# use of riding crop, do you use on the shoulder or behind the leg



## Quartz (26 February 2011)

What situations do you use your riding crops for and where on the horse do you use them.  I tend to always ride with one but only ever use it if he doesn't listein to my leg aid (not very often as hes pretty forward going)!  Then obviously I would tap the riding crop behind my leg.  I have always been told riding crop behind for leg aids, and on the shoulder when they've done something naugthy.  What situations would you use your riding crop on the shoulder for?


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## Kadastorm (26 February 2011)

I use a crop for riding on the road and jumping. 
I use it to back up my leg aid when the horse is backing off a jump or not moving forward. 
The only times i have used the crop on the shoulder is when the horse has spooked to the side and refusing to move back over. 
I use a schooling whip alot too, but of course, its only to back up my leg.


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## Cuppatea (26 February 2011)

i tap/slap on the shoulder first and if that doesnt work then i go behind the saddle. I only ever go behind the saddle when its _*serious*_!I tap/slap the shoulder to wake them up/make them concentrate/stop a spook before it starts/as extra leg aid when im riding too shortor when they're not listening to my leg....


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## somethingorother (26 February 2011)

I usually ride with a schooling whip which i use to back my leg aids up but mostly for sideways movement rather than askign to go forwards. I use it a lot when doing lateral work if the quarters aren't moving over as much, just a few bouncy light taps to remind the horse that the back end needs to move over more. I jump with a short crop and use this on the shoulder if they try to duck out or fall out to the side and ignore the leg. I try to never use a whip as punishment but i'm not perfect and when on the roads if they do something naughty like bucking then they may get a tap behind the leg.


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## nikkimariet (26 February 2011)

When I had my jumping pony; t would be a short slap down the shoulder if he refused/spooked. Everything else would be aimed toward his bum. 

At the mo with a schooling whip, it's used behind my leg as encouragement. If I'm doing in hand schooling, it's used anywhere - for instance doing pi/pa with Bruce, his points are his knee, his hock and right on top of his bum. xoxo


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## scarymare (26 February 2011)

Your BHS instructor will tell you that you have to use it behind the leg as on the shoulder isn't asking horse to go forwards.  However I find this nonsense.  If you use behind the leg then imo you are far more likely to get a buck from the horse as a resistance.


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## LizzyandToddy (26 February 2011)

backside as that's where the power has to come from! 
Only smack for naughtyness, normally just carry a schooling whip 
I do have a very backwards thinking horse though, so slapping the shoulder is pointless!


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## Wishful (26 February 2011)

Slap on the shoulder for naughtiness (i.e. aiming to bite) or going to eat hedge or grass or similar.  Usually would only use down the shoulder when the horse has gone to bite another though.  Might tap lightly on the shoulder if I'm being squished against the edge of the school in addition to leg (as a more forceful leg aid is inhibited by school wall at that point), and would tend to lay the whip (static) on the shoulder where the horse is falling in through that shoulder in a particular corder.  Behind leg for "forwards" sort of things.  Jumping - not a chance - I want both hands near the mane so I can grab if it all goes wrong...


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## Quartz (26 February 2011)

You see I hardly ever use my crop as when I use behind the leg he really shoots off, but anyway never really need to do that as he is very forward going.  However I never use it on the shoulder either when he spooks but may try a light tap on the shoulder when he spooks in the school as he has one or two areas he always spooks in when we canter.


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## Cadfael&Coffee (26 February 2011)

I rarely use my crop, but I always carry it whilst hacking- either just in case he's an arse about something, in which case a touch on his shoulder is enough to get my point across.

Alternatively it's if we meet anything super scary, I don't touch him with it I just take it out my boot and he knows i mean business lol!! 

It's mainly preventative. I prob only take it out my boot (my super lazy carrying system!!!) probably once in every 20 rides.

Sometimes I carry a schooling whip whilst schooling, but rarely have to touch him with it, and I usually drop it after 5 mins. If I do touch him with it it'll be behind the leg.

I've never properly tapped/ smacked him yet- never needed to!!


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## Chloe..x (26 February 2011)

IMO, a slap on the shoulder does sod all to the horse. A whip should only be used behind the leg to reinforce the leg aid. If a horse spooks, then why should if get a slap for it?


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## Brontie (26 February 2011)

When riding with a short whip, I personally use it behind the leg, to back up the use of my leg. However, I do know friends that use it on a shoulder either as a punishment, for a buck / nap, and to use it to ask the horse to wake up and concentrate.


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## Cuppatea (26 February 2011)

Chloe..x said:



			IMO, a slap on the shoulder does sod all to the horse.
		
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Ride a racehorse, slap it down the shoulder then tell me a slap down the shoulder does nothing.....



Chloe..x said:



			If a horse spooks, then why should if get a slap for it?
		
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because its being naughty???


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## Alexa&Tess (26 February 2011)

My cob has the potential to be very nappy and picks up nappy habit very easily. So much that after her spinning and broncing back the way we came down a bridleway on New Years Eve, I was feeling a bit nervous hacking her out.

I now use my crop on her shoulder at the first sign of her being cheeky and then she is fine for the rest of the ride.

I use it behind my leg for more forwards motion when schooling or hacking in walk and trot. If I want more speed when cantering or galloping out hacking I swish it past her ears and neck race horse style to make a noise but without hitting her.

I also lay the whip on her neck (lay gently not hitting in any way) if I want her to move over for a car. I don't know where I picked that up from but it works.


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## Cadfael&Coffee (26 February 2011)

Deleted


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## Cadfael&Coffee (26 February 2011)

Chloe..x said:



			IMO, a slap on the shoulder does sod all to the horse. A whip should only be used behind the leg to reinforce the leg aid. If a horse spooks, then why should if get a slap for it?
		
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1. My horse is super sensitive so I'd rather not slap him in either place!! A touch is more than enough, no matter where it is

2. He doesnt get smacked/ slapped for spooking, he gets a touch if he spooks into a car or is jumping sideways into a ditch

Not every horse needs a smack behind the leg to respond!!! It's an aid not a crutch!! 

Plus, if you 'slapped' many of the horses I ride/ have ridden I am afraid they would buck you into next week, and rightly so!!!

I can see cuppatea has a similar ethic to me lol!!


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## 3Beasties (26 February 2011)

I ALWAYS carry a whip although don't need to use it very often.

I tend to use it behind my leg/on his bum if I am asking him to go forward, and he gets a tap down the shoulder if he is being silly/spooky etc and I need to get his attention back on me.


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## Starbucks (26 February 2011)

I don't actually own one!  Never carry one on Badger or Caffrey, they are quite experienced and don't really do anything naughty so I don't see the point in carrying one round.  Saying that, I probably should carry one on Badger especially hunting because he does like to try and bite other horses quite a lot!  If I did carry one he'd probably get a slap on the shoulder, as it is he gets a telling off and a slap on the neck with my hand... very pathetic I know!!


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## Chloe..x (26 February 2011)

cuppatea said:



			Ride a racehorse, slap it down the shoulder then tell me a slap down the shoulder does nothing.....



because its being naughty???
		
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Okay, so a horse gets a little fright so it condones a slap across the shoulder. 
Poor horse!



Cadfael&Coffee said:



			1. My horse is super sensitive so I'd rather not slap him in either place!! A touch is more than enough, no matter where it is

2. He doesnt get smacked/ slapped for spooking, he gets a touch if he spooks into a car or is jumping sideways into a ditch

Not every horse needs a smack behind the leg to respond!!! It's an aid not a crutch!! 

Plus, if you 'slapped' many of the horses I ride/ have ridden I am afraid they would buck you into next week, and rightly so!!!

I can see cuppatea has a similar ethic to me lol!!

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I was replying in response to most of the posts in this topic. Slap/Smack same difference


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## RolyPolyPony (26 February 2011)

I can't remember the last time I used a crop. But I was always taught to use it behind the leg as it is to back up leg aids.


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## Batgirl (26 February 2011)

I don't carry a crop/schooling stick when schooling at all, sensitive horse and I use good leg aids, I may start using one when we start more lateral work.

I carry a schooling whip when hacking because it allows me to give him a little flick without taking my hands off the reins, he naps and starts swinging his back end out.  He has only ever got a smack/slap a couple of times and it has been once on his shoulder when he was going to nip my friends horse and once behind the leg when he was napping badly.

Usually voice commands are good enough with him.


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## Cuppatea (26 February 2011)

Chloe..x said:



			Okay, so a horse gets a little fright so it condones a slap across the shoulder. 
Poor horse!
		
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if a horse i'm riding is genuinly frightened, it gets patted, reassured, talked to etc etc.
If a horse i am riding spooks trying to take the pee - it'll be told off.

poor horse????


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## welsh_monster (27 February 2011)

I've always been taught shoulder if naughty with a firm "no" so they understand it's for their behaviour, behind the leg for forward motion! 

I very, very rarely actually use the whip on my mare, if I do it's on the shoulder, behind the leg leads to us falling out. One tap behind the leg gets me a warning kick, 2nd tap gets me a small buck and I'd imagine the 3rd if I ever tried it would lead to me being on the floor! 

Thankfully she is very responsive to legand we have other tricks if she's being a pain, rather than use whip!


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## Vixen Van Debz (27 February 2011)

It depend on the horse for me! One RS horse is a bucker when he's tapped behind the leg, bucking without fail every single time, and hitting him on the shoulder does make him more forward so that's what most folk do with him. With the 5yr old I ride, it's a very clear line with shoulder taps being for naughtiness, especially rubbing my leg against the school, and behind my leg to get him more forwards. Luckily he needs very little of either (and the leg rubbing is avoided by contact and yielding to the outside leg in an anticipatory manner 95% of the time).

My preference is always behind the leg for a lazy horse ignoring leg aids, on the shoulder for misbehaviour, but I do what works better for the horse.


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