Hobby Horse Riding Crops and Whips
A crop is the piece of kit that finishes a rider. It is carried rather than used — there is nothing to ask a stuffed head on a stick to do — but it gives the free hand a fixed position, and in a dressage or showmanship class it is part of the picture a judge scores. This is the hobby horse riding crop range: a plain black show crop in two lengths, and a glitter flower crop for younger riders who want something that looks like theirs.
Choosing a Riding Crop Length
Shorter crops, around 45 cm
Easier to carry through a jumping round. Less to catch on a wing, less swinging weight at the end of the arm when a rider is running, and it tucks against the leg on landing. If a rider mostly jumps, this is the one.
Longer crops, around 54 cm
Better standing still. In dressage and showmanship the crop is held along the thigh and read as part of the outline, and a longer shaft simply looks more correct at a distance. It suits taller riders and adults for the same reason.
Crops for younger riders
A first crop gets chosen on appearance, and that is fine. A decorative tip, a braided shaft and a wrist loop that keeps it in hand are the practical parts; the glitter is what makes a seven-year-old carry it properly in the first place.
What Makes a Crop Work
The wrist loop. The single most useful feature and the one cheap crops leave off. A loop means a rider can open their hand mid-round without dropping the crop, which matters when they need that hand for the reins.
A textured grip. A smooth plastic handle turns slippery within one warm session. A moulded or wrapped grip stays put.
Flex, not rigidity. A fibreglass or braided core bends instead of snapping when a crop gets stepped on, which it will be.
A popper or tip that does not shed. Competition rules ban loose parts that could fall on a course. A tip that is moulded or stitched rather than glued keeps you inside them — the full list is in our competition rules.
Crops in Competition
Carrying a crop is optional in almost every class and prohibited in almost none. Where it counts is presentation: in showmanship and in the realistic-enthusiast categories, a crop that matches the rest of the turnout reads as a rider who thought about the whole picture. In freestyle it becomes a prop, and riders choreograph around it.
One rule to respect everywhere: nothing loose. Charms, ribbons and clip-on decorations attached to a crop can come off on a course and cost you the round at many shows.
Looking After a Crop
Wipe a PU leather shaft with a damp cloth and let it air dry; do not soak it. Store crops upright rather than leaning, because a shaft left bent against a wall for a season keeps the bend. A wall rack with individual slots is the tidiest answer and stops the tips getting crushed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do hobby horse riders need a crop?
No rule requires one. Riders carry them because it fixes the free hand and because it completes the turnout in classes where presentation is scored.
What length riding crop should I buy?
Around 45 cm if you mostly jump, around 54 cm if you mostly do dressage or showmanship. Taller riders and adults tend to prefer the longer one in both.
Are riding crops allowed in hobby horse competitions?
Yes, in essentially every class. What is restricted is loose decoration on them, since anything that can fall off can cost you the round in jumping.
Is a riding crop safe for a child?
It is a light shaft with a soft tip, carried rather than swung. As with any stick-shaped object, it is worth setting the rule that it stays pointed down when the rider is not on a course.
How do I stop a crop rolling off a shelf?
Store it upright. A slotted wall rack holds crops separately and keeps the tips from being crushed under other tack.
Crops, Whips and Bats: The Difference
Three words get used interchangeably and they describe different objects. A crop is short and stiff with a flat leather popper at the end — the classic jumping shape and what almost every hobby horse rider carries. A dressage whip is longer and finer with a lash rather than a popper, carried for reach rather than for looks. A bat is shorter again with a wide flap. For hobby horsing the distinction is purely visual, but it is worth knowing which one you are looking at in a listing, because sellers use the terms loosely and a 100 cm dressage whip carried by a ten-year-old looks wrong.
Colour follows the same logic as the rest of the turnout: black reads correct in every class, and a coloured or glitter shaft belongs in freestyle, showmanship and the classes where a younger rider is meant to enjoy themselves.
