Monty Roberts Equus Online University | Monty's Horse Training Post: Desensitizing to a Whip

Learn all about Equus • Dually Halter • Shy Boy Mustang • Jumping Horses
• Story of a Horse Whisperer • Riding Horsemanship • Dressage Horses • Willing Partners
• Horse Training • Round Pen Lessons • Performance Horses • Join-Up

Watch Monty's horse training videos to learn how he demonstrates communication through horse training techniques that the amateur and professional alike consider to be the trainable skills of a horse whisperer yet Monty calls it horse gentling.
Monty's horse training techniques are non violent with intelligent natural horsemanship. In addition to video instructions, Monty has written many books related to natural horsemanship. Monty trains safe horses for nervous riders called Willing Partners. Monty trains world class race horses for sale.
“I am very proud to be a part of Her Majesty’s horse training and her passion for their welfare. I believe she is the leading monarch for the advocacy of horses in the world. She is a thought leader in this field. Her Majesty's horses are trained using the Dually Halter, making a difference in the training of sensitive animals by giving the horse the choice to partner in the training.” ~ Monty
“I communicate with a horse in what I call the Language of Equus; a silent language of gestures that is discernible, predictable and effective. Now you can learn from my videos, audio and notes to help you understand the horse as I do. This language is really quite simple, but simplicity becomes its greatest strength.” ~ Monty
Monty Roberts is a renowned horse trainer known as the man who listens to horses and the original horse whisperer. Monty's horse training instructions are accepted worldwide.
Monty has helped thousands of people globally through his Monty Roberts Online Videos to learn how to Join-Up with horses, training young horses, spooky horses, horses that bite. His mustang , Shy Boy , is his most famous horse.
Join-Up methods help horse and trainer to establish a bond of communication and trust. “You must somehow understand that we as horsemen can do very little to teach the horse. What we can do is to create an environment in which he can learn.” ~ Monty
Monty says, “We hear that ‘actions speak louder than words,’ but generally we do not live by it too successfully.” Now Monty has taught thousands of people worldwide how to build trust in animals through our actions and body language.
Monty’s principles really amount to common sense and immense patience. He believes that children and horses have the same behavioral patterns. They are both naturally “flight” animals. "If you frighten them and resort to confrontation, you’ll lose their trust." ~ Monty
"Simple one-on-one reassurances and praise reap long term dividends that can all be undone with the quick slamming of a book on a desk or shouting back." ~ Monty Roberts
"No one of us was born with the right to say 'You must or I'll hurt you' to any other living thing, animal or human". ~ Monty Roberts
"My life's goal is to leave the world a better place than I found it, for horses and for people too". ~ Monty Roberts

← back

University Suggestion Box

Desensitizing to a Whip

By:

madison

Date:

2012-Mar-02 at 09:02PM

My horse was hit with a whip so he would get on a trailer. Now he is terrified of people popping and flapping the string. I was wondering how I could desensitize him to it.

MaggieF, Melbourne - Australia 2012-Mar-03 at 01:51AM

Madison check out the Forum link "What I say to my friends who don't understand why I am doing this" the lead "Common questions my friends always ask me" This thread concerned the question of whips and "desensitizing to a whip" was one of the things we suggested there. There are a lot of entries!

MaggieF, Melbourne - Australia 2012-Mar-03 at 01:56AM

Ooops! Sorry Madison. Just realised that you made a number of responses in that thread already. I can't ad much to what I said there. I do think you can desensitise your horse to the whip but it will take some time. If he is terrified of lunge whips then that is the whip you will have to use to desensitise him. Just introduce it slowly as I suggested in that thread - just like Monty does with other phobia's. Good luck with it

star 2012-Mar-03 at 11:58AM

Hi Madison,
I use a driving whip as an extention of my arm with my mare. I can now wrap it all over her and she will stand completly still.
With your horse on a lead rope let the horse smell the whip or bite it, lick it or whatever it wants to do with it.
Then slowly take the string of the whip and gently move it on the ground away from the horse.
Now leading the horse, some distance from you, hold the whip in one hand over your shoulder allowing the string to hang behind you, walk as you normally would. Swing the whip back and forth on your shoulder.
Eventually the horse will become curious.
Now holding the whip in your hand and holding the string against the whip handle take the lead rope in one hand and the wrapped whip in the other and rub the whip back and forth on the lead rope. Up and down slowly, getting closer to the halter.
Do this slowly and often, he will overcome his fear and you can eventually wrap the horse in the whip and he will not be afraid.