# light weight driving whip wanted



## shorthorsemom (Jun 10, 2011)

Hi All, can you please give me some contacts for light weight driving whips that don't break the bank? I may have asked before, but since every time I have a lesson my trainer noticed when I use my whip my right rein drops some, she has recommended that I get a light weight whip. I found a few on my own, but they are pretty pricey.

I just wondered if any of you experienced driving ladies have an idea of a good place to buy a decent light weight whip. I need to get measurements too, what is your favorite distance to measure, point of shoulder? To the saddle with the lash going to point of shoulder?

Can you tell I don't know anything about whips?




I bought one at tractor supply, but it is way to long and doesn't feel balanced until I grip way up on the handle, then the rest of the handle is in my way... Lesson in whips would be appreciated very much... thanks Adair


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## RhineStone (Jun 10, 2011)

First of all, you can hold a whip anywhere on the handle that feels balanced. It doesn't have to be the middle. If you look on my website you can see where I hold my whips.

Many people swear by Ultralite whips. They are fine but I feel they are too light for me. I like Paul's Harness Shop whips but they are pricey by some people's standard. My other favorite is a 48" Westfield whip with a 24" lash. They run about $20-30. It is a great whip for practice. Iowa Valley Carriage carries them.

Myrna


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## Sandee (Jun 10, 2011)

shorthorsemom said:


> Hi All, can you please give me some contacts for light weight driving whips that don't break the bank? I may have asked before, but since every time I have a lesson my trainer noticed when I use my whip my right rein drops some, she has recommended that I get a light weight whip. I found a few on my own, but they are pretty pricey.
> 
> I just wondered if any of you experienced driving ladies have an idea of a good place to buy a decent light weight whip. I need to get measurements too, what is your favorite distance to measure, point of shoulder? To the saddle with the lash going to point of shoulder?
> 
> ...


We need to know where you are planning on using them. The length of whip that Myrna suggested would be for CDE (carriage shows). In AMHR they have a rule that the whip plus the length of the lash cannot extend beyond the horse's shoulder. It's a real pain but for this type of whip you need to sit in your cart and have someone measure from your hand to the horse's shoulder. There are a lot of nice whips out there (meaning light weight) but to get the right length and balance --- now that's difficult. I have a couple from this http://www.kee-port.com/drivingwhips.htm However they are not the "right" length as I didn't know enough to measure first.

AMHR doesn't say you HAVE to have them reach the shoulder just that they cannot go beyond the shoulder. Many in the breed ring drive with whips that are too short and they end up only bumping the horse's rear end.


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## drivin*me*buggy (Jun 10, 2011)

I second Myrna on the one from Iowa Valley (Westfield)..love mine


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## shorthorsemom (Jun 10, 2011)

thanks everybody now I know where to start looking. I want a whip just for tooling around the farm for now and to use in my lessons...and my direction I want to head is CDE someday. thanks


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## Marsha Cassada (Jun 10, 2011)

RhineStone said:


> First of all, you can hold a whip anywhere on the handle that feels balanced. It doesn't have to be the middle. If you look on my website you can see where I hold my whips.
> 
> Many people swear by Ultralite whips. They are fine but I feel they are too light for me. I like Paul's Harness Shop whips but they are pricey by some people's standard. My other favorite is a 48" Westfield whip with a 24" lash. They run about $20-30. It is a great whip for practice. Iowa Valley Carriage carries them.
> 
> Myrna


I contacted them about the Tufflex 48/24 whip a month or so ago and they didn't have it. I wonder if they got a new stock?


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## susanne (Jun 10, 2011)

Does AMHR go by the length of the entire whip, or the length from where you hold it? In other words, could you "choke up" (hold the whip further up) to effectively shorten it?


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## Sandee (Jun 11, 2011)

susanne said:


> Does AMHR go by the length of the entire whip, or the length from where you hold it? In other words, could you "choke up" (hold the whip further up) to effectively shorten it?


I believe if the whip LOOKED long enough to be questioned that they would measure from the end of the whip to the end of the lash.


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## 3bays (Jun 11, 2011)

Driving Essentials has some really nice lightweight fiberglass and carbon whips. If you google them I think you can find the website, I dont know what it is offhand. Great people with excellant customer service!


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