Legs too fat for whip

[Texarkana]

And here I thought I was the only goof who couldn’t handle a dressage whip. :lol:

I have short arms, small hands, and thick thighs. The whip is always in my dang way. I also end up carrying it like a crop at the shoulder and get yelled at repeatedly for it in my lessons. When I carry it over my thigh, it bounces around like crazy, flopping all over the place, annoying me and my horse, and messing with my contact.

I’m tempted to try the curved one, but not for $50 and not with such mixed reviews.

[Dutchmare433]

My suggestions would be 1) try to find one of those whips with the thick gummy sort of handle…might be easier to grip and 2) try to hold the whip a little lower than normal…I hold mine in different places depending on which whip I’m using in order to get the balance right.

[right_horse_at_the_right_time]

A good friend with a similar body type as you describe has the whip and loved it. She has gone back to a regular whip now but used it for several years.

I borrowed it and found it fine as well and have a different body shape than you.

Do you want me to see if she will offload hers for less?

[yaya]

I am a plus-size rider, with much of my weight in my thighs, and I love the basic Fleck nylon cover whips. The have a golf-club grip handle, so they don’t slide in my hand, and they are whippy enough to reach around my heavy thighs. I’ve used them for years, since the mushroom-cap Wonder Whips that my trainer used were too stiff to reach around my leg. And the Fleck whips come in neat colors, so if you board, get a color that’s easy to recognize as yours!

[merrygoround]

@quietann

Not if your legs are round and thick. Trust me on this.

Then it may be necessary for you to momentarily, leaving your elbows at your side, move your forearm out in an inch or two, and then rotate your wrist. The object being minimal shift in the quality of contact.

[quietann]

@yaya

I am a plus-size rider, with much of my weight in my thighs, and I love the basic Fleck nylon cover whips. The have a golf-club grip handle, so they don’t slide in my hand, and they are whippy enough to reach around my heavy thighs. I’ve used them for years, since the mushroom-cap Wonder Whips that my trainer used were too stiff to reach around my leg. And the Fleck whips come in neat colors, so if you board, get a color that’s easy to recognize as yours!

I actually love Fleck whips and am very good at losing them :lol:

I picked up a bunch of whips at the barn today, and the Fleck ones were in general the most “whippy.” I still want to try the Easy Cue, but it’s good to know that there are other possibilities.

[Wicky]

Last week I bought one of each of four Fleck whips. I seem to collect them. So far I cannot say that one is better for me than the others. Let me know what you think of the Easy Cue, and if you don’t like it I am sure it can find a home with me! I’ll have to buy one to try, so if you don’t like yours, I may as well get yours (except if you get a pink one with sparkles).

[Gloria]

Ummm I am trying to picture the issue you are experiencing in regard to whip. I am small built, on a very wide Morgan, so that means the whip pokes out from my hand at an acute angle vs some people on narrow horses, and I don’t have problem touching my horse with the dressage whip. I mean, you flip your wrist so the whip strikes your own thigh, and since the dressage whip is flexible, the tip of the whip then touch your horse’s side. If the whip doesn’t touch the horse’ side, most likely you need to flip your wrist more forcefully to make the whip bend more, or just get a whip that is more flexible. That is why whips have various degree of stiffness.

[emipou]

Hey Ann, As others have mentioned as well, I have been MUCH heavier and ridden with a whip with no problem. I would echo other people’s suggestions of trying different whips out. Some are very stiff and not good balance imo.
I would not recommend that curved whip, because of the balance and because that curve just seems like it would have potential to cause problems.

I would recommend Fleck brand whips. In particular, they have this one whip that is simply fabulous and bendy and long and easy to hold (this might help your problem you stated having with your hand.

https://www.doversaddlery.com/fleck-perfect-balance-dressage-whip/p/W1-C1462A/?eid=X18A00U1000&utm_source=google&utm_medium=PLA&mrkgcl=1131&mrkgadid=3258321449&rkg_id=h-af01de3424a896601fdf05111c22340a_t-1522079934&utm_campaign=NB_PLA_Retail_West_GOOG&adpos=1o3&creative=236718490480&device=c&matchtype=&network=g&gclid=Cj0KCQjwtOLVBRCZARIsADPLtJ1GiUHTIMH_RR7owkkiHuzIWFEdEhZHUpw0Fzbazw0VYcLlUM3uXRIaAmKmEALw_wcB
I have this whip and love it. It is very flexible, light, and has great balance. The wood grips make it so you don’t actually need to grip (or so you CAN grip).

Another thought that came to mind is WHERE you are tapping with the whip. Does it have to be the flank? If you are just using as a cue to back up, would it work maybe to tap the shoulder area so you don’t even need to reach back?

[Synthesis]

I hear you! I’ve got similar build.
It really helps if you carry your hands higher than you think you need to. Try carrying your hands so that your elbows are at right angles, which may mean a bit above the straight line from elbow to bit and your hands a bit wider (thumbs 4-6" apart). You should find that gives you a more useable whip position and a more following arm for the horse.

I find it easy to use my dressage whip this way. When I tried to force my non-classical body into classical positions, I had the same problems. Be as accommodating to your own physical characteristics as you would your horse’s.

[foggythistle]

I am tall and my horses tend to be on the larger side, as do I :). I use a buggy whip when riding at home. it has more spring than the stiff dressage whips, so a flick of my wrist tends to make the whip bounce just enough to touch said horse. It may not be exactly behind my leg, but it generally has the desired effect.

Buggy whips are too long to be legal in the dressage ring, so I used to make sure I had a measured, legal stick for any showing that I did. Personally, I also prefer the balance of the buggy whip in my hand to the dressage whip, which never quite feels like it has enough heft.

Personal brand preference is WonderWhip.

If you have a tendency to drop things out of your whip hand, you can use a covered hair tie to create a loop to slide over a finger. This does make it a little more difficult to change whip hands, though.

[quietann]

Thanks everyone for the tips! Will be looking for a longer Fleck whip as those seem to be the “whippiest”. Of course I can use it on the mare’s shoulder, and in fact that’s fairly common as she tends to bulge her right shoulder.

But in the meantime I am not doing a lot with her because she’s having some sort of issue … testing for Lyme, might also be a “mare thing” as she’s living on a farm that has a stallion and it’s making her a little weird… At age 20, for the first time ever.