Length of schooling whip. Did you know ...

[Bay Mare]

that there is a new rule that states that a whip mustn't be more than 110 cm in length? This is applicable both in competition and when you're warming up. The length is measured from the top of the handle to the end of the whip but doesn't include the lash.

Judges have been asked for this year to make a note on the bottom of the test sheet if they think that your whip exceeds 110cm but there have been cases already when the collecting ring stewards have been taking whips away from people!

[xXSundanceBayXx]

I'll have to measure mine then :D

[Cool Rider]

why cant the whip be more that 110cm?

[Bay Mare]

I don't know, it's in their rules :)

[Lgd]

It's to keep BD rules in line with the new FEI rules.

The FEI rules are even stricter - you can only carry a whip in the warm-up and must drop it before you go round the arena prior to entry.

One of the German riders (Hubertus Schmidt) won a GP this year and got disqualified because he hadn't dropped his whip before leaving the warm-up.

A good guide we were given at a judges course, was that if it looks too short to be useful, it is probably the right length :lol:

[tillynz]

They have just done that in NZ too, and judges are known to measure them. Luckily mine has a freshly chopped end from when I measured it first, but they are really good about it.

[IrisSilverMoon]

They do that in the US as well. Except we include everything, my friend got a warning last year because her tassle was just barely over the limit she had to cut it off.

i dont' really understand what the length of the whip or where you carry it has to do with anything.

[Miriam]

Lesley why are you not allowed to use them in the arena? Is it the fact that your horse should be well responsive?

[Lgd]

You can use a whip in the arena for national graded competitions except regionals and finals, but can still have them before you go in. It only applies to actual FEI international competitions.

The FEI have changed the rules to please the IOC to make it more 'spectator friendly'. Translated - politics - to keep the sport in the Olympics :rolleyes: so that your average 'joe Public' who knows nothing about horses doesn't think we are being cruel carrying long whips to 'beat' our horses with.

You saw how frightened (NOT!) Tavia is of a dressage whip :D

[Miriam]

Yes I did see how scared she was of a whip

[Bay Mare]

The FEI have changed the rules to please the IOC to make it more 'spectator friendly'. Translated - politics - to keep the sport in the Olympics :rolleyes: so that your average 'joe Public' who knows nothing about horses doesn't think we are being cruel carrying long whips to 'beat' our horses with.

So going on from that are they going to ban spurs as well? :)

Don't you just love politics :rolleyes: