Are you a bad rider if you use a crop?

Question

I was auguing with a girl on youtube once and she said that only bad riders use crops when riding
I use a crop when i ride all the time since my horse is still green(he is an ex pacer)so he trys stuff on me
I always kick him on or give a voice command before giving a hit with the crop

So if i do use one does that make me a bad rider??

Answer 1

I don't think using a crop makes you a bad rider,

a lot of olympians use a crop.

Some horses don't respond to leg, so without a crop, how would you get them to move?!

If your horse needs a crop, then use one. It does not make you a bad rider, so that youtuber should get her facts straight!

Answer 2

No, using a whip or crop doesn't make you a bad rider, or a bad person. This girl you were arguing with is clearly IGNORANT and doesn't understand this- and she needs to get a life. I'm a dressage rider myself, and have always used a whip- and almost every professional rider I have ever seen carries at least some type of whip or crop while riding. Many horses don't respond to leg aids alone- and more importantly, there are some disciplines in riding which actually REQUIRE the use of a whip, such as ladies' sidesaddle classes. Women who ride side saddle aren't able to use their right leg, which is why any horse which is used for this purpose must be trained to respond to and accept whip commands. Any sport involving driving or any type of work by horses in harness requires the use of a whip as well.



YOU need to learn to refine your aids so that your horse will respond to a squeeze instead of a kick- I NEVER kick my mare if I can help it. Kicking your horse is good way to get yourself bucked off a lot of the time- there are lots of horses which don't respond well to having their sides hammered on, any more than people do. Besides, if you do too much of this, you are going to make your horse totally DEAD SIDED, which is very unpleasant and hard on you, because it means that you will have to start wearing spurs out of necessity- and if you misuse them, you could end up on the ground anyway. This girl you were arguing with has no understanding of any of this- she's probably someone who has never ridden in her life, or if she has, it was probably a pony ride at the state fair. Whips and crops are not bad things if they are used correctly and consistently. It's the MISUSE and ABUSE of them which gives both them and much of riding an undeserved bad reptuation.

Answer 3

A crop is what's called an artificial aid, like spurs. Many top riders always carry a crop and hold it against their thigh and only use it as a backup when the horse doesn't listen to the leg or voice or stubbornly won't cooperate. Even a novice rider can and should learn to carry and use a crop, as it is a valuable tool and doesn't need to be used unless necessary. Obviously it can be misused or abused, as can anything you use on a horse's back. I wouldn't recommend smacking the living daylights out of a horse, just use a firm clap behind the saddle to get the horse's attention so you can correct whatever behavior it is that is hindering the ride.

Answer 4

A crop is a kind of training tool that can work great in the right hands. I often ride with a crop for horses who need it (ie; my tricky pony, my lazy Appy, my instructor's 5 year old/somewhat green pony, a friend's lazy WB with mostly draft blood, and other horses like that). I try to use a crop as little as possible, because sometimes I start to feel bad about it, but as soon as I drop the crop my horse starts ignoring my leg. Rather than cantering she'll trot a little faster. Once she can listen without the crop, I'll probably stop using it. But if used in the wrong hands, it can be very abusive. You probably aren't a bad rider, the girl on YouTube was probably trying to "protect the horses" without realizing it's not a bad thing to use.

Answer 5

A crop or whip that is used incorrectly perhaps makes for a bad rider. They have a purpose and many of the top riders use them, if used correctly they are fine.



I remember many years ago when I was in the Pony Club a girl was asked to leave, not just the show, but also the pony club for beating her horse so hard and so long that she snapped her crop in half. Now, that's not the way they are to be used.



I used a schooling whip whilst schooling. Sometimes my horse just needs a bit of a wake up. I use a crop when jumping because sometimes he gets a bit carried away and I need more than my legs and voice to make him listen.

Answer 6

No, you are not a bad rider if you use a crop. In fact, one of the best instructors I ever had insisted that we all carry a crop on every horse we ever rode. She always said, "you don't have to use it, but if you do need it then you'll have it ready."



Ask yourself what is worse: hitting your horse once so he respects you and listens to a light squeeze of your leg, or continuing to kick him as hard as you can the entire time you ride?



I see some well-meaning riders kicking and nagging their horse with their legs all the time until the poor horse's sides are almost completely numb to it, all because they don't want to use a crop. That is what I call cruelty! I almost never kick a horse. They learn that if they don't go from a light squeeze, they'll get a whack with my crop. I usually only need to do it once, and then the horse gets the idea that I mean business. So the rest of the time the horse is listening to my light squeeze from my legs, and I don't have to kick until his sides are dead.



Some people use spurs instead of a crop, which is OK as long as the rider's legs are steady enough to not accidentally spur the horse when they don't mean to. But almost all expert riders either carry a crop/whip or wear spurs. A rider who does not understand why you might need a crop sometimes is the bad rider. If they want to learn and increase their skills, they are the one who must learn better.

Answer 7

the answer is 'it depends' .



Often people think that a whip is ALWAYS used to beat a horse. I keep a few whips, they aren't used to beat a horse, they're used as an extension of my arm to communicate what I request from the horses.



You SHOULD be able to control the horse without having to hit it for any reason. You see, a horse knows the difference between consequences and punishment. The difference between a good leader and a bad leader to the horse is that the good leader knows how to use positive rewards and consequences properly to communicate requests and rewards proper action. A bad leader simply punishes.



Think about it - if you've been asked to do a task, do you learn better how to do what the requester asks if they wait till you respond incorrectly then whip or hit you or will you learn better if the person gently stops you when you're going about something wrong, teaches you the correct way then rewards when you've done a segment correctly? which type of requester would you respect more?



Your horse "tests' you as you say he 'trys stuff on me" becuase you are 1. A poor leader, 2. You are inconsistent 3. You don't offer him the request in a manner/time range that he can comply with and 4. You are wont to hit and punish him rather than teach and reward.



He has absolutely no respect for you - it has nothing to do with whether he's an ex pacer or green. Your job as his leader is to ask softly in a consistent way he can understand, give him the option to react properly or not - then his options should be to do what you wish or work hard at something he doesn't like. You hitting him teaches him absolutely nothing other than more and more dis respect and dislike of you.



You must ask a green horse for a very small thing in a very small way first. Never think "He knows better" because he doesn't - he only learns by quiet, proper, consistent, repetitive request and proper reward.



So, I would say that 1. Not everyone who rides with a crop is a bad rider. 2. it's a bad idea to get into an 'argument' with anyone - all is proves is that you've got a heart felt opinion you wish to push on someone else without hard, fast facts to back up your opinion and 3 you ARE a bad rider if you feel you must hit your horse to get him to respond properly. If you 'kick' or give him a voice command, then hit him if he doesn't respond, you're a bad rider.



Instead you should be 'asking' via use of low to high pressure to do something. Start by controlling the direction of his feet in all 4 directions from the ground, right, left, back and forward. Use varying amounts of pressure. You want the horse to step back, there are many ways - you can press the horse's chest with 2 ounces of pressure - no response, increase to 4 ounces of pressure, no response press with 1 lb of pressure IMMEDIATELY removing the pressure when he begins to shift weight from front to back (start backing) -the release of the pressure is the reward he learns from. Pet him and tell him he's a great horse, then try it again. Do that 20 times until the slightest hint of pressure on his chest causes him to move back. What has been achieved once you can get to this point is 1. Lightness 2. respect 3. Understanding from the horse for what you desire 4. Patience on your part 5. Your horse begins to look to you as a trusted leader rather than someone who doesn't give him a chance to respond before hitting him.



You can use this apply and release of pressure in millionso f ways to teach him to do what you wish. You will get farther, faster and have a more solidly trained horse i nthe long run that kicking and hitting him until he responds. Get into a tough spot with this horse, he'll leave your sorry butt behind in a heartbeat when the going gets tough.

Answer 8

It is okay to use a crop and dosent meen that you are a bad rider. I train many horses and I always have a crop with me because they do exactly what you are experiencing with your horse, try stuff. Green horses can be a real pain and sometimes people dont understand that you have to use a crop. If you arent being abusive with it then you are fine. I know one girl who every time her horse ducks out of a jump or dosent listen to her leg beats her with the whip or crop (she did it to my gelding to) and this makes her a "BAD RIDER". It is people like that who give the good riders with crops a bad name. So to answer your question; No you are not a bad rider for carrying a crop, you are a smart rider!

Answer 9

Some people just don't understand. The animal rights movement has gone a bit crazy. If you are bruising your horse with it, it's too much and you have a lead filled crop, the rest of the time, it's okay.



Crops are perfectly acceptable as a training aid. If you could reach, you'd slap the animal on the shoulder so that a) he knows you are there, b) so that he pays attention and c) so that he senses pressure on that side and doesn't try to duck out. Most horses require a crop, particularly if they are being asked to do something difficult.



I can understand the argument against crops as it does look bad. The reply to this is that they cause minimal pain, and only if they are used strongly. I don't advocate getting stuck into an animal with a crop, whip or two by four, however a tap on the shoulder as a reminder is fine.



The girl who told you this is probably kindhearted and misled.

Answer 10

No.

If you are using the crop to the extent of bruising the horse, it's another story, but if you are just persuading the horse with the crop it does not make you a bad rider. A crop is what we call "artificial aids" which is stuff that helps spur the horses on - like whips, crops, spurs, etc. "Natural aids" are your voice, your legs, etc. Using a crop does nto make you a bad rider - OK, I have two horses and I don't use the crop on my "main" horse, Enzo, but my other horse called Juno I crop sometimes and I certainly don't think I'm a bad rider!

Answer 11

No using a crop does not make you a bad rider. I use one on my boy all the time when I ride, especially in the round pen as he scraps my legs along the wall so I put it on the shoulder closest to the wall and it keeps him away from it, plus he is very lazy so the odd tap behind the girth wakes him up. Plus I do a lot of dressage and normally use a whip for that as well as jumping as I said before my boy is lazy and sometimes slows right down before a jump

Answer 12

No, it doesn't make you a bad rider. A lot of people use a crop. You should carry a crop even though you won't use it just in case. I use the crop on my lesson horse sometimes if she's being lazy. She'll listen if I have the crop with me.

Answer 13

You should use crops because if the horse misbehaved or not doing as it is told and to make the horses go faster loads of people use spurs and there worser than crops.



Don't listen to that girl lol shes a freak. You sound like a brill rider :} (Y)

Answer 14

Just because you use a crop doesn't make you a bad rider at all. I think its a misconception, I do know a couple of riders who are bad riders who ride with crops but that doesn't mean that everyone who uses a crop is a bad rider.

The persons just stupid, I bet they don't even know who to ride with a crop

Answer 15

no...as long as your horse can handle it and you know how to use it properly.

the reason that people think this is because there are some horses you should never use a crop on, yet people do anyways.

for me, even though my horse does her best to outsmart me, and she can be a brat, i realize that using a crop on her would be counter productive, as shes a reformed abuse case and she'd never let me near her again.

now, if i had a horse in a completely undamaged state of mind, i might consider using a crop-but honestly, its just another thing to fuss with and get distracted.

Answer 16

No, it doesn't make you a bad rider.

A lot of people use a crop.

You should carry a crop even though you may no even have to use,

my horse listen better to me without even using it, its as if she just knows that's it there and to behave.

Answer 17

I don't think it does. Simply because if you use it for the right reasons (like you do) then it doesn't really cause a problem. You can't be a bad person for just tapping your horse to tell him off occasionally.

I carry a crop with my young horse (4 yr old) to give hip a light tap when he is naughty

I don't think there is a problem really =)

Answer 18

No. not at all. All the pro's and olympic champions use crops!!!! She wouldn't dare say they are bad riders right? Maybe, she's saying that because she knows shes a bad rider and s insecure so shes trying to make you feel insecure too. Or maybe she thinks she knows it all, and she doesn't, or maybe shes just a bytch. Or, all three. Yep, thats my bet! lol. Just ignore her.

Hope I helped! Best of luck!

~Hannah

Answer 19

No You deffinatly are not.



Just because you use a crop you're not a bad rider but i don't use one but i can kinda see her point of veiw.

Answer 20

No it is a way to show the horse that your the brains of the opperation not them. Do you use spurs? If I had a pair I would get the ones with the blunt end. I think that girl on you tube has all the earmarkings of being a PETA freak.

Answer 21

Olympic show jumpers use crops. Dressage riders use whips for schooling. Are they bad riders? Not most of them.

Answer 22

it really does depend on how you use it and how often, you must NEVER beat a horse but the odd smack is fine.

Answer 23

your not a bad rider unless you are being abusive. if marks are on your animal then yes you suck and you suck big time. if you are being moderate w/ it then its not a bad thing. also spurs definitely awful, no negotiation on that.