Whip in which hand? Choice not necessity :)

The Xmas Furry

Old Timer
Joined
24 November 2010
Messages
30,925
Location
Ambling amiably around........
Visit site
Ok, I know where you carry it for schooling and roadwork etc :p

But was pondering to myself this morning, as I have a 'favoured hand' for different whips.....

If carrying my hunting whip for hunting or hacking, then its in my right hand. Sometimes I have Tiny Fuzzy bobbing about in my left hand, but not often at present, so thats not an 'excuse' for being right handed with the hunt whip :)

When I carry a schooling whip for hacking - which I don't often, but did yesterday and this morning - then its comfortable in my left hand.
When I changed it to my right, it felt odd!

I am left handed :)

Whats your preference if there is no requirement for you to 'have' to have a whip in a set hand?
 
Always carry mine in my right hand (I only hack) because I often ride alongside my daughter, her on the curb side and a accidental tickle would send her coblet into over drive!
 
I only ever use it if I am trying to correct something, so would always have a side really! To block a shoulder, back up a certain leg etc. I often find I need it on the "wrong" side though, the outside hand in an arena, trying not to whack the wall or bop anyone nearby :p
 
I only ever use it if I am trying to correct something, so would always have a side really! To block a shoulder, back up a certain leg etc. I often find I need it on the "wrong" side though, the outside hand in an arena, trying not to whack the wall or bop anyone nearby :p

Similar here although perhaps this counts as necessity, horse and I are both lop sided on the left side so I tend to school with it in the left as I need to back up my leg more and he needs a little more guidance on that side. Road work I have it on the right as cars are passing on that side.
 
I usually hold it in my right hand, as I'm right handed, and it just feels very clumsy in my left, but I'm trying to wean myself onto having it in my left hand, as my left side is weaker. If we're jumping and he chickens out he almost always goes left so I need to have a bit more back-up on that side. Bit useless though as I usually smack myself!
 
I favor my right hand, as I am right handed I guess. I always carry a whip show jumping just as a back up as pony is still relatively green so sometimes need it. I actually feel unbalanced if I carry it in my left hand when jumping!
 
I've been trying to carry a schooling whip for a few weeks...can't do it. I feel like my hand is being bent in, anytime i move i make the rein move...its all crap. I can't use a whip anymore lol
 
Ok, I know where you carry it for schooling and roadwork etc :p

But was pondering to myself this morning, as I have a 'favoured hand' for different whips.....

If carrying my hunting whip for hunting or hacking, then its in my right hand. Sometimes I have Tiny Fuzzy bobbing about in my left hand, but not often at present, so thats not an 'excuse' for being right handed with the hunt whip :)

When I carry a schooling whip for hacking - which I don't often, but did yesterday and this morning - then its comfortable in my left hand.
When I changed it to my right, it felt odd!

I am left handed :)

Whats your preference if there is no requirement for you to 'have' to have a whip in a set hand?

depends. in the school I have whip on the inside like your supposed to, out hacking if I am on the outside I have it nearest the cars to keep them off us, if I am on inside on road then left hand or I irritate the horse beside us.
 
Whichever side its needed but generally in my right hand when riding out as its a useful visual deterrent to shying horse - can whack the roof of cars that get too close (he he). SChooling I carry it in the inside hand.

Really don't have a truly prefered hand.
 
When I'm schooling I usually carry in my right hand, unless I'm doing lateral work and need some extra support. Since I broke my left wrist in 2008 I don't have much strength in it, and it becomes fatigues very quickly (as I was reminded yesterday when I was lunging and after 5 minutes I couldn't hold the whip + lungeing rein in my left hand- whoops!
 
What confuzzles me is my preference for the type of whip for each hand tho, today being a dry day and possibly busy out, i took my hunting whip. Went immediately into my right hand.
Yesterday i took schooling whip and this kept migrating back to my left hand......
 
I prefer to carry mine in my right hand - I'm right handed. I've almost always got a schooling whip rather than something shorter.
 
I was always told inside hand when schooling - however I'm also right handed and feel comfortable with it in my right hand. In my left hand (which does weird things anyway), I just feel cack handed and awkward. Nice to know I'm not alone.

I don't carry one for hacking.
 
Right hand for hacking, and mostly when hunting too (I don't have an actual hunting whip just a short stick) for schooling and jumping wherever I need it!
 
Am right handed so more comfortable in my right hand. However, in schooling will swap depending on which rein we're on or what's needed. If jumping a round or going XC, whip is usually in my right hand but usually need it in the left! Embarrassingly, my left hand it a little bit weak and wayward when using short whips and when going for a tap on the shoulder, usually end up hitting myself on the thigh! :D :D :D it doesn't hurt me, the noise still gets a reaction so just goes to show whips don't always cause pain.
 
In a school whip will be in my inside hand unless I'm purposely carrying it in outside hand for a reason (lateral work etc)

Out hacking it's always between me and the traffic.

Even though I'm right handed if I don't think about it I'll carry a whip in my left hand - that's the hand I hold it in when getting on :)
 
Always carry a whip in my right hand, I cannot for some reason carry a whip in my left hand, it feels alien. And because its on my off side its nearer the road and gives me a somewhat false sense of self preservation:D
 
I use it in both, i fractured my finger in 2012 and did stuff with my left hand for about 4 weeks. Also i ride in a indoor school so i have the whip to the inside of the school and change when i change rein.
 
I always carry my whip in my right hand, but that's because I have a chronic issue with my right knee which means I find it very hard to use my right leg effectively. I used to be fairly ambidextrous about it until that issue started up.
 
Rarely carry a whip, but am equally happy to use either hand when I do. Right hand on the road, inside hand when schooling. If I'm hacking down the Gower where there are wild ponies I carry one to wave at them in case they get a bit close - had a stallion with small man syndrome attempt to attack us once, my dope of horse was still trying to say hello despite the stallion coming at us teeth and hooves first - and will carry it on whichever side the ponies are on.
 
When out hacking I always carry it in my left hand, so it's next to the curb. I worry that if I have it on the roadside, when I put my hand up to traffic, that waving it about will scare my mare!!
 
Right hand, I'm right handed and I dont tend to school, just hack, so like to be able to stick it out at a right angle to encourage cars to give us a bit of room
 
Usually in my right - for a number of reasons. My right side is weaker, my right ankle is about 90% as secure and strong as my left. Also for hacking if I need to use it, I would rather send my horse towards the verge than into traffic. I also life it as an extension of my arm when in traffic - in the past have been very bold and used it to knock on windows of cars passing too close.
 
Always carry a whip in my right hand, I cannot for some reason carry a whip in my left hand, it feels alien. And because its on my off side its nearer the road and gives me a somewhat false sense of self preservation:D

I cant carry in my left hand very easily either! I often use my whip to give cars a good slap if they are too close :D My right hand is also my best throwing hand if I need to launch it after a car!
 
Top