he whip and spur are mechanical aids which do not involve direct contact between horse and rider. These are very important training tools, but with these tools one thing must always be in the rider's mind: The more a rider leans on these aids, the less true progress she is making as a trainer.

The whip is first used with young horses to teach the horse to listen to the pushing influence of the calves. Every young horse will respond to the tap of the whip on the shoulder or behind the saddle by moving forward. In early training, the horse must learn not to fear the whip, but to respect the whip. The rider can use the whip to help teach the young horse to listen to the calves as the forward pushing aid. As the training of the horse progresses, the whip can be used during half halts to bring the hind legs under the horse and thus to enhance collection.

The third function of the whip is as a means to punish the horse in the case of disobedience. This must be done very carefully, however, and care must be taken not to frighten the horse. Two frequently asked questions concerning the whip are: on which side should the whip be carried, and; should the rider change the whip from one hand to the other when the horse changes rein. The answer to the first question is that the whip should be carried on the side of the horse where he has the most problem using the hind leg. The whip should not be switched from one hand to the other and the rider should never think in terms or two directions in riding. The straight horse has no sides, he is only straight and forward.

It is important to discuss the role of spurs in training. In the first months of training, spurs should not be used on young horses. During this time, it is crucial that the horse learn to respond to the forward pushing influence of the calves. Later, one should wear short spurs on the young horse to begin to supple the horse and help him learn to chew the bit. In the older horse, spurs are helpful to punctuate and clarify commands such as flying changes. However, care must be taken that the spurs not be relied on as pushing aids.