Crops, bats, and whips are artificial riding aids. Beginners should use caution with any of these, because they may be used to punish horses rather than guide them. It's all too common to see a child repeatedly slapping a pony with a crop when both pony and child need to focus less on correcting and more on training.
A whip should be used to cover space otherwise unreachable-as an extension of your hand when longeing and an extension of your leg when you're in the saddle-and used with firm, but gentle, pressure.
Hunters And Jumpers
A crop is mainly used in the hunter-jumper disciplines. It's a short stick with a narrow leather loop, called a popper, on the end. Crops typically come in lengths around two feet, except those made especially for children, which are usually closer to 16 inches.
Crops also usually have a wrist strap, which you should never use, because it could get caught on something. Also, if you need to drop your crop because it's spooking your horse, you can't if it is fastened to your wrist.
We like the basic, widely available crops which are typically nylon-covered and for sale-usually around $5-7-propped in a bunch in a feed bucket at your local tack store. Get a neon one so you always know which is yours. (It's hard to find a place to write your name on a crop.) Crops get lost easily. We don't really see the point in the fancy ones unless you're giving a present or want to spoil yourself for show day.
Features you might pay more for are leather wrapping and non-slip rubber handles. Companies that make these high-end crops and bats are Edward Goddard, Pessoa and Fleck. (Besides Pessoa, these companies also make budget models.)
Goddard, sold through State Line Tack, offers a Ridge Grip crop that has an elegant look because of its nickel end and retails for $19.95. It's a nice step up from the neon plastic for the show ring but does not cost too much.
A bat is a close relative of the crop. It's also used in the hunter-jumper ring but has a wider leather popper at the end. Bats also come in two lengths-a shorter one around 19 inches and a longer one around 24 to 26 inches. Riders in jumper classes typically carry the longer length.
For children, we like Roma's "Hand" bat with its hand-shaped popper, because it reminds young riders what the point of the aid is. It's 14 inches long and retails for $8.90 from Dover Saddlery.
Equi-Star makes one with a horse head popper, equally cute, and listed at English Riding Supply with an MSRP of $9.95. (There is no online ordering at English Riding Supply, but there are links to local dealers.)
Bats can become luxury appointments. The Pessoa bat is leather covered and has a silver grip, silver buttons, and a suggested retail price of $395. Our pick here on planet Earth is the Fleck Everyday Bat. It has the Fleck details, like a golf-grip handle, but is in nylon, which keeps the price down to around $28.
To use either a crop or a bat, put both reins in one hand, and then reach back and tap your horse behind your leg. Don't use a crop without taking your hand off the reins, because you could jerk your horse's mouth, and always carry your crop pointing down. Keep it to the inside when you're on the rail, because it keeps your horse pushed out to the rail. However, you may end up switching it to your outside if you're trying to get your horse to pick up the correct lead, for example.
