Should I carry and use a whip?

Many of us carry a whip when we are riding out of habit, because we have been told that it is the right thing to do, or because everybody else does. But is this right? We should all be considering our choices, all of the time, when it comes to how we manage and ride our horses. Times move on, and so should we.

The aim of this decision tree is to help riders decide whether they should carry a whip in the first place – and, if so, whether they should touch their horse with it in a particular situation. The decision tree does not cover use of the whip to open gates, flag down cars, etc. (i.e., non-horse contact uses) or use of the whip during groundwork, driving, or lungeing. It also cannot cover every horse-contact situation, so of course there will be exceptions to its guidance. However, it provides a guide for riders and coaches to reconsider some of the situations in which they might previously have used a whip, and to decide whether that is both appropriate and useful.

Whenever you interact with a horse, think about what you are doing and what you are aiming to achieve:

• Are you doing something that the horse will like? Or will they find it slightly irritating/unpleasant?
• Are you adding something to the situation? Or are you removing  something?
• Is your aim to make what the horse does more likely? Or less likely?

The horse should keep walking without repeated leg pressure/whip tapping. If they do not, consult a qualified coach who understands learning theory/read about negative reinforcement.

If the horse does not respond to a series of light whip taps, increase the frequency of the taps, not the amount of force used. Note that the whip taps should be constant and should not stop until the correct behaviour is offered. This allows the horse to ‘switch them off’ by offering the correct behaviour.

The whip should be regarded as a signalling instrument and should only be used in a light tapping motion, never with force. If a horse’s previous experience means that whip use induces tension, it is important to overcome this before the whip is used. Andrew McLean’s article 6 Ethical Ways to De-spook Your Horse includes some useful strategies for dealing with this issue.

If the handler uses the whip on the cannon bone and stops tapping at the wrong time, they may end up training the horse to strike. Tapping the horse on the chest is an alternative method that does not encourage striking.

If the horse does not respond to a series of light whip taps, increase the frequency of the taps, not the amount of force used. Note that the whip taps should be constant and should not stop until the correct behaviour is offered. This allows the horse to ‘switch them off’ by offering the correct behaviour.

The aim is for the horse to step back from light lead rope pressure only, so whip taps should be phased out quickly.

It’s OK to use a whip if you:

• Understand correct use of negative reinforcement
• Use the whip as a signalling instrument (e.g. lungeing) or to lightly tap-tap-tap
• Increase the frequency (but not the intensity) of tapping if there is no response after a few seconds
• Increase the intensity only if the horse does not respond when you are tapping as fast as you can, and never to the level that would cause pain and/or fear
• Stop tapping immediately the horse offers the smallest glimmer of the correct response

It’s not OK to use a whip if you:

• Use the whip for anything other than as a signalling instrument (e.g., lungeing) or in a light, rhythmic tapping motion
• Stop tapping at the wrong time/reward the wrong response
• Cause pain and/or fear
• Use the whip in anger or frustration
• Use the whip with force
• Don’t understand:
  • Correct use of negative reinforcement
  • The importance of getting your timing right in negative reinforcement

Useful resources