Is it right to use a riding crop on a horse.

[RATTER15]

I was just thinking, I don't know a great deal about horses and have never used a riding crop on a horse, I have however done a fair bit of riding.
Horse racing brings the riding crop into full use, being used to make the horse run faster, if no jockeys had a riding crop they would all be at the same disadvantage, however they may not run as fast and therefore not so entertaining.

I'm pretty sure it must hurt the horses especially with its constant use in the same place over and over.

I don't personally have any strong views on this as I have never been hit with one and never used one and i,m sure I don't want to be, are they necessary?

[notasyoungasiwas]

boxtops re your earlier post - I think that rule has already been brought in and not before time in my opinion. I remember seeing jockeys on TV up in arms about it.

[albaqwerty]

I've heard that the crop was modified some years ago and isn't a rigid stick as it once was.

[jedimistress]

Wildwood, you mentioned "club meets". Does the word "meet" tend to refer to the get together prior to a hunt, or is it also used often to describe a get together of non hunting riders? I had previously only associated it with hunting. Thanks.

[sunny-dave]

Pony Club meets I think?

[lankeela]

I used to use a slightly longer schooling whip on my rather lazy old boy, a light touch on his flanks occasionally would keep him walking on rather than just plodding and was also used to keep direction if you were cantering as he would sometimes veer sideways or if there was something on the verge and he wanted to go out into the road. Jockeys mostly use the whip in races flapping them in the air alongside the horse to encourage them on and also as someone else said to keep them going straight, you will often hear the commentator say they have changed their whip to the other hand if the horse is too near another and they need to make it move over. There is a rule on the amount of times a jockey can use one actually making contact with the horse. Although I know there is a need for a jockey to carry a whip in a race for these reasons I think there is nothing finer than seeing a good jockey win a race using hands and heels and riding a finish. Having ridden point to pointers and exercised NH horses who often have no manners (or brains!) I would not want to ride one without at least having a whip to fall back on.