Dressage Whips

[Maci]

I want to try riding my horse with a dressage whip (those long whips, I don't know the name) as I think it will be a better ride for him and me both, not having to always turn around to use my short crop. Anyways, this might be a hard question to answer, but I'll give it a try:

Q: How do you hold your whip so it is horizontal reaching the horses butt? Okay, that was confusing, but I'm basically asking how do you hold your dressage whip, so it works properly?

Thanks For Anything!
Maci :)

PS- I know about dressage whips- the thinner the end is or something, the more it hurts when you tap, so I'll only give him little taps, not big thwacks! Don't worry, I'm NOT that stupid! :)

[aniukas]

i hold mine just like i used to hold my crop: the thickest part of the whip is between your thumb and 2nd finder (if you count from your thumb)and the rest goes through the rest of your fingers (that are closed).it's sort of just...grabbing it! or holding it in a fist (did i spell that right?) i'm not the best at explaining stuff...
when i want to give my horse a tap i move the whip by moving my wrist only, so it is just your hand that's moving (i also use my wrist to keep it where it belongs). if your whip if flexible enough (which all dressage whips should be) that should be enough.
P.S.a couple of tips if you're buying a dressage whip:
1)make sure it's flexible enough (the more the better)
2)make sure it has a lash at the end (the ones without break easily)
3)i also found out that light-weight whips are much easier to use and that they're best when they are at least 130cm in lengh.
hope this helped! please enlighten me if this is not the way you hold a whip!:)

[Edited by aniukas on 12th Apr 2001 at 09:09 PM]

[Showjumper]

I hold mine like Aniukas does. It should lie flat along your thigh and not interfere with your handling of the horse. They do take some getting used to as you have to swing them over the horse's shoulder when you change direction (at least you do if you are in a formal lesson and don't want to look foolish!;)) When buying your whip, ask if you can sit in a saddle and make sure it's the right length for you. I've never heard the 130cm thing - I think the length of the whip depends on your height. If you get one that's too short it's pretty pointless, and if it's too long it will put you off balance.

[floppy]

yup hold it in your hand like you would any other crop..and you hand should remain upwards (thumb up and facing the sky)
and the crop itself shoudl lie accross your thigh....think of it as manners...if the crop doesnt go straight alone your thigh and someone rides close to you then you are going to poke them with it...so you make sure you not lettign it stick out that you going to poke someone....then you actually use it you use a flick of your wrist..very simple...the annoyig hting is changing a dressage whip to the other hand...you cant draw it like a sword liek you do with smaller crops...you have to rotate it upwards and accross..but you probably dont have aclue what im talking about so i let someone else explain it better :)
i think you will find most whips for dressage (aka schooling whips) come aroudn the 100cm - 110cm range...

[Maci]

Thanks guys! I will try that! I'm going to borrow a dressage whip for the first while from my trainer's collection, but if I like riding with one, I'll buy one myself! I'll take in mind your tips, aniukas, about buying! Three more questions:

Q1: Would you hold the whip with the outside hand or inside? Which is proper and the correct way?

Q2: So the way you hold it doesn't affect your rein position of that hand? I have this way of holding my crop down, so it rests on the horses shoulder, so I never really got into the groove of holding it the way you said.

Q3: Is the whip suppose to reach the horses flank area, or stretch all the way to their hindquarters? What is the proper length (where on the horses body is it to reach)?

Thanks Guys!
A Real Help!
Maci :)

[Edited by Maci on 13th Apr 2001 at 12:11 AM]

[horselover]

I don't use a dressage whip, I use a jumping bat, but I know that you keep any whip on the outside, and when you change direction, you have to switch the hand you are holding the whip or crop or bat with! :) WHich can sometimes be complicated.

And you should always have it resting against you thigh so that it doesn't accidentally tap the horse when you don't want to. And if you hold it going back, then your hand position shoudn't be affected, although it might feel strange until you get used to it. It just fits inside my had, but I also am not using a whip, which i know you hold slightly differently since you don't let go of the reins to use it. I let go of the reins with my one hand to use the bat.

Hope I helped and didn't confuse more! :D

[Silvia]

I was taught to hold the dressage whip in the inside hand. You should be able to touch the horse behind your leg without having to change the position of your hands.

[floppy]

you suppose to hold the whip on the inside...(makes somewhat logical sense for e.g. when you in a school and you ride close to the outside of the arena! if you had your whip on the outside it would hit the fencing/walls of the arena and spook your horse..and when you hack you should hold you whip on the side that is next to the traffic.)

it takes a little bit of getting use to when holiding a dressage whip and the reins properly..but you will find that if you keep you hand upright(like it should be)then the whip will lie horizontallyish/verticallyish across your leg (with a little bit of effort from you) but it shouldnt actually touch the horse..unless you make it touch for a purpose. You dont let go of the reins to use it...

ok and ehm when you change direction and need to change the whip over you have to rotate your wrist so that the end of the whip is up vertically in the air and then rotate it down to the other side and take it in your other hand!
hope you understood that..but when you try...you will see what i mean.

horselover...with a jumping bat and the next few sizes up its easy to change hands....you just draw it like a sword ..schooling whips are complicated!:)

[horselover]

You guys hold it on the inside? I was taught the outside is where to hold it. Is that another US-UK thing or just preference? Or maybe it's because dressage and huntseat are different in that aspect.

At least I am pretty sure I hold it on the outside.I think it's one of those things I do without thinking. I will need to chekc at my next lesson.

[sandrider]

I was taught to hold it in the inside hand and use it to back up the inside leg. I use it just behind my leg or sometimes to tickle the horses hind leg in lateral work, turns on the forehand, etc to make it clearer to him what I'm asking. I sometimes hold it in my outside hand if a horse is falling out through his shoulder.

[Maci]

Thank you everyone! I now understand, and I'm going to ride tonight, so I'll try, and get a few extra tips from my trainer. Just one more question I asked before, but I don't think anyone got around to answering it, but that's okay!

Q: Where on the horses body should the whip reach? For example, is it suppose to reach the flankish area, or right to the hind end? (I know it shouldn't touch, as floppy said, but what is the correct length on the horses body?)

Thanks Again, And I'll Let You Know When I Ride!
Maci :)

[floppy]

ok this may sound stupid but what is the flanks??
im still learning my english riding terms and i know all the parts of the horse in 2 other languages..but not english!:o
some dressage whips i guess reach the flanks...others each back at the hind quarters...i'm guesisng the flanks is before the hind quarters.

horselover...you hold most whips on the inside...ooo i dont think you will find its an american/english thing
and whether you ride in a 'hunt' seat or a dressage saddle it makes no difference...
do you do rising trot do you rise on the inside leg or the outside leg?(hehe just to make sure )

[Maci]

Don't feel dumb! The flanks is a part of the external horse. It is the ticklish, "stretched" skin, on the sides of the horse, before the hindquarters starts. When currying/brushing it, you have to be careful, because it is very sensitive/ticklish, and some horses may bite or kick, if you're not careful.

Maci :)

[floppy]

aaaaaaaaah...thanks maci...woohoo i know a new term in english :D
flanks...what a funny word though!

[aniukas]

it's really hard to explain where exactly on the horse's body the whip should reach as english is my second language too!:) well, i think it should be long enough to reach the horse's bum (not flank) without you having to let go of the reins - you should be able to give a tap on his bum just by moving your wrist. of course, it depends on the size of your horse. the reason i prefer loooong whips is because i ride HUGE warmbloods and i end up tapping the saddle pad (not the horse) with my 100cm whip!:D just a personal preference!

[Showjumper]

I think mine’s getting a bit short for me now…when I first got it it reached the flanks, now it’s just behind my leg (I think it’s cause I’ve moved from a 14.2 to a 16hh). If the stick is too long, it will, as I said earlier, put you off balance. Horselover I agree with the rest of the people who’ve posted – you should hold your whip in the inside hand. If it’s on the outside and you use it (talking in a school situation here) then the horse is quite likely to shoot sideways into the middle of the school, whereas if it’s in your inside hand he can’t go sideways, only forwards.

[stella]

Hi
I generally hold my whip in my inside hand but always swap to my outside hand for canter work.
Stella

[floppy]

i usually use a schooling whip that reaches the flanks (hehe funny word) on my haflinger..purely because she hates whips on her bum...but today i rode my friends haflinger and the schooling whip she uses reaches the bum...(the horse hates being touched on the side with a whip..hehe..what a pair of haflingers) i went to buy a new schooling whip for my cousin to us on her 16+ hh horse...and when she sat on her horse it touched the bum...but i would say the length of the shcoolign whips is to your preference....if you want to use it behind your leg on the flanks..buy a slightly shorter one..if you want to use it on the bum...buy a longer one...
BUT one piece of advice...when you go to buy one try them all out and hold them in your hand as you would on a horse ..becuae some schooling whips come with very light handles...and you can get ones with very heavy handles...i prefer the lighter ones persoannly as i find the heavy ones are a pain and i brok emy wrist a few years back so its a sort of strain on my wrist...Just so you know :)

i use my schooling whip on the inside always whetehr im doing walking trotting or cantering...just because thats me :) because alot of horse i ride in the arena jump out of their skins when you accidently touch the border of the arena with the whip..

ALSOOOO...english is my native tongue..its just horses in english isnt my native tongue :Di grew up in foreign countries riding horses so i never learnt the terms for horses in english.

[Edited by floppy on 13th Apr 2001 at 09:34 PM]

[Maci]

...and the ride was a bit better! It certainly was helpful not always having to turn, and tap on the butt, like I do with my crop! It was extremely hard to get used to, though. It's weird training yourself to hold it in both hands, a certain way, and flicking your wrist! For canter, like stella, I held it in my outside hand, which I found easier to pick up a canter that way! Inside hand, the rest of the time.

Thanks, Everyone Who Replied!
Maci :)

[Liz E.]

sandrider, are you in America right now? I know it's like 2:00 am in England, so none of them are on.

[horselover]

Ok, I was getting really confused, so I asked my instructor. And she told me to hold it on the outside. I don't know why hers is different from what everyone else says, and what you guys are saying about the horse shooting ino the ring makes sense(although I have never had that problem).

She has competed at national levels, so she must have an idea of what she is talking about. But now I am going to have to look it up somewhere. It's really annoyning me. Grrr.

[Liz E.]

Wow, I didn't know people actually rode with those. I thought they were only used in lessons to make the horse go faster,etc. Dressage riders use them while riding? I would think that would look odd.

1. Why are they so long?

2. Are you allowed to use them in shows?

[Silvia]

Dressage whips are so long because you want to be able to touch the horse behind your leg or on the flank without changing your hand position.
It is used to back up the leg aids - so not necessarily for going faster, but to encourage the horse engage his hindquaters, back up the rider's inside leg in turns, help move the horse's rear end over in lateral gaits or turns on the forehand,....
In Austria you are allowed to use a whip only in the lowest dressage class, then you have to use spurs.

[Edited by Silvia on 16th Apr 2001 at 08:15 AM]

[Liz E.]

I use a crop, and I have to use it on the flank and/or hindquarters as well. Why is it so important to not change hand position?

[floppy]

you can change you hand...when you change direction but the dressage whip allows you to still maintain contact with the horses mouth/head with both hands and at the same give an encouraging aid at the same time without having to let go of one of the reins...
if you are trying to do a complex move that requires alot of attention from your hands with the contact to the horse then a long whip that you can use without letting go of the horse is more preferred (otherwis eyou will loose the contact)..only other alternative is to wears spurs...like silvia mentioned depends on the horse...some horses i ride in spurs..others i ride with just a whip...
:)

[Maci]

Spurs aren't for beginner riders! They can hurt the horse if not used properly! Experienced riders wear them because they are so skilled with their leg- they can use them when necessary, and use just normal leg aids without spurs when necessary.

New Q: When I ask my horse to do something (with the dressage whip, natural aids) and he doesn't do it, do I keep on continually "flicking" him with the crop, and using natural aids, until he does?

Hope I Explained It Clear Enough!
Maci :)

[floppy]

by all means spurs are not for the beginner riders...but i would would classfy myself as an experienced rider incapable of exlpaining riding good in english :D
there are horse i ride that are so sensitive it taks the lightest of movements to make them go and then there are the ones that only require a wake up call just looking briefly at a whip and there are others that i need to ride in spurs but i have already said in this thread that spurs are not for beginners and that they can hurt a hrose if not used properly!

you question...it depends on the horse..'my' horse can be quite lazy in responding to my natural aids...you at the same time that i use my leg on the horse i use the whip behind my leg and it wakes her up..
it also depends on what you are trying to do..if its a question on the gaits...i would try without the whip first using my leggies and my voice..and if that doesnt work i'll try again with a little bit more pressure with my legs and back them up with a flick of the whip and if that doesnt work you have to make that flick a little bit more than a flick..try the whip either behind your leg or on the horses bum.
also make sure that you are certain you are giving your horse the aids clearly..if it doesnt work slow him down and try again...i woudl try first in walk to quicken his stride up and see what sort of encouragement he needs!
but if its a question of doing turns etc make sure you hrose understands what he is trying to do...otherwise he wont know why you are forcing him with your legs and flicking him with your whip..
i hoep that makes sense...im terrible at explaining this stuff in english and leaving things out!
:)

[Maci]

It was a question on different gaits. I just wasn't sure if I should keep tapping until he does what is being told. Silly question, but oh well!

Thanks!
Maci :)

PS- I wasn't saying that YOU were an unexperienced rider (I'm sure you great at riding), I was simply stating to Liz E. that spurs require experience.

[JackiAH]

HeeHee, I love this thread!

Ok, well I was just wondering something. When Pal is being a butthead and I have to ride him with a dressage whip, is it ok for me to hit him on the shoulder?

I do it during lessons to keep him on the rail, and I hit him with the middle-ish side of the whip and not the end. I never do it hard, I'm too scared.. ;) but I do do it... Is this normal? Do others do this too? Is it just some strange thing my trainer let's me do?

Thanks people,

Jacki

[aniukas]

jacki - i've never done this (except for the times when i was using a crop), but i don't think it's bad. although your whip might break fast (like the ones without a lash at the end) if you're using it's middle part. so i would say use it on the butt instead.

maci - to my mind, using a whip is supposed to be a punishment. i use it like that:
1)give light leg aids
2)if the horse doesn't respond, i give him a little tap and then apply the aids again. that way he's punished for not being responsive the first time.

[Maci]

JackiAH- How can you hit your horse on the shoulder with a dressage whip? A dressage whip is a long whip, so you must mean a crop, because a dressage whip would be touching the ground if you use it on his shoulder. Anyways, it's okay to lightly tap your horse on the shoulder with your crop for encouragement, but anything harder should be on the butt.

Hope This Helps!
Maci :)

PS- I'm off to get Heather's opinion on holding the dressage whip on the inside or outside! Will let you guys know!

[JackiAH]

No m'dear I mean a nice, long dressage whip. I simply turn hold the whip like normal, then when I need to hit his shoulder I just move my wrist forward and I hit his shoulder. I end up not using the end of the whip, like i tried to say but I can't explain things all too well!

Err, basically, when I hit his shoulder the end of the whip goes far past the shoulder and I tap his shoulder with the middle-ish part of the whip, not he middle-ish part of the lash at the end.

Hope that helps!

[floppy]

wellt he purpose of the dressage whip is to allow a rider to use it ont he flanks or on the butt withoutloosing contact with the horse...
if you use a dressage whip on the shoulder you may consider to get yourself a smaller whip :)
i dont think there is anythign wrong with using ont he shoulder..but i would imagine that usign the middle of the whip rather than the end of the whip would be more hard on the hrose? i dunno looking at my dressage whip the end is a wee bit flexible with a little dangly piece of string on it..but the middle is some what hard...so i htink it would be kinder to use the end or?
i look forward maci, to hear what heather has to say :)
i knwo you were referring to me about the spurs bit :)

[JackiAH]

HeeHee, just wanted to add something more to help clear this up (although I am positive it will end up more confusing!)... I also use the whip on his hindquarter to get him to wake up and smell the roses when he needs it, but when I do hit his shoulder, I make it light because I'm very aware that it's a bit hard in the middle....

Sorry If I'm too confusing!

[floppy]

hehe dont worry im sure its ok...hehe

[horselover]

I have always read and always been told that it is improper form to use a whip on the shoulders. It is meant to be applied to the hind end of the horse.

This is just form, it's not like anything awful is going to happen if you use a crop on the shoulders. However, I would avoid that because you can't do it in a competition, and if your horse gets used to you appyling the whip at the shoulder for an aid, then you will have problems in competetition.

Also, the shoulder sare haas alot more bones you could hit that aren't as "padded" with muscles or fat. The hind end has alot of muscle where you usually apply the whip.

[floppy]

i always use the hwip on the flanks or the bum...the only time i give my hrose a little tap ont he shoulder is if she tries to bite my feet :D
but have you ever tried riding in the rain in a long riding jacket with a short whip and tried to give your hrose a tap ont he bum?!?!? i always end up tapping my rain coat..not to mention riding with a western saddle that the saddle pad takes up most of the horse :D..me whip is too short or my jacket is too long :D


by the way why do they make jumping whips soo small?

[Heather]

For the correct hand in which to hold a dressage whip , look up my forum- Maci had asked me to answer.


Heather

[Maci]

Heather said the inside hand, but I, Maci, can understand why it would help to ride with it on the outside. For canter work, and all.

Maci :)

[floppy]

for canter work i would still hold the whip on the inside..especially when doing circle because you horse is more round and to use it on the outside would be a stretch because you wouldnt reach the horses bum so easily..and if youa re cantering and the whip hits the sid eof the arena the bolt you would get out of that would be far more powerful..but that is me :)
i accept other people that find it easier with the whip ont he outside with canter work..im just talking from my experience on mental horses :D

[Maci]

NEW QUESTION!

I have never mounted with a dressage whip. When I am mounted, I usually get it from a near-by ledge or someone hands it to me. What I want to know is how you hold one while mounting? The same as a normal crop? I don't want to stab myself with it while trying to mount, that's why I'm asking how to, before I physically do!

Thanks!
Maci :)

PS- The d.whip is working great! I don't use it all the time, as I don't want to become totally dependant on it, but when I do use it, WONDERFUL! Much more control!

[floppy]

ok i just lost my message..
ways to mount with a dressage whip...
1- dont mount with the dressage whip!
put it under the saddle flap on the right side of the horse...mount...then pull it out from under the flap...i do this most of the time! it allows you then to mount the horse and check the girth with free hands.
2- leva eit somewhere along the arena so when you mounted adn ready to start working you can wlak the hrose up to the dge lean over and take your whip.
3- get someone to pass it to you.
the next 3 suggestions are my least favourite but i have mounted like this!
1- hold the whip in your left hand pointing down to the ground grab(on the left side of the horse) the reins with the same hand...mount and voila!
2- hold the whip in the left hand but with the whip hanging over the right side of the horsemount..etc.
3- hold the whip in your right hand and as you hoist, mount like one noramlly does..and bring the whip over the horses bum with your hand as you mount...
i dont liek those 3 suggestions much..the others are much easier!
as for dismounting...drop the whip on the floor and jump!hehehehe...just kidding..but i think its easier to dropt he whip ont he floor than to dismount with it still in your hand..but off course out of politeness one should bring the whip into the left hand and dismount to make matters easier...ok thats the second time i had to write this out, i wrote my user name wrong last time ad it told me to go back and correct it and when i got back my post was gone :(