A type of whip known as a riding crop
The word 'whip' describes two basic types of tools:
A long stick-like device, usually slightly flexible, with a small bit of leather or cord, called a "popper", on the end. Depending on length and flexibility, this type is often called a riding whip,
riding crop or "bat". It is also sometimes called a "horsewhip" or "horse whip".
The other type of whip is a long tapered flexible length of single-strand or plaited (braided) material (usually leather) with a stiff handle. Some whips of this type include the bullwhip and the stock whip. Each design has many variations and lengths for different purposes, often with different names.
As well as these traditional whip types designed for use on animals, there are whip designs that had historic uses for inflicting pain on humans, such as the "
cat o' nine tails" and others. These devices are used as
flogging instruments, a means of control,
corporal punishment or
torture.
Whips today are used primarily in
animal training for three main purposes:
★ As an extension of the human arm to give commands to
animals by tapping them.
★ To make a loud sharp sound, to provide direction and command to animals.
★ To inflict pain. (However, this is considered incorrect use and can be considered
animal cruelty in some jurisdictions.)
When a bullwhip handle is rapidly and properly moved, the tip of the whip can exceed 340 m/s (760mph) producing a small
sonic boom described as a "crack". Whips were the first man-made implements to break the
sound barrier. This loud noise is commonly used to drive or direct
livestock or teams of harnessed animals, such as
oxen or
mules.
Most horse whips can be used to give commands by touch and can cause pain, but cannot make a "crack". These may include riding
crops,
dressage whips, and
carriage or buggy whips. The exception is the
Longe whip, which due to its long lash, can be made to crack as well as be used to touch the animal.
Another far less common and more modern way to create a crackable whip involves "weaving" metal rings together and typically
welding the rings closed in various
rope-like
chain mail patterns.
Stock whips
An Australian stockwhip
'Stock whips', including 'bullwhips' and the 'Australian stockwhip' are a type of single-tailed leather whip with a very long lash but a short handle. Stock whips are primarily used to make a loud cracking sound to move livestock (cattle, sheep, horses, etc.) away from the sound. It is generally not used to actually strike an animal, as it would inflict severe pain and is difficult to be applied with precision.
Australian stockwhip
The Australian
Stockwhip is often said to have originated in the English hunting whip, but it has since become a distinct type of whip. Today, it is used primarily by
Australian
stockmen. Unlike the short, embedded handle of a bullwhip, the stock whip handle is not fitted inside the lash 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 (which is called a keeper). 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 15 and 21 inches. The thong can be from 3 feet to 10 feet long. Stock whips are also almost exclusively made from tanned
kangaroo hide.
Australia's
John Brady is an internationally renowned exponent of the art of
whipcracking (an expertise he demonstrated during the live musical production '')''. The Australian stockwhip was shown internationally when lone rider
Steve Jefferys reared his
Australian Stock Horse and cracked the stockwhip to commence the
2000 Sydney Olympic Games Opening Ceremony.
The Bullwhip
A
bullwhip consists of a handle between 8 and 12 inches in length, some whips have an exposed wooden grip, others have an intricately braided leather covered handle. The lash is a braided thong, between three and 20 feet long. Unlike the Australian stock whip, the thong connects in line with the handle (rather than with a joint), or even engulfs the handle entirely. At the end is the fall and the cracker or popper. The fall is a single piece of leather between 10 and 30 inches in length. During trick shots, or target work the fall is usually the portion of the whip used to cut, strike, or tie the target. The cracker is the portion of the whip that makes the loud noise known as the "sonic boom," but a whip without a cracker will still make a sonic boom, it is simply not as loud.
Additional types
There are other variations and lengths of stock whips. The yard whip is a type of smaller stockwhip. The yard whip is used on ground in cattle yards and other small area where speed and precision is needed. The yard whip is also used by younger children that aren't quite strong enough to handle a large stock whip.
The Rose whip is another variation of the stockwhip that was pioneered in Canada in the early 19th century, though it largely fell out of use by the 1880s. The Rose whips were effective in animal yards and other small areas. It was pioneered by an American farmer, Jack Liao.
Florida stockwhip
The 'Florida stockwhip' or 'Florida cow whip' used by
Floridian cowboys is often known as a cracker. It is a two-piece unit like the stockwhip and is connected to the handle by threading two strands of the thong through a hollow part of a wooden handle before being tied off. The cowwhip is heavier than the Australian stockwhip. Early cowwhips were made mostly of cowhide or
buckskin.
Modern cow whips are made of flat
nylon parachute cord. The advantage of cowwhips being made of nylon is that it doesn't matter if you get the nylon wet. Most cowwhips have handles that average 16 inches, and thongs that average 12 feet. A good cowwhip can produce a loud crack by a simple push of the handle. This can make it more convenient to use than a
bullwhip in a thick vegetated environment with less swinging room. The Tampa Bay Whip Enthusiasts give demonstrations of the Florida Cracker
Cowboy in costume at the annual Heritage Village Civil War Days festival, located in
Largo, Florida every year in May.
Signal whips
a 4' (1.2m) signal whip
'Signal whips' or ''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. Signal whips and snake whips are similar. What distinguishes a signal whip from a snake whip is the absence of a "fall". A fall is a piece of leather attached to the end of the body of the whip. In a snake whip, the "cracker" attaches to the fall. In a signal whip, the cracker attaches directly to the body of the whip.
Snake whips
'Snake whips' or ''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.
Top: A dressage whip. Bottom: a hunt crop
A set of ''romal'' reins, featuring a quirt at the end of the ''romal''
Equestrian whips and crops
'Horse whips' or 'riding whips' are
artificial aids used by
equestrians while riding, driving, or handling
horses from the ground. There are many different kinds, but all feature a handle, a long, semi-flexible shaft, and either a popper or lash at the end, depending on use. Riding whips rarely exceed 48" from handle to popper, horse whips used for ground training and
carriage driving are sometimes longer.
The term "whip" is the generic word for riding whips, the term
"crop' is more specific, referring to a short, stiff whip used primarily in
English riding disciplines such as
show jumping or
hunt seat. Some of the more common types of horse whips include:
★
Dressage whips are up to 43 inches long, including lash or popper, and are used to refine the aids of the rider, not to hurt the horse. They generally ask for more impulsion. The shaft is slightly flexible and tapers to a fine point at the tip. A similar, but slightly longer whip is used in
Saddle seat style
English riding.
★
Longe whips have a shaft about 4-5 feet long and a lash of equal or greater length. They are used to direct the horse as it is 'moved on a circle aroung the person standing in the centre, a process known as "
Longing" (''pronounced'' "Lungeing") The whip is used to guide and signal direction and pace, and is not used with force against the horse. Taking the place of the rider's leg aids, the positioning of the longe whip in relation to the horse gives the horse signals. Occasionally, due to the long lash, it may be cracked to enforce a command.
★ Driving whips have a stock about the same length as a longe whips, but a short lash, often no more than 12 inches. They are used specifically for driving horses in
carriages or carts.
★ A
crop or "bat" has a fairly stiff stock, and is only 2-2.5 feet in length, with a "popper" - a looped flap of leather - at the end. It is used by taking the reins in one hand and hitting the horse behind the rider's leg, using the crop, held in the other hand. It is to back up the leg aids, when the horse is not moving forward, or occasionally as a disciplinary measure (such as when a horse refuses or runs out on a jump). Crops or bats are most commonly seen in sports such as
show jumping,
hunt seat style
English riding,
horse racing, and in
rodeo speed sports such as
barrel racing.
★ A
hunting whip, is not precisely a horse whip, though it is carried by a mounted rider. It has a stock about the same length as a crop, except its "stock" is stiff, not flexible. On one end of the stock it has a lash that is several feet in length, on the other end it has a hook, which is used to help the rider open and close gates while out
fox hunting. The hunting whip is ''not'' intended to be used on the horse, but rather the lash is there to remind the hounds to stay away from the horse's hooves, and it can also be used as a communication device to the hounds.
★ A
quirt is a short, flexible piece of thickly braided leather with two wide pieces of leather at the end, which makes a loud crack when it strikes an animal or object. They inflict more noise than pain. Quirts are occasionally carried on horses used in
western riding disciplines, but because the action of a quirt is slow, they are not used to correct or guide the horse, but are more apt to be used by a rider to reach out and strike at animals, such as
cattle that are being herded from horseback.
Rudyard Kipling's short story ''Garm - a Hostage'' mentions a long whip used by a
horseback rider in India to defend an accompanying pet dog from risk of attack by native
pariah dogs. This probably was a hunting whip.
Popular culture
The whip is occasionally portrayed in popular culture in various contexts. One memorable whip user is
Indiana Jones, the (fictional)
archaeologist adventurer, who uses a bullwhip for a variety of uses, not the least of which is to swing over long chasms. Also, there are
Catwoman (Batman),
Zorro, the (fictional) outlaw-vigilante cowboy swashbuckler of California, and Hatcher's (played by
Christopher Walken) henchmen in ''
The Rundown''.
Whips as weapons have appeared in many
cartoons, TV shows, and
videogames, examples being:
★ The
Dark Prince in uses a bladed whip called the Daggertail.
★
Vampire Killer, the whip of the
Belmont clan of
Castlevania video game series fame.
★ The whip carried by the character
Whip in
The King of Fighters.
★ The whips carried by
Quistis Trepe in
Final Fantasy VIII.
★ In the ''
Battle Arena Toshinden'' series, the glamorous blonde combatant, Sofia, wields an
electric blue bullwhip with a pink handle.
★ Many whips are recurring weapons in the
Dragon Quest series by
Square Enix, where they are sought after because they can hit a group of enemies
★ These
Sentai characters are armed with a whip:
★
★ Battle Kenya from ''
Battle Fever J''
★
★ Goggle Red from ''
Dai Sentai Goggle V''
★
★ Kirinranger from ''
Gosei Sentai Dairanger''.
★ In the
MMORPG RuneScape, one of the most powerful single-handed weapons is the Abyssal Whip.
★ Transforming whips:
★
★ In the ''
Soul Calibur'' video game series, the femme fatale
Ivy uses an enchanted sword that can transform into a bladed whip.
★
★ Akaranger from ''
Himitsu Sentai Goranger'' wields a whip than can turn into a drill, fighting pole, spear, etc.
★ The fictional mobile suit
Epyon from the anime series
Mobile Suit Gundam Wing possesses a wing-like chain.
There are also
experts at the sport, called ''
whipcracking''. One such person is
Australian
John Brady.
Buggy whip
This is a
coach whip used for driving on horses harnessed to a
buggy, or small open
carriage. Though similar whips are still manufactured for limited purposes, the buggy whip industry as a major economic entity ceased to exist with the introduction of the
automobile, and is cited in
economics and
marketing as an example of an industry ceasing to exist because its
market niche, and the need for its product, disappears. In discussions of market regulation, it is often held that the economy would be disadvantaged as a whole if the buggy-whip industry were protected from going out of business by banning the automobile.
Buggy whips are not entirely gone. A resurgence of interest in the international sport of
combined driving and historical carriage driving, sports enjoyed by people of all ages, has allowed some buggy whip manufacturers to stay in business, serving this specialty
niche market. Foremost among these is a company in
Westfield, Massachusetts.
Whips As Practical Weapons
Whips have been used as weapons in
movies, from films such as the original ''
Zorro'' to ''
Indiana Jones'' movies and ''
Catwoman.'' Movies show action heroes tripping or disarming an adversary, breaking furniture, or other doing other dramatic activities. Because of popularity of whips in film and
television, people often want to learn to use the whip as a weapon.
However, while the whip as a weapon looks dramatic on screen, in practical terms it has some major disadvantages. It is true that bullwhips in particular can generate considerable energy and damage a person’s body severely. The tip of the whip can cut and slice like a knife in the hands of a trained individual. However, while fancy whip work appears fast and is impressive to watch, as a defensive weapon the whip is nearly worthless. The user is handicapped by requiring time to throw the whip, having sufficient space to build speed with the lash, and having adequate physical strength and accuracy to be effective in a strike.
For example, in the famous scene from
Raiders of the Lost Ark, when Indiana Jones faces a
swordsman in the Cairo market, amply illustrates what can happen. Jones ignores his famous whip, simply pulls out his
gun and shoots the swordsman. A
firearm is far faster than a whip. Only in the movies can a whip disarm a person holding a pistol. In reality, a person can fire off a bullet faster than the whip can reach the firearm.
Another basic problem with the whip as a defensive weapon is the amount of open space required. The whip is used in movies to give the user the ability to strike from a safe distance. That makes it appear that he or she has an advantage. Unfortunately, in defense, this is the whip’s Achilles’ heel. Someone using a 6-foot bullwhip needs about an 18 foot clear area on all sides to get a powerful whip shot at a target. Without clear space, particularly behind and to the side of the handler, the whip strike cannot even occur; the whip will catch or strike other objects, rendering it less powerful or even useless.
That space between the whip handler and the target can also rapidly disappear if the subject runs at the whip-wielder. This would render the use of the whip completely ineffective. If the subject gets inside or outside the target distance, the handler cannot change the length of the whip. Thus the whip can only be an effective weapon in rare and specific circumstances, and generally, only in the movies.
For a whip to be a useful tool, it would be in limited circumstances as an offensive weapon. Just about the only circumstance that would give a whip handler the advantage in a fight is the element of surprise with a single strike.
As an example, the storylines in the
Zorro films and books use examples of whips used effectively as offensive weaponry, particularly to surprise an opponent. For example, in “The Mask of Zorro,” Zorro (Alex Green in that scene) uses a whip to surprise a firing squad and disarm them momentarily. Once exposed, he must use his whip in conjunction with other weapons to fight a battle or to escape. It is no longer effective as a direct attack weapon.
Though the whip is not an effective self-defense weapon, the sport of whip-cracking is growing. Thus, it is wise for practitioners to be aware of the limitations of the whip. Much of what is shown in movies is carefully
choreographed and special effects are sometimes used. Professional stuntmen know how to set up action for the cameras, and stunts performed may be unsafe when attempted by untrained individuals. Thus, people interested in whip-cracking are advised to seek out professional instruction.
Whip-like appendages in nature
Some organisms have whip-like devices:
★ Many
unicellular organisms, and
spermatozoa, have one or two whip-like appendages called
flagella, which they use for propulsion. "Flagellum" is
Latin for "whip".
★ Some large
lizards (e.g.
iguanas and
monitor lizards) can whip with their tails. At least one
veterinarian has complained that a modern hazard of his work is being "bitten, scratched, and whipped" by pet iguanas. The biological names of some lizards contain ''Mastigo-'' or ''-mastix'', which is
Greek for "whip".
★ The
whip snake was so called from its appearance; but the old myth that it could whip a man painfully is false.
★ There has been a theory that all or some
sauropod dinosaurs could crack the ends of their tails like coachwhips as a sound signal, as in the book form of "
Walking with Dinosaurs".
Books
★
How to Make Whips, , Ron, Edwards, Cornell Maritime Press, 1999, ISBN 0870335138
★
In Praise of the Whip, , Niklaus, Largier, Zone Books, 2007, ISBN 9781890951658
★
Whips and Whipmaking, , David W., Morgan, Cornell Maritime Press, 2004, ISBN 087033557X
See also
★
Bullwhip
★
Cat o' nine tails
★
Crop (implement)
★
Quirts
★
Sjambok
★
Flagellation
★
BDSM
External links
★
Bullwhip-Info.com
★
Bullwhip FAQ
★
Australian Plaiters and Whipmakers Association
★
Whip Care
★
Murphy Whips
★
Internet Whip Links
★
Australian Whipcrackers and Plaiters Association
★
Society of American Whip Artistry
★
The Whip Artistry Studio
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