How to use a whip whop/ giddy up rope

I used to use one of them with a pony I used to ride, we used to just sort of wave it about a bit so that the pony could see it
 
well they already had it at the yard when I went there, I never actually knew it was a real thing I thought they just made it lol, but we just got told to wave it so that the pony can just see it, I suppose you could just make your own as its just a think piece of rope eh
 
I use a lead rope with the metal bit cut off, and I spin it round and round like a helicopter's rotor blades, but on the vertical plane. I taught my horse to respond to the circling of the rope on the ground first, and she's very responsive to it - I don't wack her or myself with it at all. I think it's much better than a whip, at least for me and my horse...
 
I think this will be better for us both too, she reacts quite badly to the whip when she plants hacking out alone- rearing. spinning, running backwards, with the pebbles in a bottle she went forwards when she planted up to a point. I only used it if she stopped/ went backwards but its difficult shaking a bottle when a horse is trying to spin lol
 
I just use my hand to tap myself on the thigh after i've stroked his sides to move forwards, before moving onto his bottom. I found it keeps me lighter and i don't have the wrisk of losing my hand, or forgetting to bring my hand with me. Or getting it stuck in a tree for example.

An item in your hand can be used by mistake in anger, if you do this with your hand it will hurt you more.
I do however carry a short stick this is to flick flies away, i did think about the whip with rope things but i was worried i'd flick his eye out.
If your consisent with what ever phases you do then you will get a lighter horse. I did think about the swinging of the rope, but anything swung above his head i'd like him to be able to stand while i do it, also if you ride in company there is a risk of upsetting your companion or hitting the other horse. I have poked someone before when i used to carry the cs out on hacks.
 
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A proper IH wipwop is very thick and very light and it's almost impossible to inflict pain with it. It's primarily a visual stimulus but also tickles the horse and is used from side to side at waist level behind the rider, or over and over at the wither.

I used to use a loop of leadrope with no buckle with Rio, which had the advantage of being able to be stowed over my shoulder out of the way when I didn't need it. I found it most effective to use it from side to side at chest level and whack it on my body protector. It was pretty effective and it was eventually enough just to reach for it and she would walk on.

The main thing is to stop whatever you're doing the moment you get forward movement, otherwise you end up desensitising them. Well worth trying with a nappy horse as you're using pressure without inflicting physical discomfort, which makes a big difference with some horses.
 
That's a great way of dealing with things if it works, but some horses are immune to it and will just dig their heels in further or throw their toys out of the pram even if you use the whip with meaning on them. If that's the case using something like a wip wop is a useful alternative. As ever it's always worth asking yourself why the horse could be napping, and trying to look at the causes rather than just the symptoms if you can :)
 
G'day all

As already covered the Monty wip wop is a soft rope 'crop' used to visually stimulate a horse. The technique is boarder line between promoting a reaction or a response. The ideal training situation is to promote a response.
The original thread also reffered to giddy up ropes...again a visual, audio stimulation the can promote a reaction or a response. The gidy up rope can also be a set of split reins where the rider whips their thighs to promote an increase in gait/speed or whatever. The traditional romel reins have an inbuilt whip/crop/giddy up rope ....designed to be a length that can wrap over a horses head and whack the top lip of a horse...but this does not mean this is the only use of the tack...it is all in the hands of the rider.

It is taking the moral high ground, but it is every riders responsibility to understand the tack they use, including soft rope waved around near a horse.

feel a bit better now, just wish I had an eccles cake and a cup of tea.
do you know how hard it is to find eccles cakes in OZ :0)
 
Whip Whops

When I bought my recently broken NF 2 years ago, he had absolutely no forward motion at all the the slowest single pace I had ever seen on a horse! In fact I wondered whether he was "all there", he was! He has a wonderful nature and I thought I would give him a try, and the first thing we needed was to get him to move forward without constant leg.

The whip whop was great for this, I have to say I bought a curtain tie back for £2.99 and used the swing the tassel end in his sight but never hit him with it, I did once catch myself though! It has now disintegrated, so I am sure the IH are brilliant, but equally I only used it for a few weeks until he got that walk on wasnt just a joke!

The only thing I would say is make sure that the tie backs dont have hard ridges and obviously look at the issue of them getting caught in hedges etc. they can also be used as a very useful fly swat.

I do feel that as long as it is to reinforce something that they are great and would rather carry that on a younster than a whip. However, everyone has their own opinion and their own horse, I am sure that the sudden movement in some horses would cause a huge leap forward so desensitise first very safely!
 
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