Whips (another beginner question!)

[DarcyPercy]

Hi all,

Thanks for your help with the boots - super happy with my Ariat's!

Another Q, this time about whips. I need to buy my own as can't borrow the schools due to COVID regs. Having looked, there are so many types (honestly, this is news to me). What type would you suggest for a beginner adult in school on a riding school pony?

Thanks!

 

[Mule]

The short ones are the handiest imo. They are easier to manage than schooling whips and you can use them for jumping.
I just get cheap ones. They are just as good as more expensive ones and if you are prone to losing them, the price is an advantage. Here's a link to one- https://www.onlineforequine.co.uk/shires-thread-stem-whip.
You can get ones with a strap to keep around your wrist if you tend to drop them. A bright colour also helps if you've dropped it and need to find it.

 

[DarcyPercy]

Thank you!

 

[Rumtytum]

Agree with the short and inexpensive. The first one I bought ‘disappeared ‘ on the riding school yard, I bought cheaper next time (and taped my name on it).

 

[Keith_Beef]

I think I've seen comments on here that it's a bad idea to put the strap around your wrist.

A short crop is easy to handle, and changing hands is easy. But on the other hand you need to let go of the reins with the hand holding the crop to reach back, whereas you can keep both hands on the reins and still use the schooling whip.

Some horses don't react to a crop, and need a schooling whip... but I've ridden quite a few who just need to be shown the whip and reminded that it's in my hand, without needing to use it at all.

 

[be positive]

I think I've seen comments on here that it's a bad idea to put the strap around your wrist.

A short crop is easy to handle, and changing hands is easy. But on the other hand you need to let go of the reins with the hand holding the crop to reach back, whereas you can keep both hands on the reins and still use the schooling whip.

Some horses don't react to a crop, and need a schooling whip... but I've ridden quite a few who just need to be shown the whip and reminded that it's in my hand, without needing to use it at all.

You are correct about the strap not going round the wrist, you may need to drop it quickly in an emergency and also if you fall off it should be able to part company from you and not go into your eye or some other part of you causing a painful injury.

I always cut them off if a rider insisted on putting it round their wrist, far cheaper to lose it than to suffer a nasty injury, having a bright colour is a good idea.

 

[Rumtytum]

I cut mine off.

 

[Shay]

I think the technical answer is- or certainly used to be - that as you hold the whip the strap / loop goes along the back of your hand then around your middle finger with the remainder of the loop tucked between your hand and the shank of the whip. That way you have a catch if you drop it but it will part company with your hand should you fall with fingers splayed. Certainly never around the wrist. We were always taught if you couldn't loop it correctly to cut it off - but if you were talking about a bespoke hunting whip which cost a lot of money and was a pest if you had to go back and get it (had to a few times...) then the loop about the middle finger was a fair compromise.

But I'm also old....