Why is carrying the whip so emphasized in combined driving?
Dressage, whether ridden or driven, is all about teaching the horse to carry themselves. They must learn to shift their weight to their hindquarters in order to elevate the forehand, and to step under themselves on turns so that they remain balanced and agile. As you might imagine this is a lot of hard physical work for the horse! The ridden animal has the riders weight, seat, and leg to support them in the task and help them find their balance. The driven horse lacks this and has the additional complication of having to balance the constantly shifting, bouncing weight of the cart and the drag it offers while still moving correctly. The reins become more important than ever but sometimes the horse needs a reminder to pick up their shoulder or bend their ribcage and the whip is an invaluable tool for such reminders. It replaces the riders leg and acts as an extension of the drivers will, signaling the horse to move away from pressure. The whip is never an object of punishment. A good dr
