One thing everyone should know is that although dressage whips come in the right length for driving a Miniature Horse they are NOT balanced to be held upright in your hand and they become very tiring after only a short time. Driving whips are built to be held upright and you won't have to struggle to hold a good one in the correct position. I don't even "hold" my whip, it just sits in the palm of my hand and balances there. If your hand is getting tired "holding" the whip you are likely not carrying it correctly or it is not a well balanced whip for driving and that is why I like to be able to hold one before purchasing it.
Just a little note: Not ALL whips come together <G> There are 2 piece whips available sort of like fishing rods where the handle/shaft screws off.
This is very true. People think that you need to "hold" a whip, when in essence it is balancing on your thumb downwards, while pushing upwards at the "butt" of your hand. If you are actually "gripping" the whip, your hand is going to get very tired very fast. This is another case for holding the whip at a 45 degree angle. If you hold it straight up, you are going to have to grip it to keep it from falling down. You should be able to put it in the palm of your hand on top of your thumb with your knuckles up, not close your thumb, and it should stay there. There is no absolute place that you have to hold the whip, like the middle of the grip. You can hold it anywhere you want, but halfway up the shaft is a bad idea. That isn't a good whip if you have to hold it there. I tend to hold mine closer to the top ferrule of the handle.
Just a little story about balancing whips. This last year at the Columbus Carriage Classic, the Pick Your Route cones were scheduled to be directly after our first class, Turnout. I wore my big, pretty black and royal blue hat that matches my cart really well for Turnout. It is the only class I wear that hat for, as it is a "lampshade" type of hat and is hard to see around. The other problem with a lampshade hat is although they look pretty cool, they "catch wind" unbelievably, like an umbrella! I had forgot that we went directly from Turnout to Cones, so I didn't bring another hat, and some form of headwear is required, or at least it should be on your head to start. You won't be penalized if it comes off on it's own accord, but it is embarrasing!
Anyway, I had to run the cones with that big hat, I had no choice. My husband was in another class with his big horse, and I didn't have time to run back to the trailer to get another one or my helmet. The course was especially muddy last year, to the point where my gelding broke to a walk in the "lowest" set of cones! Just as we were passing through the last set on the way to the finish, I could feel my hat lifting off my head. I quickly threw my reins and whip into my left hand so I could push my hat down with the other. When I looked down to put my rein and whip back into my right hand, my whip handle was balancing on top of my left hand!
I had missed getting the whip under my thumb in the process of trying to keep my hat out of the mud! It's one thing if your hat comes off, but if you drop your whip, I'm pretty sure there is a penalty! Needless to say, my pretty black and royal blue hat, as well as my really cute light blue felt one, now each has a clear bra strap sewn into them that holds them on my head under my chin! No more fumbling for my hat!
No more lampshade hat for Cones, either! (I still got 2nd though, even with our break to walk!)
I forgot about two piece whips, but for clarification the shaft is what is in two pieces, not the lash separate from the shaft.
Myrna
