Otherwise, in the video situation, it looks like a jerk with anger issues relieving his temper rather than somebody actually training.
I have had horses all my life. I deliberately crack my lunge whip next to them during ground training sessions. Not to frighten them, but to de-sensitize them to sudden, loud noises close by, for their safety and mine. I tap them with the firm part of my whip as a signal when I'm physically too far to reach with my hand. But they've never been hit with it. Mostly, I waive it at them as a signal to go forward. And if they're being lazy or holding back (Dahli gets filled with energy and needs to blow it off but sometimes gets "stuck"
then I'll crack it so the noise will wake them up.
But there's no fear when it's used that way. I can also run it over their backs, scratch their ears with the firm part, etc. It's just a tool.
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