Quiet Riding

"True horsemen require legs and hands; incompetent riders need a whip."

"I use the whip, only to aid the memory of the horse, and to induce him to obey the spur without frightening him."

"Although the switch is carried more for style than necessity, it nevertheless does sometimes prove to be a useful aid."

"When working in a riding hall, the switch should always be held on the side opposite that toward which the horse is moving because it should only be used to animate those parts of the horses that are on the outside of the ring."

"...the whip must be used sparingly, because an overly frequent use of it will discourage the horse, make him vicious and an enemy of man and of the School, and will destroy his kindness which, once lost, will never return."

"The horse's improved responsiveness when a rider simply carries a whip often comes as much from the rider believing the horse will respond to aids and therefore giving better aids, than from the horse's actual fear of the whip."

"Whips can also be used as an extension of our hands. Taps or even pointing with a whip can convey a certain timing or activate certain muscle groups, and a whip can be used like a flexible barrier. Horses with whom whips have been used in this way have no fear of whips at all."

"...study your horse to know if, when and how strong he needs it. Never use the whip in anger."

"Using the whip on his inside shoulder instead of on his body can avoid his bucking, but hitting a horse suddenly and hard anywhere can cause him to buck going into the canter."

"When a situation is quite scary to your colt, do not try to whip him through it; this will only convince him he has a right to be scared."

"The whip has to become a passive aid: one that the horse does not fear and accepts as there to help him understand or to initiate or stimulate a movement."