Riding / training without a whip

[Ganesha]

I hate carrying a whip. Has anyone had success training and riding without one? Maybe I’m not carrying it correctly, but I’ve been shown how, and I cannot cannot cannot carry one without it changing the angle and position of my hand slightly and I hate it.

The other day I mounted up without one and it felt soooo good. It was so much easier to maintain good contact without the whip and I felt like my arm/shoulders/elbows alignment was so much better. Pony had a couple of sticky moments where he didn’t go forward right away, but a quick sharp tap with my legs fixed it.

He is fairly sensitive - when he isn’t going forward or listening to the leg, it is his frame of mind (not paying attention, doesn’t particularly care to at that moment, etc). He knows what the leg means and when he is focused, is light.

Anyone simply use a sharper leg aid when a light one doesn’t get the result, instead of a flick with the whip? Do I just need to suck it up? Are you guys able to have great hands without compromising something (like opening your lower fingers, or angling your hand to accommodate the whip against your thigh) while carrying a whip?

[Foxtail]

I have smaller hands, so I tend to look for lighter, slimmer whips. They’re shorter, yeah, but I’m rarely ride horses big enough for that to be a problem. Sometimes I’ll even hold the whip right below the handle instead of on the handle. Also, when not in use I tend to carry the whip right at the shoulder. I only started doing this because I tend to work with rather…explosive horses, but it did seem to positively impact my hand positioning.

[Beentheredonethat]

It’s good to learn to carry a whip, but you certainly don’t need it. My older mare had something done to her, and no matter what I did, she always became unrideable in a whip. It’s not obvious fear, but she gets more and more out of control. At the same time I got another rescue who had obviously been abused with a whip. It took me a long time to be able to ride him with one.

Both were also overly sensitive to spurs. So I rode them both without whip and spurs, and of course I could get what I needed. Both I eventually integrated small spurs on, and the rescue I could eventually ride with a whip. I still can’t ride the mare with a whip. She was an eight year old greenbroke broodmare when I got her. She’s had two babies and I brought her to PSG. She also has a kick ass piaffe and passage, and now she has two sponsors (leasors) who ride her-- all of this without a whip.

So, yes, of course you can. You cannot ride with one in championship and FEI classes, so the idea is everyone should be able to. It’s an aide. If you don’t need it, don’t use it.

For your own sake, you do need to learn to use and carry one, though. Find someone to help teach you how to find the right one and carry one. Unlike Foxtail, I have big hands, so I add a big padded handle to my whips, or I drop them all of the time.

[CFFarm]

I have to laugh. I remember telling a student that learning to carry a whip is like learning to wear a bra (sorry guys) or wearing a helmet. After a while it just becomes part of your equipment.

It’s not necessary of course, but it’s so useful in ground work and to transfer from in hand to under saddle (extension of your leg) that it’s a good idea to learn to handle it.

[SarahandSam]

As a bit of a piggyback, if anyone has recommendations for whips for People Who Hate Carrying Whips, I’d love to hear them. I also hate carrying a whip and have gotten away with it because my horse is very responsive, but my trainer ordered me to get a whip and learn to use it properly this spring so it’s an option this summer, and I’ve been dallying. I would like one that doesn’t feel bulky and a shorter one since I’m short and so is my horse.

[Pansonfyre]

What about this kind of whip: http://www.dressageextensions.com/d-cue-curved-whip/p/16281/

A couple people at my barn have it. Some like it, some don’t. But maybe consider it a “gateway” whip?

[Magicboy]

I like the Fleck balance whip that is designed to allow different places to grip. But I think learning to carry a whip, transfer it from hand to hand, is part of riding skills. There may come a time when you need it as a reminder …starting changes, for example. Or even lateral work.
Do you wear spurs? Same thing with spurs

[mountainhorse]

I think it is something you can get away with (not carrying one), to an extent, but it is a valuable thing to learn how to do effectively for when you need it.
I also prefer the Fleck balance whip to others. Try carrying different ones-if you have a local tack shop with various types, go and take some time to feel different ones in your hands, try friends’ whips, etc.
Here is my fav: http://www.dressageextensions.com/feldman-whip/p/1616/

If you were my student, and came to me with that concern, I would make you carry one for your lessons, and we would try different ones and different carrying positions, just to learn ‘how to’ and to get you used to it.
It’s just a new skill that requires time and discipline.

[Scribbler]

My horse went sour on the whip in the saddle (alternately ignoring or getting pissy) so I stopped carrying one regularly. Sometimes have one for lateral work. I do wear spurs, for discipline, not for aids. I do find my hand and arm position is much better without the whip. If I do have it, I sometimes tuck it under my thigh when I need my hands free for things like flexions.

[PDDT]

I have small hands and prefer to ride without one. My horse is very responsive so I rarely need it. However, I have ridden with one and at various times will carry it. I agree that you need to have the skill and comfort to carry one, but that you don’t necessarily have to carry it every time you ride.

[GraceLikeRain]

I am forced to ride without one currently because of the owner’s wishes. However, in every other situation I ride with a whip 100% of the time. I have gone weeks without needing it but I want to have instant reinforcement if needed.

I lost my favorite whip but I prefer a very very light whip with a very thin handle. Personally, I only buy whips in person so that I can find something that feels right in my hand.

[merrygoround]

Unfortunately too many people grip a whip. Dressage whips have a mushroom cap. If the top of the whip is carried in the small opening between thumb and forefinger locking down the rein, and I really can see no other way of carrying it, the whip can lie loosely against the palm. It need not be gripped, so long as the thumb and forefinger connection remains constant.

The whip can then be engaged by a very slight twist of the wrist. It does not need the use of the arm or hand. It then becomes a flick of the whip, not a smack.

Practice its use by sitting on a horse-wide box, or a wide based stool, ;), you can, if you pay attention hear it make contact. The springier, ( more expensive) whips work best.

[netg]

I used to have ride with it in my left hand only because of nerve damage on my left side - there are muscles my brain can’t send signals, so they simply don’t function, ever. The whip gave signals when my leg couldn’t. Over the last 4+ years, I have built up other muscles which help compensate for that and now I switch which hand I have the whip in depending upon need.

I am terrible with the whip in my right hand. I usually drop it (intentionally) at some point during a ride, when I get to more fine or sensitive work where accidentally touching with the whip will upset my horse. One horse just slams on the brakes if I do, the other tries to buck me off. But it’s important I learn to control the whip in both hands (and I am left handed) in case I need it for some reason, or hopefully never but what if I injured that side? My subconscious refuses to remember that the whip bends around my leg and I move my hand to get the whip to directly touch my horse. Not how you’re supposed to do it (unless you are intentionally doing that, of course), but it can work just fine without having to change hand position if I can get myself to always remember that!

One thing which helped me is my trainer played horse’s mouth holding the reins and had me practice while choked up on the whip enough it wouldn’t reach my horse. The feel of the flick in the wrist without pulling on the reins or moving your hand is one you have to actually feel to be able to do, so it gave me the opportunity to try it.

[Ganesha]

I think I might not have been clear in describing the trouble I have with carrying a whip. It doesn’t bounce around or move, and I have no trouble using it with a quick wrist flick. I’ve been riding with a dressage whip for over 10 years.

My issue is that it changes my hand angle / freedom slightly while I’m holding my reins. To accommodate this, I either end up with my forearm angling in a bit more than I’d like, or hand angled in at the wrist more than I like, or the lower part of my whip hand tilted up slightly, or my hands held wider than I like. It is a small adjustment but when I ride without one, I feel so much better aligned physically and mentally.

I’m going to watch some riders and their hand/whip grip at my barn this weekend more closely. Whoever made the bra analogy is spot on. I love getting rid of my whip the same way I love taking my bra off T the end of the day!

[Ganesha]

I think I might not have been clear in describing the trouble I have with carrying a whip. It doesn’t bounce around or move, and I have no trouble using it with a quick wrist flick. I’ve been riding with a dressage whip for over 10 years.

My issue is that it changes my hand angle / freedom slightly while I’m holding my reins. To accommodate this, I either end up with my forearm angling in a bit more than I’d like, or hand angled in at the wrist more than I like, or the lower part of my whip hand tilted up slightly, or my hands held wider than I like. It is a small adjustment but when I ride without one, I feel so much better aligned physically and mentally.

I’m going to watch some riders and their hand/whip grip at my barn this weekend more closely. Whoever made the bra analogy is spot on. I love getting rid of my whip the same way I love taking my bra off T the end of the day!

[ladyj79]

I rarely ride with a whip, i almost always ride in spurs.

[ulan]

Was just thinking to reply to this whip question when I read the reply from merrygoround. This is the only way I had been taught and it only requires that the rider has the correct hand figuration with a hollow fist and correct finger position. Then the whip just sort of hangs and rests on the palm or thigh. You will hardly feel its presence. Good luck.

[SendenHorse]

try a whip that is a length between a jumping bat and a “typical” dressage whip.

[Satirical]

I hardly ride with one. Grant it, all my horses have been on the hot side and super sensitive, so it never was much need. When I ride my sister’s horse, he is much better if you’re holding one–extra insurance.

However, much like what someone mentioned here, I cannot ride my gelding with a whip. I saw pictures of his former rider using one when she rode him. However, every time I’ve tried, it has ended with him getting very worked up, nervous, and downright explosive. Those are tendencies I got out of him a year ago. I’ve desensitized it with him on the ground. He never had a problem with it. But as soon as I am on his back, all hell breaks loose. If I drop the whip, he instantly stops and calms down. I’m sure I could work on it more, but at the moment, it isn’t a hinderance–so I don’t bother.

[Dbliron]

I hate riding with a whip. All my horses are hot, and if they weren’t when I got them they learned to be quick off the leg so that I don’t need to carry a whip. That’s a bigger rider issue than it is a horse issue, almost all horses can be taught to be light off the leg if the rider is really committed to the process. I DO often ride very young and green horses with a whip, in case I need to reinforce the forward without question issue, but as soon as possible I get rid of it. It so often becomes a crutch for riders, and thus it becomes the aid instead of the leg.