.
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OT rides like it is still 1992, when the attitude was that you still get that horse around to finish no matter the ramifications to the horse. Just so much ego and self-absorption, and no care whatever for the poor horses that helped him to where he is.
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The FEI Eventing Sanctions were updated yesterday. OT received an Eventing Recorded Warning for Dangerous Riding/Series of dangerous jumps.
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The best thing to do is complain to his sponsors. FEI clearly won’t take it seriously, but Sponsors will if there is enough people that reach out.
Here is a list of anyone is looking: https://www.olivertownend.com/category/sponsors/
Here is a sample message:
I want to express my deep disappointment at your brand’s continued sponsorship of Oliver Townend. His recent actions at Badminton follow a serious pattern of abuse and disregards for his horses’ welfare. This is not only morally abhorrent, but also places a dark cloud over the entire sport. This isn’t a one off mistake and by continuing your sponsorship, you are complicit in his abuse.
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I tied it to my likelihood of buying their product. After all, that’s what they’ll care about.
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So, his Recorded Warning has fewer consequences than a Yellow Card. And it appears they ought to have given a yellow card.
The recorded warning includes “pressing a tired horse, together with 25 penalties”. Whereas the yellow card states it can be awarded for “Excessive pressing of a tired horse” and “Riding an Exhausted horse coupled in addition to Disqualification”. So, the GJ didn’t give him 25, and they didn’t disqualify him - he got eliminated instead.
Now, there are also all-encompassing “abuse of horse” categories, so they could have decided they would couch it that way.
See Eventing Nation piece which outlines the differences.
I think the real problem isn’t being addressed: the officials and/or the events do not care to have Oliver Townend’s deep pockets sue them. Given what I know from publicly available information of him and his mentor Andrew Nicholson, I imagine the PTB feel that threat. So, they weave through the rules and give him sanctions that don’t disqualify him from riding horse #2 at Badminton (also a crowd favourite), that don’t get him a 2-month suspension because of the additive nature of the penalties - but they can say “oh, we sanctioned him within the rules.”
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Same. I said, amongst other things:
“ Personally, I can not, and will not, spend my hard earned money on a company that supports abusive behavior. There is no sugar coating his actions - this is, without a doubt, abusive to the horse.”
Haven’t heard back 
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Can a lawyer chime in on what types of charges he might bring and likelihood of him actually winning in this scenario? or is it primarily just the time/money/headache aspect? I’m having a difficult time understanding what you could sue someone over for the equestrian equivalent of a referee call…
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