Hi, I just watched the video and I must say I don't like the style of this guy. As I read in the internet he is Olympic Gold Medalist. Well I don't care, watching him I noticed, that his transitions, halts and pirouettes are really harsh. He has hard and not independent hands, is hanging in the rains, putting all his wait in there, his legs go forward in the halt, the spurs were continuously touching the flanks, when he made the pirouette, the horse did not know what he was asking. Maybe it has to be like this, but there is no harmony in there. Even with a young horse we can search for harmony in the movements, but it seemed he was working against the horse and vice versa. He had a whip, but at least did not use it. What were we supposed to learn from it ?
Sorry I have to say what I don't like, can't help it.

Hi all
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We have to remember that whips can be used for ques in the same way as our legs. The guy was not beating the horses with the whip, from what I interpreted from the videos, it was being used as a que. it's not my preference to use a whip, but if the horse i am riding is trained to respond to certain cue from it, I would have to change my style to accommodate.
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It's not the tool that causes the harm; it's the hands that hold it.
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Kind regards,
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Gen

Hi, I agree with Gen. Quite often i myself use a short dressage whip but NOT for pain. I only really use it when jumping as well just be sure of correct lead etc. also my riding teacher asks me to ride her clients horses sometimes, as she doesn't ride, and I occasionally am asked to carry I whip for safety reasons of some kind

I have been taught to use a whip as an extra aid in showjumping: when the horse's shoulder "disappears" out the side of the fence we are approaching I tap it with the whip to help him get in line rather than just tugging on the reins. Similarly in dressage a whip is a great aid to get the horse to understand how to move his hindquarters better in certain exercises, where it is actually used to lightly tickle the horse! So I think people should not be shocked when they see a rider carrying a whip...they should first consider how it is being used and what purpose it serves. I have seen people riding without whips who managed to cause plenty of pain and damage by pulling too hard on the reins or using spurs, so it really is not the object that is bad, but the rider that should know how to use it.

We need to remember that we all have our own way - and for us (and Monty) we do not demand things from horses - nor from people. It is a thrill to hear horse people tell you one they THEY GOT IT - we have different frames of references and that is a good thing. Loving the horse owner is essential if you want to help their horse - or at least truly understand why they think and do the way they do - just look at us here at the FORUM, we all have different ideas about everything!
Warmest Ann