Things to Consider
- Length of Whip
- Materials Used
- Purpose of Whip Verse Cost
1. Length of Whip
There's no set rule to choosing the length of your whip, however a standard Australian stock whip is generally 6ft long. Stronger people generally prefer a larger and heavier whip to be used on horseback. Small and light whips, which are designed more for crowded environments such as cattle yards, are called yard whips and are swift and easy to use.
2. Materials Used
All Nemeth Whips are hand-crafted from Australian red hide and kangaroo hide leather. Kangaroo hide is the best material for a whip. It's the most expensive, and pound for pound one of the strongest materials that can combine strength, flexibility and beauty.
3. Purpose V Cost
For a beginner it is best not to spend too much on a 12 plait kangaroo hide whip, we suggest either a 4 plate red hide whip as they are best value and hard wearing. Once you are more experienced with your whip cracking, then it is time to look at kangaroo hide whips.
Australian Stock Whip
The Australian Stock Whip 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 bull whip, 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 bull whip, being between 15" and 21". The thong can be from 3ft to 10ft long. Stock whips are also almost exclusively made from tanned kangaroo hide.
The Bull Whip
A bull whip consists of a handle between 8" and 12" in length, and a lash composed of a braided thong between 3ft and 20ft long. Some whips have an exposed wooden grip, others have an intricately braided leather covered handle. 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 of the lash is the 'fall' and cracker or popper. The fall is a single piece of leather between 10" and 30" in length. During trick shots or target work, the fall is usually the portion of the whip used to cu, strike, or tie the target. The cracker is the portion of the whip that makes the loud 'sonic boom' sound, but a whip without a cracker will still make a sonic boom, simply not as loud.
Additional Whip Types
There are other variations and length of stock whips. The yard whip is a type of smaller stock whip. The yard whip is used on ground in cattle yards and other small areas 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.