# finding a carrot stick/stick and string



## HorseLover2011 (Nov 27, 2011)

these things are known by many names
i am looking to buy a carrot stick,but something cheaper then parelli's stick but is just as good.
if anyone has any suggestions theyd be greatly appreciated


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## Joe4d (Sep 1, 2011)

yeh get a stick off a tree, tie a plastic trash bag to the end


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## Casey02 (Sep 20, 2011)

I was thinking the same thing, probably cost the same to grab a stick off a tree as it cost mr.pat parelli to make a carrot stick.

According to parelli I have hundreds of dollars worth of hackamores at my house (same as his, a rope halter with one long cotton rein...oh sorry mine dont have parelli stamped on it)


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## WSArabians (Apr 14, 2008)

Agreed with the above. I always made my own.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

There are others around. Google something like Natural Horsemanship supplies.

I really dislike those sticks. They are heavy and hard to use with any finesse. I don't know why a person can't just use a dressage whip, or a carriage whip.


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## Saranda (Apr 14, 2011)

Dressage whips often have too much movement in them. You tap once, but they slap back for another tap sometimes, and this hurts precision. However, they are perfect for more advanced moves, but for a beginner something more heavy and stiff, and with not that much of a "bite" is sometimes better. 

I prefer these - Reitstick Set für Natural Horsemanship | eBay

Made after the merchandise of the NH clinician Honza Blaha. They are lighter and shorter than most "carrot sticks", swift and with a nice bite, if it is neccessary. I use a good dressage whip just as well, but these sticks have the perfect weight/lenght ratio for me as an individual.


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## PintoTess (Aug 18, 2010)

Go into the fridge at grab a carrot, cut it up and Voila, Cheap and easy carrot stick! And if you really wanted to, attach a string to the end!

Sorry couldn't resist 

But seriously, buy a cheap dressage whip and attach a string, bag etc to the end. theyre light weight, cheap, and strong.


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## PintoTess (Aug 18, 2010)

Hmmm but Saranda has a logical opinion to the dressage whip also...


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## Saranda (Apr 14, 2011)

And I've tried it out - both as a beginner myself, and later on, teaching other novices the basics of NH groundwork. I came to a conclusion that, though I agree a traditional PP "carrot stick" is very heavy and hard to handle, the stifness of it and those alike help to learn precision greatly. Later, when the body language BOTH of the handler and the horse has become more refined, a dressage whip can be beneficial. But in the beginning a stiffer and heavier "carrot stick" also helps introducing a young horse to the concept, as there will be no accidental, confusing or just to snappy "taps" that can be made with a dressage whip. As for a beginner handler - the weight of the stick discourages to move too fast and without hinking, thus preventing unnecessary cues.

I hope I managed to express my ideas clear enough.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

I tried a bona fide Parelli stick and found it tiring because of it's weight and it puts a lot of strain on the wrist. Since I had a spare, I shortened a lunge whip and taped on a vinyl tab. I had scrap, the type with the woven backing. The local hardware store carried cotton rope so I tried that. The lunge whip is lighter and easier to use then I wound up cutting very thin willow branches. It is easy to make the tip "sing" and the horse responds. One can tap as light as a fly landing. The feeling is like conducting an orchestra.


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

Soooo, what do you think us Oldsters used waaaaaay back in the 50's - 60's" before the marwahluss Pat Parelli invented that expensive carrot stick?

A green stick off a tree works perfectly fine but, how about the buggy whip if you want to get fancy? Yes, it was still a Rule of Thumb that we broke horses to both ride and drive but by gosh there really was a school bus to carry us to school. The driving part was purely for pleasure - honest:lol: 

If you want to get fancy, tie a live carrot to the end of the buggy whip

This is where I could really get on my negative NH soapbox --- when it sadly comes down to where someone thinks a horse can't be trained unless they've got a magic carrot stick that costs a lot of money. How much ARE those things anyway?


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## Chevaux (Jun 27, 2012)

For the "stiff" carrot stick, I use a fibreglass post (for electric fence; cost $2 or 3 and is light weight) with a bit of duct tape to cover the pointy end. When required, a string is easily duct taped to it as well.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Cattle sorting stick Jolt 54 in Sorting Pole - 2224286 | Tractor Supply Company :wink:


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## AllHorseStuff (Jun 17, 2011)

HorseLover2011 said:


> these things are known by many names
> i am looking to buy a carrot stick,but something cheaper then parelli's stick but is just as good.
> if anyone has any suggestions theyd be greatly appreciated


Hi HorseLover2011, I sell "carrot sticks/handy sticks" 


It is manufactured by Tough-1 and is slightly lighter than some other sticks out there, which make it easier to handle. Please feel free to send me a private message 

Also, before I started selling Natural Horsemanship Equipment, I found much cheaper than buying from the clinicians.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

We're not really buying from the clinicians but their sponsors. They wouldn't be sponsoring these good folks if there wasn't a bunch of money to be made on the equipment. I still say a thin willow is the best way to go, for me there's no going back. My homemade carrot stick, my dressage whip and my lunge whip have been idle for months.


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## FaydesMom (Mar 25, 2012)

I have an old broken Ugly Stick fishing pole that lost a battle to a car door. A bit of flame pattern duck tape and a string braided out of para-cord and I'm all set. It has a nice formed foam hand grip and is light, yet stiff enough to be effective.


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## ranchmom77 (Aug 1, 2012)

TRAINING STICK & SAVVY STRING FITS ANDERSON & PARELLI | eBay


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## MHFoundation Quarters (Feb 23, 2011)

I picked up a bunch at an auction last month. All of my students got them as gifts, I bought them in a lot and paid a buck a piece.


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## AbsitVita (Aug 28, 2012)

HorseLover2011 said:


> these things are known by many names
> i am looking to buy a carrot stick,but something cheaper then parelli's stick but is just as good.
> if anyone has any suggestions theyd be greatly appreciated


Not that I have any suggestions but I thought it was funny that I opened this thread to find five carrots to put in my basket! :rofl:


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## Fargosgirl (Jan 12, 2012)

I have to agree that once you have gotten used to the stiffer sticks, buggy whips, willow switches, and dressage whips just aren't accurate enough and don't offer the same friendly feel of a back scratcher when desensitizing. 

I have used all of the above including a genuine PP Cstick, and I think my Fave is the ebay knock off I bought at almost 1/2 price of PP's. The ebay version is slightly tapered and lighter, it appears to be the same stick as the one marketed by weaver leather with the Stacey Westfall endorsement found in most tack catalogs, but the Weaver string is smoother(better), I had to switch to a PP string on my ebay stick because the ebay string would pull my horse's hair when I stroked him with it.

The Weaver stick is sold at valley vet, here is a link:
Stacy Westfall Stick String Weaver Leather (Supplies Tack - Western Horse Tack - Working Training)


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