For other uses, see Whip (disambiguation).

A whip is a cord or strap, usually with a stiff handle, used for delivering blows to human beings or animals as a means of control or punishment or torture.

• Dressage whips are usually 3 feet long and are used to refine the aids of the rider, not to hurt the horse.
• Lunge whips are usually 5 feet long and are lunging the horse on a circle. They take place of the rider's leg aids. The positioning of the lunge whip in relation to the horse gives the horse signals.
• Driving whips are shorter than lunge whips and are used specifically for driving purposes.

Different kinds of whip include: Bullwhips, the Cat o' nine tails, Crops, and Quirts.

Contents

1 Stock whips 2 Signal whips 3 Snake whips 4 See also 5 External links

Stock whips

Stock whips (or Stockwhips) are a type of single-tailed whip, used by Australian stockmen (ranchers). Its form originated in the English hunting whip, but it has since become a distinct type of whip. Similar to an American bullwhip in body composition, its main difference is in handle construction. Unlike a bullwhip's imbedded handle, the stock whip handle is not fitted inside of the thong and is usually longer. A stock whip's handle is connected to the thong by a joint typically made of a few strands of thick leather. This allows the whip to hang across a stockman's arm when not being used. The handles are normally longer than those of a bullwhip, being between 12 and 18 inches in length. Stock whips are also almost exclusively made from tanned kangaroo-hide.

Signal whips

Signal whips (Signalwhips) are a type of single-tailed whip, originally designed to control dog teams. A signal whip usually measures between 3 and 4 feet in length.

Snake whips

Snake whips (Snakewhips) are a type of single-tailed whip. The name snake whip is derived from the fact that this type of whip has no handle inside and so can be curled up into a small circle which resembles a coiled snake. They were once commonly carried in the saddlebag by cowboys of the old west. A full sized snake whip is usually at least 4 feet in length (excluding the fall and cracker at the tip of the whip) and around one inch in diameter at the butt of the whip.

A pocket snake whip can be curled up small enough to fit into a large pocket, and ranges in size from 4 feet to 6 feet in length. The pocket snake whip is primarily a whip for occasional use, such as in loading cattle. Both of these types of snake whips are made with a leather shot bag running approximately three quarters of the length of the whip.

Blacksnakes are the traditional whips used in Montana and Wyoming. The blacksnake has a heavy shot load extending from the butt well down the thong, and the whip is flexible right to the butt, ranges in size from 6 feet to 12 feet in length.

See also

• BDSM
• Bullwhip
• Cat o' nine tails
• Crop
• Quirt

External links

• Whip Care (http://www.albanypowerexchange.com/BDSMinfo/whip_care.htm)
• Whip Care and Repairs (http://www.rawhips.com/html/repair.html)
• Australian Plaiters and Whipmakers Association (http://www2.tpg.com.au/users/ramskull/apwa.htm)

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