Whips and Spurs!!

Alex's Dressage Tips

Whips and Spurs!!

Both are really helpful in creating energy at the desired times to help the rider create energy and engagement, when used correctly. They also help with discipline and to promote training, when used correctly.

BUT – In test situation I often see….

- Competitors passing the whip over from hand to hand when changing rein. In so doing, they lose the contact and often lose rhythm and balance at the same time. 
- Competitors use the whip to create energy instead of using an effective lower leg. Typically the horse hollows and loses rhythm as the whip creates a flight instinct, not gentle forward motivation.
- Competitors carrying a whip when riding horses that clearly do no lack energy and simply holding the whip creating a distraction to both horse and rider.
- Competitors with their toes clearly out (sometimes like Charlie Chaplin!) riding between hand and spur, so using no lower leg, just spur. In many of these instances the horse responds by hollowing, tightening over the back, losing rhythm and ears back. Often we see horses kicking out with their hind legs at an overzealous spur aid.

Tips…
- Never use a whip or spur to substitute an effective lower leg. Instead they should be used to train the horse to be more responsive to the lower leg. 
- When carrying a whip, choose a hand to hold it in and keep it in that hand.
- Practise ‘pigeon toe’ exercises off the horse to increase your ability to ride with spurs but not using them unless required. 
- If you have a forward going and responsive horse, then ride without a whip or spurs and focus on using your hand, seat and lower leg more effectively.
- Keep an eye on your horse’s ears and if they go flat back when you use your spur, then it’s too much, be softer with them..
- Take some time out at each competition to watch the better riders and analyze how they use their whips and spurs. Better still, watch YouTube videos of the top competitors and see how much they rely on their lower leg, not their spurs or whip. Then copy!!.

Ask your trainer to help you if you have any concerns about whether you’re using them correctly