Preventing a horse from getting "crop sour"

[Toblersmom]

I’m sure many of us that have predominantly ridden lesson horses over the years have met one that’s “crop sour.” The ones that will barely respond to any leg aids at all if you are not carrying a crop/whip, but as soon as you pick one up they’ll go from a halt to a nice forward canter with just a brush of your calf. No need to actually USE the crop at any time, just carrying it is enough. Put it back down, and they’re dead in the water again. The one’s I’ve met, it doesn’t seem to matter how sneaky the rider tries to be picking it up or passing it back to somebody on the ground, the horse knows if you have it or not, and it’s like holding a magic jewel of responsiveness.

The reason I ask is that my 3.5 year old greenie (backed in June, not by me) is starting to experiment with “what happens if I don’t respond to her leg?” I’m thinking a little reminding with a crop is likely to be the ticket, but I want to make sure I do everything I can to make it a temporary training aid/assist, not something his riders will need to carry to get him to move for the next 20 years.

[OneTwoMany]

Carry a crop and use it when needed. If you are consistent, you’ll need it less and less because your guy will figure out that when you “ask” his job is to “respond”.

Each greenie is an individual, but generally speaking they won’t learn the habits of “schoolies” until/unless they are older and seasoned and carting around beginner or less educated riders.

Beginner riders “ask” but they aren’t educated enough or perhaps aren’t strong enough to require a “response”. Hence the schoolie learns his tricks.

[betsyk]

Down the line, when he’s not a baby any more, you can also teach him that “no crop today” means you’e just going to chill on the trail, or your friend/child/beginner guest is riding and it’s ok to take it slow. My horses operate that way and it’s handy to have a slow-mode available sometimes.

[DunByMistake]

IME lesson horses get like that because green riders tend to constantly nag with their legs because they don’t get enough response. The horses become accustomed to this and can just ignore it. When the whip comes out, they know their rider means business.

In your situation, I would absolutely back up with a crop. If your horse continues to ignore your leg aid and you don’t reinforce it, you will have to start constantly asking her for more with your leg, she will get accustomed to that and be less responsive. In my opinion, it is kinder to give a horse a good smack or two behind the leg, get them going and then leave them alone vs. nudging with your heels every 5 steps because they’re hardly moving. When I put my leg on, it means FORWARD NOW. If I don’t get that response, I give a smack behind my leg then I leave him alone. I might have to do that once while warming up then he’ll be fine because he knows I meant it.

Just one more thing. I know a lot of people are afraid of hurting their horses with a crop. Many years ago I was watching a clinician teach a young girl who’s horse was stopping at a fence. The horse started sucking back several strides out and rider did nothing. Clinician asked why she didn’t hit the horse with her stick and she replied she didn’t want to hurt him. Clinician told her that she physically did not have the ability to inflict lasting damage on her horse with just that crop. Her arm would get tired before she actually hurt her horse. So one hard smack would not cause him any trauma. I’ve been stung across the back of the legs with a dressage whip before and while it does sting, it only lasts for a few seconds. And my skin is a lot thinner than a horse’s and doesn’t have the benefit of being covered in hair either!

[Rockfish]

Carrying a crop doesn’t mean having to use it. Sometimes, that itself is enough of a deterrent or reminder for a horse. Like mentioned above, horses can become dulled to a leg constantly asking asking asking. A quick pop with the stick is just the ticket BUT make sure to have contact on the reins. You don’t want the energy you are trying to create to dissipate out the front end into simple forward motion. Now is the time as a youngster to teach crop doesn’t mean go, it means respect.

[Jackie_Cochran]

I now ride reasonably dead sided lesson horses now. I wear spurs and carry a crop.

I found out that, with the crop, I have gotten MUCH better results when I hit my half-chaps with the crop instead of the horse’s side (trying to make a sharp noise–crack!).

Of course sometimes I miss and I hit the horse. Then the horse sucks back, but then the next time I hit my half-chaps with the crop the horse responds better and this can continue for weeks.

[Denali6298]

I think it’s important to introduce a crop as soon as you feel yourself nagging your horse either because as a rider you are not strong enough or the horse requires it. For example, I was working way too hard trying to keep my horse forward. My trainer handed me a crop and she lost her ever loving mind. We decided spurs were the way to go. Could I be a stronder rider? Yes. But in the mean time spurs work and she won’t become dead to my leg from nagging.