Wip Wop - anyone used?

[maryanne]

I am thinking of buying a wip wop for the 5 year new forest I am currently bringing on. She is showing signs of becoming nappy and I want to put a stop to it before it starts to become a big problem! Encouraging forward movement with leg aids does not seem to work so I though about trying a wip wop.

Has anyone used one and had success? I would love to hear from anyone of how they used one and in what circumstances it was successful?

Thanks

[Catrin]

I use one with my sometimes nappy horse. I usually just flick it upwards and he goes on.

The real cue to curing nappiness of course is to get the horse trusting and respecting you more, so I do a lot of longreining as well, particularly down the lane past the place that he will first nap, when ridden. This helps as when I ride towards this particular driveway, if he slows, I shake the wip wop and he remembers and walks on.

[mags]

Try using your reins and see how she responds to that to help give you an idea of the effect the whip wop will have on her

[Yann]

I've used a home made one (old leadrope minus clip) now and again and found it very effective at getting forward motion without causing resentment

[sulasmum]

Friend of mine swears by her wip wop

[SarahW]

I regularly use a wip-wop with horses. I rarely need to use it with the same horse more than a couple of times because it's just enough to ask the horse to react to a squeeze with the leg. Their first use is as a visual cue - just a flash of white out of the corner of the eye is often sufficient to distract them and send them forwards. I can also use it against my own leg, coat or on the horse itself without hurting myself or the horse. it is important not to de-sensitize the horse to them - Petra Perkins just thinks it's a jolly good fly swat (and it is) but moves forward when she hears it unsticking from the velcro on my numnah.
It's great to have something like this to use as there is never any need to resort to a stick.

I would add that's it's important to try to discover why your little horse is starting to nap - with New Forest ponies I think they are often trying to tell you that you are going the wrong way for home and only need to be reassured that yes, this is where I meant to go to move on again. It's also worth getting the saddle checked and if necessary the pony's back. I also try to keep the front door open, i.e. give the pony somewhere to go with the reins, when a pony is napping. It's so tempting to shorten the reins. Sideways is better than nowhere. It's also worth checking out the bit - NF ponies often have small mouths with thick tongues. I tend to go for low port Myler Comfort snaffles with D or hanging cheekpieces. Ordinary Jointed snaffles put a constant pressure on the tongue and make it difficult for them to swallow.
You have probably worked through all of this already.

[Ryan&Dizzy]

ive used a home made one, a lead rope minus the clip doubled and a loop tied in it so i didnt drop it. and it seemed to do the trick he is now much more responsive to my leg and if he is having a lazy day it comes back out.

the only thing i found with it (which is probably because mine wasnt a real one) was that when i wasnt using it it was very bulky to hold aswel as my reins and if round my wrist it sort of got in the way!

[Yann]

Mine goes over my shoulder when I'm not using it leaving my hands free, one advantage it has over the 'proper' one. Often as not all I have to do is reach for it to get a response too

[mellymoo]

My wip wop has solved our napping issues, swaer by it!