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Has anyone used a driving whip for ground work? Are they stiff enough or are they very flimsy?

I've never actually handled a driving whip but length wise they seem very suitable for ground work, but i'm not sure what kind of feel they have.

I have just a cheap one from the feed store. I use it more for long lining/double lunging when a lash is bound to get tangled with the lines. I sprang for a Fleck in-hand whip last year and it is much stiffer and gives a more precise feel, plus there are more options for touching the horse with just the string on the end, the stiffer waxed nylon part, or the actual fiberglass whip part. I've used an Arabian halter training whip as well for basic inhand work. It's shorter than a driving whip, but about the same feel (again I have a cheapie and there are certainly nicer ones out there).

Yes. If you're actually ground driving, it's long enough to work. But I just do work in hand, so a regular whip is fine.

A true driving whip is very light and very stiff. They have to be (if you're driving a single horse) long enough to touch the horse's' shoulder without changing your hand position. I was driving an 18 hand Shire and my whips were long enough, and light enough, that my whip hand never got tired.

Quelah wrote:A true driving whip is very light and very stiff. They have to be (if you're driving a single horse) long enough to touch the horse's' shoulder without changing your hand position. I was driving an 18 hand Shire and my whips were long enough, and light enough, that my whip hand never got tired.

Sounds perfect!