# Best carriage driving whip for small hands



## Mabaraba (Jan 5, 2021)

I am looking for recommendations for a driving whip. My hands are small and I think I have a little arthritis in my hands, so the weight of the whip is an issue. I borrowed a whip from a friend, but find it to be too bulky and heavy. I am driving a 14.3 hand stocky gelding. Appreciate any suggestions.
thanks,
Mara


----------



## AJ Yammie (Dec 20, 2020)

It’s pretty hard to recommend a whip but it would be a good idea to go to a local saddlery and have a feel or what they have there. Ask if you can hold the whip and swing it around a bit. Good luck!


----------



## Mabaraba (Jan 5, 2021)

AJ Yammie said:


> It’s pretty hard to recommend a whip but it would be a good idea to go to a local saddlery and have a feel or what they have there. Ask if you can hold the whip and swing it around a bit. Good luck!


Thanks for the suggestion. It is a good one. Unfortunately I live in the SW corner of NM up in the mountains. There is no local saddlery anywhere within at least a 3 to 5 hours drive. And, because of Covid, we are not traveling. That leaves me with mail order as my only option. Which is why I was hoping to get some feedback.


----------



## AJ Yammie (Dec 20, 2020)

Oh dear. I can’t help you then sorry I’m in a similar situation with town 3 hours away. I hope you can get what you need. For a while when I didn’t have a lunge whip I put a price of cloth or bag on the end of a bamboo stick and that worked for a while but it was slow to move


----------



## Mabaraba (Jan 5, 2021)

Love the image! Not even sure I could find a bamboo stick here....LOL!


----------



## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

Look up UltraLites.
It has been awhile since I bought mine. Not cheap but I love it.


----------



## Mabaraba (Jan 5, 2021)

QtrBel said:


> Look up UltraLites.
> It has been awhile since I bought mine. Not cheap but I love it.





QtrBel said:


> Look up UltraLites.
> It has been awhile since I bought mine. Not cheap but I love it.


Thank you! Do you mean these:








Home


Welcome to Ultralite Driving Whips! Providing light weight carriage whips for every level of driver.




www.ultralitewhips.com




or are you talking about the Fleck ultralights?
Mara


----------



## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

Fleck. German company. Didn't realize there was an actual company with the Ultralite name here in the US.

The Fleck's come in different grip sizes.


----------



## Mabaraba (Jan 5, 2021)

QtrBel said:


> Fleck. German company. Didn't realize there was an actual company with the Ultralite name here in the US.
> 
> The Fleck's come in different grip sizes.


Thanks again! The US Ultralight company makes their whips out of grafite. I think Fleck's are made of carbon. Pretty similar material. I will look at the Fleck's. I would think the slimmist grip would work best for my small hands.


----------



## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

Let me know if it works. Mine are size 10/11 but a shattered wrist and torn up shoulder can't handle weight. I've been using them for almost 30 years now. Expensive but mine have lasted. Those that I no longer have were shall we say liberated from my harness storage area.

It would be nice to know how the smaller grips fare fit wise.


----------



## Mabaraba (Jan 5, 2021)

QtrBel said:


> Let me know if it works. Mine are size 10/11 but a shattered wrist and torn up shoulder can't handle weight. I've been using them for almost 30 years now. Expensive but mine have lasted. Those that I no longer have were shall we say liberated from my harness storage area.
> 
> It would be nice to know how the smaller grips fare fit wise.


Earlier today I spoke with Jan at "Driving Essentials". She recommended the Dobert whip (German made like the Fleck) as having the slimmest grip with a "tackified leather grip", saying it was the lightest (3 oz) with a grip diameter measuring approx. 1/2"

Linsey at Ultralite recommended a longer shaft with less lash as the lash adds more weight than making the shaft longer. 

Everyone seems to have different opinions. I wish I could try them out, but I am just going to have to make a decision and go with it. At least my gelding and I are still above ground--he seems to find the whole thing entertaining, and I'm trying to stay two steps ahead of him. It is a welcome distraction from the craziness going in the world!


----------



## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

For single or team I went with longer shaft, shorter lash. For 4 and 6 I went with longer lash, shorter shaft. It all depends on your control and wrist flexibility. You need the whip to reach the front shoulder.


----------

