Which hand do you have your whip in?

[Mary Poppins]

I am very right handed. I find it much easier to ride with my whip in my right hand. My instructor tells me to ride with it in whatever hand is comfortable because in dressage tests you can't keep swapping.

I don't overly use my whip at all, infact there are often whole sessions that I don't use it at all. However, when I do I am concerned that it's all a bit 'one sided' and that this may have a detrimental effect on his way of going.

I'm interested to hear if you all ride with the whip in the same hand all the time, or if you swap it? and why?

 

[Wally]

It's in whichever hand it needs to be in

 

[Trewsers]

I am left handed so it feels better in my left hand but was taught to change hands when you change the rein. I don't usually!

 

[KP nut]

I carry it in my inside hand unless I'm in a dressage test. I use it mainly on her shoulders to stop Cally falling in. Or to back up my leg in which case either side is fine. With very young horses I sometimes carry 1 in each hand so I can communicate with whatever side I need to!

 

[squidsin]

I like it in my right hand too, although for schooling and jumping I generally swap it to the inside hand.
I use my schooling whip more than I use my legs as that works better for us - I am guilty of 'nagging leg syndrome' otherwise.

 

[Skib]

I was taught to change hands when you change the rein. I don't usually!

Yes, either at X or when you reach the side. Absolute rule of wonderful RI teaching me to canter in the school. She said it is less of a worry to have the point fixed. Meaning you do do it in dressage tests. Obviously you are not going to change your whip at X if you are transitioning or changing lead at x -
Reasons for not having whip on inside - to supplement my own weakest leg, resting it on outside shoulder of horse if horse is liable to fall out at shoulder, teaching horse some turns, straightening a very crooked horse.
I assume the reason for having it on the inside is you are riding inside leg to outside hand (or at lest some of you are).
I tend not actually to use the whip, but being able to change it over deftly at the exact moment without the horse altering its rhythm creates a good impression with a new teacher or in an assessment lesson and presumably in a test score. My RIs teach me the things that get them good marks.

 

[MrA]

Depends where it needs to be. Usually the inside hand, but if we are working on leg yield or turns off the track then I have been known to hold it in my outside hand to help with this.

 

[chunky monkey]

I carry it in my right as more comfortable. ~However if I put it into my left, horse will bring head up and lurch forward a pace or two without me using it on him. Its like he knows hes going to get a wake up call. He can feel it when I change hands. I think hes become dead to me having it in my right hand.

 

[joosie]

Depends.

Hacking - right hand, because I thank drivers with my left (remember we're on the other side of the road here, in case you're confused!). And hacking Mouse it needs to be right hand anyway as his mane is on the left and very long and whip just gets tangled in it!
Schooling / flatwork - schooling whip in inside hand to back up my inside leg, if using a short crop it's usually in outside hand to support the shoulder
Jumping - right hand because it feels better and it's just there for incentive, I don't actually use it. And also when I get left behind and grab a chunk of mane I instinctively grab with my left

 

[Wally]

Depends.

Hacking - right hand, because I thank drivers with my left (remember we're on the other side of the road here, in case you're confused!). And hacking Mouse it needs to be right hand anyway as his mane is on the left and very long and whip just gets tangled in it!

and you also need to bring it down WHACK! on the roof of offending drivers!

 

[Cortrasna]

I rarely rode out with one on Dolly until the horrible dog attack this time last year - now I ride with a long very swishy schooling whip in my right hand but can instantly swap it to my left if needed. Not for Dolly but at even the mere suggestion of a local dog deciding to chase her and take a chunk out of her fetlocks again, I can rather niftily lean down and forward to swipe the little feckers with the whip end.

Yes I do love dogs, but no I will not tolerate uncontrolled dogs attacking my horse ever again. And I now have at least three local dogs that slink off back up the drive when they here me and the Doll approaching!

 

[Native Lover]

I dont ride with a whip so rarely used one

 

[horseandgoatmom]

I always carry one in case I would ever have a dog come at us.
I have it in my right hand but change as needed to que - not that I use it often.

Is it unfashionable to change in dressage or not allowed to?? in a dressage test?

 

[horseandgoatmom]

Actually it is mostly hanging on my saddle horn on the right side.

 

[eml]

We don't use them in dressage tests as they are not allowed in eventing dressage nor in various finals so best not to rely on them! .For schooling although it is conventional to carry then in the inside hand I encourage more advanced riders to use them to support their weaker leg or the horses weaker rein and to use then behind the girth or on the shoulder as appropriate to the problem.

 

[eventerbabe]

I carry my schooling whip in my right hand. My right leg is weak due to knee being shot to pieces and horse knows this! Hence I use it to back up my weak leg.

 

[Skib]

We don't use them in dressage tests as they are not allowed in eventing dressage.

That surprises me as the RIs who taught me to carry the whip so exactly were both competing at ODE so doing eventing dressage. Why was I taught it?

 

[newforest]

@Cortrasna ditto I carry a short one out hacking. It's there in case I get any loose dogs run up and it's useful to lift brambles out of the way.
I can't hack with a long one it would get caught up in the hedges, bushes and I run the risk of poking passers-by with it accidentally.

 

[eml]

I suspect they don't allow you to use spurs either? They are teaching you to ride a good test not a majorly competitive test which is I suspect what you asked for?