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Veteran
Posts: 193
 
Location: TEXAS | My gelding will flat git it if I run with a thin dressage whip out at the house. I have always used a over/under at a race. Question is how difficult is it to use a stick when you make a run? |
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  Damn Yankee
Posts: 12390
 
Location: Somewhere between raising hell and Amazing Grace | I use one without any problems because I sometimes need to encourage my horse on the way to the third, but am not coordinated enough to pick up my over and under then. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1857
 
| Some carry it in their mouth but I carry it in my hand. Never have an issue |
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| I've used one and rubber band the handle to my index finger. Works great! |
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 If you knew me you would want to be me
Posts: 13645
Location: Utah | I have used a thin dressage whip but have used a bat. I run it through an elastic, place it in my hand and run the elastic along the back of my hand and over the handle. That keeps it in my hand even when I open it to change hands on the reins. |
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Expert
Posts: 1414
| I rubberband it to my thumb. I put a small "mane" rubberband on the end of the whip and slide my thumb between the band and the whip. You don't have to wrap and twist the rubberband cause it's already small. It stays put so I don't have to think about hanging on to the whip. |
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 Scorpions R Us
Posts: 9586
Location: So. Cali. | I use to run with one on the mare I sold. Rubber banded the handle acrossed my palm, never had an issue.
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 You get what you give
Posts: 13030
Location: Texas | I never rubber banded my bats to my hand but my sister does. I didn't find too much difficulty with it but I prefer an over and under. My sister always runs with a bat! different strokes |
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Rad Dork
Posts: 5218
Location: Oklahoma | I had a gelding I ran with a bat. It was in my teeth until we were out of our first barrel and I would pop him to second and and just hold on to it from there.
I think I'll use a quirt (that the proper name??) from now. It seems like it would be much easier to handle than a bat and less likely to get lost during a run like an over and under. |
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I AM being nice
Posts: 4396
Location: MD | I have a kid who runs with a stick whip in each hand. He makes them suckers seem easy. I've always ridden with an over N under. I tried running with a stick whip once and was fine, it just seemed totally foreign to me. |
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 Am I really the Weirdo?
Posts: 11181
Location: Kansas | You name it, I have run with it, so I have a way to handle each type of whip.
With stick whips, I like to rubber band them to my palms so I don't end up twirling a whip like a baton mid-run. Trust me, this is possible. (I can also wrap an over & under around my left ear at the second barrel....what can I say, I have talent! LOL) However, if I'm only carrying one in my right hand and running a lefty horse, I don't seem to lose it before I need the whip heading to second barrel. I used to run with one in each hand in case I got in a bad spot and needed to quickly move a horse over, and I just banded each whip to my palm loosely. Then I could still let go of the handle but it wouldn't go very far and I could get it back in my hand super fast.
I think a stick whip is easier to use than an over & under, but I have a tendency to get whip happy and its easier to over whip with a stick than with an over & under, so I've been using the over & under more and more lately. I like the longer dressage whips so I don't have to lean back to swat one on the hip. That keeps me from inadvertently pulling on their face while I whip. |
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 Expert
Posts: 2097
Location: Deep South | I switched to running with a dressage whip from an over-and-under several years ago. I think it's easier to use. You can have a much more precise and immediate point of contact. I run in a lot of really small pens and was running a super ratey push style horse. I just didn't have the time to grab my o/u if she shut down, but I could quickly pop her with the stick at the exact moment I needed. |
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 Veteran
Posts: 233
| WrapSnap - 2014-04-01 10:45 PM
I have a kid who runs with a stick whip in each hand. He makes them suckers seem easy. I've always ridden with an over N under. I tried running with a stick whip once and was fine, it just seemed totally foreign to me.
He sure does! I run with one stick but recently bought another. I use it to pick up my mares shoulder before turns. I just rubber band it to my hand and it works great. I have over and unders but 99% of the time I can't find it no matter what technique I use to grab it. |
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boon
Posts: 3
| I used to use an over an under but sometimes it was tricky to get to fast enough so i switched to a crop. used to slide it under my saddle and pull it out on the way home but i found it easier to put it in my right hand and put the band around my wrist. Before my first time running with it i was VERY skeptical but it never has gotten in the way and i dont even realize its there |
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Impressive!!
Posts: 1954
Location: Idaho | I am not one for over whiping during my run. Infact I found if I give my gelding a tap coming out of third (like 2 strides once we've left the barrel) and then just sit forward and ride with my seat and legs, he clocks better, then me beating him home. I use a dressage whip on two horses... my really ratey gelding, who you have to DRIVE to ever barrel and it helps to tap him up into his pocket and my free runner... he sometimes hesitates at the gate and if he sees the whip, he goes in. I don't usually have to touch him with it, but he balks, I have the whip in hand he is like ok! So it just keeps from me from fighting my gelding. I hardly use it in the run. I do not like bats, I think they are way to short and I do not want my shoulder dropping back to have to touch the rump and I do not like tapping the shoulder. I really prefer an over and under, mostly because it is out of my way, but there if I need some extra "power". LOL |
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 There Could Be Aliens Out There
Posts: 1393
Location: North Central Kansas | I haven't read any responses but I go back and forth from a long whip to an over and under. I prefer the over and under because I can stay in the "jockey position". If you tie a rubber band to the belt loop on your jeans and run your over and under through it then you won't have any problems finding it. When I use my long whip I wrap a rubber band to my index finger on my right hand and put my whip in it. The only problem is if you aren't using a long enough whip then you are leaning back or getting off balance to make contact. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1229
Location: Royal J Performance Horses, AZ | I Pref a dressage whip, easier for me IMO. but honestly i havnt ran with anything in a while because my last mare i ran is such a free runner i dont need it other wise i think she would fly to the stars cause she would be hauling so fast! |
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Veteran
Posts: 185
| Lindsay sears runs with a dressage whip. Coming from my english days I always jumped with a crop and probably always will - never had a problem holding on to it. Some crops have a loop you can put around your wrist if needed... or horn hehe. Althought I remember my coach not allowing that, she made us secure the loop to the top of the crop and just hold around the loop+handle. I'm what she would call "on the dark side" now aka western :P And worse barrel racing! = waste of talent.............I like the dark side mawh haha! 
Why can't all the horse people just respect all disciplines |
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Location: Down South Mississippi | All you folks that use one, will you PLEASE post a pic of how you have it rubber banded to you hand, finger, thumb, etc. I use one for the first time a couple wks ago. I had it in my right hand and when I went for my saddle horn at the 2nd barrel, totally missed it!! He went one way and I went the other! Almost ate dirt!!  |
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 Keeper of the King Snake
Posts: 7622
Location: Dubach, LA | I tried it. My gelding panicked during the run if he could see the stick in my hand. Totally lost focus. I've ridden mares that it didn't bother. |
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