CARROT AND STICK
A training stick, also called a carrot stick, is a tool within the Natural Horsemanship.
“Carrot and Stick” is an English metaphor for using a combination of reward and punishment to achieve desired behavior. Pat Parelli does not believe in training based on rewards alone, nor does it believe in a training method that uses a whip or stick as a means of punishing and controlling your horse.
Finding a middle ground is important according to his training method. He gave his training sticks an orange color to help you remember to stay centered.
There are many more well-known Natural Horsemanship trainers who work with a training stick. A training stick is a valuable tool to train your horse from the ground and while riding.
WHY NO WHIP?
The training stick cannot be compared to a whip. A good training stick is made of inflexible material and is available in different lengths.
With a training stick you teach the horse to give way to pressure, this can be done through movement of the stick or through physical pressure.
The stick is an extension of your arm and gives you a greater range to be able to work from a distance, you can also pet your horse with it as a reward or, for example, to desensitize.
It is very easy with a training stick to touch the horse very precisely and apply a precise amount of pressure. Because the stick cannot bend or sway like a whip, mistakes and annoying touches are prevented.
An addition to use the training stick even better from the ground is the string. With the string you increase your reach. Before you can work with the stick and the string, it is intended that the horse has no fear, so it is important that the horse can be touched by the training stick and string without the intention to move and therefore actually run away.
Instead of a string, a flag can also be used for this. These flags are made of light material. Training with the flag is ideal to create a lot of energy in a controlled and focused way. You can also use the flag to desensitize, for example, young and/or untrained horses.
WHICH TRAINING STICK SHOULD I CHOOSE?
There are many training sticks on the market, in different lengths, colors and finishes.
We have filled our range with many different training sticks. We looked at the difference in height, weight and fit within everyone's budget.
Use our extra light driving stick of 95cm or the shorter stick of 100cm to ride or ideal in combination with the flag.
The best training stick is nicely balanced in the hand and has a handle that provides enough grip.
Our favorite? That's the trainingstick van 120cm, finished with leather loop and available in brown/orange.
Do you have questions or need help choosing? Just contact us.