Short whips for jumping - why?

[Em 1]

Quick question - does anyone know why you should use a short crop for jumping not a schooling whip? Am even I right in believing this?!

[Waikato Valuta]

you definalty use a short whip for jumping but i'm not realy sure why.

I think it is less bulk and can be used a bit easier.

[OlavS]

I'm no expert, but I think schooling whips are used to reinforce aids, especially useful for lateral movements, and there is a greater need to reach the horse in "far-away places" (from the hands) when doing dressage.
Take turning on the forehand as an example. Much easier with a schooling whip than without, as you can gently tickle the outside hind quarter.

However, there is no need for the same refined tickling in akward places when show jumping. It's more about blocking the outside shoulder and encouraging speed. This can be done with a short crop, which is easier to switch over from one hand to the other as one quickly changes direction. (At least I think so, I can't ride with a schooling whip, as it suddenly has a life of it's own :rolleyes:

Well, that's what I think anyway, but I'm sure more experienced riders will elaborate or tell me off if I'm wrong ;)

[ponytude]

I agree with the above. I think its just becase there smaller so when you forward seat your whip will not hit you or spook you horse.

[IrisSilverMoon]

when you are in forward position it is a lot easier to tap your horse on the shoulder to give a correction than carry a long whip and tap behind.

The shorter whips are (obviously) less bulky so they are easier to manage. In jumping one thing tends to come after another so you don't have a lot of time to think about what your whip is doing.

I do have a friend that has a particularly lazy horse, so she jumps with a dressage whip. he doesn't have a porblem making the fence, its comming in at a speed faster than walk that's the problem!

[Lucy J]

i am useless with a schooling whip - terrifies my horse! ter eis a rule that states you cannot compete in show jumping with a whip longer than a certain length, but i can't remember what the length is.

[ridingstar]

I can think if four reasons why short whips are used for jumping.

First, it would be almost impossible to control a long dressage whip and there would be a danger that the horse would be tapped unintentionally.

Second, occassionally it is necessary to discipline a horse when jumping, e.g for a willful refusal, in which case a dressage whip would be too severe. A short jumping whip can be held upright in the hand and used hard to teach the horse a lesson, whereas a dressage whip should never be used like this.

Third, it would be too difficult to change hands quickly with a dressage whip.

Fourth, a jumping whip is sometimes used for a "wake up...fence coming" slap down the shoulder, whereas this would be impossible with a long whip.

[ladyrose]

Originally posted by ridingstar
Third, it would be too difficult to change hands quickly with a dressage whip.
Ridingstar, I agree with your other three points, but I was always taught not to change hands of your whip when jumping!

[IrisSilverMoon]

Originally posted by ladyrose
Ridingstar, I agree with your other three points, but I was always taught not to change hands of your whip when jumping!

generally you don't need to change hands with your whip while jumping, but if you are trying to get a horse over a fence and he keeps cutting left and your whip is in the right hand it might be more to your advantage to switch your whip to the left hand...;)

i think that may be what she ment, sometimes if you know a horse is going to give your trouble on one side or the other for a specific fence you should switch your whip. Of course if that's not the case it won't make much of a difference where the whip is and whether or not you switch it.

[Waikato Valuta]

I think changing hands is more a cross-country thing. when you have t9ime bettween the jumps to think and change. although it can also help in showjumpping. like IrisSilverMoon said.

[SwiftwindSpirit]

If you do have to change your crop over while jumping, it is much easier to do so with a shorter one, compared to a dressage whip.

I'm not sure about anyone else, but I only use the jumping crop for reinforcement with my leg aids to try and drive the horse on. I think if you used a dressage whip it would easily get in the way, hence the use of a crop.

[JustJumpIt]

Short whips are a bit easier for jumping because of the fact you need to think about so much that anything longer than a little bat seems to get in the way. Normally you'd just need to whip for a bit of encouragement in sticky situations, something that it can achieve very easily even if it's length is not very long.

[Zork]

ya people pretty much sumed it up, just wanted to add that they tap it on the horse's shoulder or neck in jumping, not on the rump, which i think it pathetic cause it won't do anything, but ya

[SwiftwindSpirit]

Originally posted by Zork
ya people pretty much sumed it up, just wanted to add that they tap it on the horse's shoulder or neck in jumping, not on the rump, which i think it pathetic cause it won't do anything, but ya

Sometimes I take up the reins in one hand and use the crop behind my leg, but not if I'm about to approach a jump as obviously there wouldn't be enough time.

[Zork]

Originally posted by SwiftwindSpirit
Sometimes I take up the reins in one hand and use the crop behind my leg, but not if I'm about to approach a jump as obviously there wouldn't be enough time.


haha ya lots of people do that, i don't use whips at all though. If simon doesn't like it we don't use it. We use blunt spurs for a dressage reason, so I can push him over more as he is still green. And the only bit we will ever use is a happy mouth loose ring snaffle.

[Horsesarelife]

just like to add the maximum length of a whip for bsja is 30":D