schooling whip advice

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miss-mellie

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Sep 25, 2011
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Hi, I'm wondering if anyone could offer any advice on what to look for when buying a schooling whip? Are they all pretty similar or is it best to choose carefully? The ones I looked at were approx 1m in length and had a stringy thing at the end, can you get them with a loop for your wrist? And is this a good idea or not? I don't usually ride with anything in my lessons because I don't need to on the RS horse , but I'm about to take on a horse share & have read that it's kinder to back up a leg aid with a schooling whip rather than keep on with a nagging leg (owner said that the horse might be a bit stubborn moving off to test me at first). I've used a schooling whip on occasions years ago in my lessons and I did prefer it to a crop because it seemed gentler, not sure if that's the case or not, was just how it seemed to me, I guess it's all in how you use it, ultimately I'd prefer not to use either but wanted one as a back up if necessary. I really want the horse share to work out as I've been building up my confidence by having lessons after a bad fall years ago, but I wanted more time in the saddle & can't believe I've found this opportunity, so I just want to get it right from the start really. I'll only be doing schooling with the horse until I'm confident enough to hack out.

Thanks in advance:biggrin:
 
NEVER a loop for your wrist, I hate them and cut them off short sticks, they cause terrible accidents to riders. You cannot use a schooling with a loop round your wrist.

Most schooling whips are very much the same, it's much better than a short s tick if you have a horse who does not respect your leg. Keep your hand on the rein when you use it. you can also use it wo whack your boot to wake some lazy beasts up.
 
The loop is handy to hang up with but shouldn't be used when riding. Just get one that feels comfortable to hold, you can get different lengths, don't get the longest if your new share is a pony!
 
Agree about the comfort. Some experts weight the balance of the whip in their hands and judge that too. I had a kind saddler do that and pick the one he thought I should buy.
I like to have a whip with a knob at the top (can be plastic) as whips that are straight through from top to bottom can slip through your fingers and are easier to drop.
I like a whip that has a proper handle too - some whips these days dont have a separate place at the top to grip.
Beyond that, our YO warned me to buy as cheap as possible because whips on our yard tend to be regarded as common property and disappear. OH gave me a classy one with a silver top but I never take it to the yard.
 
I have literally dozens around the place, and most of them are used as cat toys!! ;)

My favourite is a Canadian one - with a Wonder Whip sticky label on - was £2 at a car-boot, and is a plastic run-of-the-mill long whip - but it's VERY long, and the balance is perfect. I always use that one if I need one.
 
Totally agree with Wally and others about 'wrist straps' easy way to break your wrist!! They were fine when whips were made of cane and loops of thin leather, not fibreglass and nylon.

Schooling sticks (dressage whips etc) are great if your horse is fundamentally responsive and you just want a sharper response to a specific aid provided you have a good independent seat so the stick only works where and when you want it to...I only allow a few of my RS client to use them, the same ones I would allow to use spurs if required.

For the not listening, unresponsive horse however you are far better with a short stick, we actually have a racing legal one for schooling which is air cushioned and wide and flat so makes a lot of noise without hurting the horse, great for smacking your boot!!

To put it in perspective I describe normal leg aids (squeezes) as whispering, nudges and asking loudly and a quick tap with a short stick as shouting, once you escalate to stick you are not looking to be 'gentler' but to insist.
 
eml in her school uses whips differently from what we are taught. And horses get used to the sort of whip used by their owners. No one I know uses a schooling whip to hit a horse. With a schooling whip one can brush the tip on the horse without moving ones hands from the reins. Yes it is a substitute for leg but just as in side saddle. Also easier to open gates with a longer whip.
I hack from another yard where we use short whips. Agree better for banging your boot. But those of us who ride other peoples horses need to use what the owner likes. Carrying a schooling whip does not signify extreme horsemanship. At our yard my grand daughter my OH and everone else learn to carry schooling whips as soon as they come off the lunge.
 
I would have no hesitation to use a driving whip on a horse if the circumstances dictated it. Same as a schooling whip. If I needed to give a sharp whack with it I would.
 
Sidesaddle is all together a different thing, riders use stiff cane like the missing leg not a schooling whip.

Sorry Skib but I can never see the justification in novices carrying a schooling whip. And never out on a hack, hunting whips, (minus the lash), are needed to do gates.
 
Skib said:
eml in her school uses whips differently from what we are taught. And horses get used to the sort of whip used by their owners. No one I know uses a schooling whip to hit a horse. With a schooling whip one can brush the tip on the horse without moving ones hands from the reins. Yes it is a substitute for leg but just as in side saddle. Also easier to open gates with a longer whip.
I hack from another yard where we use short whips. Agree better for banging your boot. But those of us who ride other peoples horses need to use what the owner likes. Carrying a schooling whip does not signify extreme horsemanship. At our yard my grand daughter my OH and everone else learn to carry schooling whips as soon as they come off the lunge.
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Agree with this Skib, my main reason for using a schooling whip has been to keep both hands on the reins, but I usually take a short one to the RS as well because I know this is a better option for some of the horses. I do think though, maybe you have hit the nail on the head with your last sentence - you said everyone at your yard learned to carry a schooling whip. I think in many RSs beginners are handed a whips and told to use it as a back up without being taught how, where, and when appropriate to use them.
 
Skib said:
I would love a hunting whip Wally. To lift a difficult gate. But they cost 145 GBP.
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Not on Ebay they don't! Unless I am buying them of course. :rolleyes: I have rather a massive collection now! I have been known to sell the odd one or two, but generally buy rather than sell.

There's some amazing bargains on there at the moment. Or contact a lady called Anna on her FB page - Sporting Collection - she specialises in hunting whips - we do a bit of trade. :)

I have a much better use for a hunting whip - blackberry picking on horseback! Very useful for hooking the berry-laden branches. :D
 
I would choose one with a rubber grip at the top, as I recently used one without, and found it slipped through my hand a bit. Also, try some in the shop, holding them as you would if you were riding to get a feel for the balance, as some I tried just didn't feel right - they were too heavy.

I wish I could remember the make of the one I bought recently. It has a greyish rubber part at the top, and they come in various colours - burgundy, navy and green I think. It was also one of the cheaper ones. :smile:
 
Interesting point being made about schooling whip vs normal crop. I've always carried a schooling whip with my boy. I think I use it once in a blue moon, but I feel better carrying it incase I need to back up my aids. Maybe I should be using a normal crop, but I also use mine when walking out in hand, whiggling it behind me to encourage my horse forward if we're out on a road and he's being a tad hesitant. I've never used it as a weapon (not that I'm suggesting anyone does here), he just needs a tickle or a tap and it reminds him that I'm here and that he should listen.
Maybe I'm wrong, but my RI always said you should ride out with a whip, just in case, and I've just always chosen a schooling whip. :redface:
 
I like a schooling whip as you don;t need to take your hand from the rein to use it, on the road that is a boon, and you can also stick a nice long one out to encourage cars to go a bit wider past you.
 
Wally said:
I like a schooling whip as you don;t need to take your hand from the rein to use it, on the road that is a boon, and you can also stick a nice long one out to encourage cars to go a bit wider past you.
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I think if I'm riding a lazy horse, I prefer a longer stick as I find it more inconvient to keep taking a hand off the reins to use a shorter stick. I find I can keep the horse going in a nice rhythm and I don't need to use the longer stick as much as a shorter one.
 
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