Stockwhip
Encyclopedia
Whip
A whip is a tool traditionally used by humans to exert control over animals or other people, through pain compliance or fear of pain, although in some activities whips can be used without use of pain, such as an additional pressure aid in dressage...
made of a long, tapered length of flexible, plaited
Braid
A braid is a complex structure or pattern formed by intertwining three or more strands of flexible material such as textile fibres, wire, or human hair...
leather
Leather
Leather is a durable and flexible material created via the tanning of putrescible animal rawhide and skin, primarily cattlehide. It can be produced through different manufacturing processes, ranging from cottage industry to heavy industry.-Forms:...
with a stiff handle that is used when mustering cattle.
Origin and uses of the stockwhip
The AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n stockwhip is said to have originated from the English hunting whip, but has evolved into an entirely new type of whip. It was designed to move mobs
Herd
Herd refers to a social grouping of certain animals of the same species, either wild or domestic, and also to the form of collective animal behavior associated with this or as a verb, to herd, to its control by another species such as humans or dogs.The term herd is generally applied to mammals,...
of cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
, (not usually used for sheep), by making it crack, which would encourage the mob to keep moving. Throughout Australia stockmen and drovers
Drover (Australian)
A drover in Australia is a person, typically an experienced stockman, who moves livestock, usually sheep or cattle, "on the hoof" over long distances. Reasons for droving may include: delivering animals to a new owner's property, taking animals to market, or moving animals during a drought in...
have used the stockwhip since the early 19th century and it is still the preferred whip used by Australian cattlemen and women today.
The stockwhip is part of most mounted stockmen’s equipment and may be used to keep in contact with other riders, as a weapon against a snake, to lead a horse or dog, or as a counter - by tying one knot for every head of livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
counted. A stockwhip is part of the regulation equipment in stockman challenges and some Australian Stock Horse
Australian Stock Horse
The Australian Stock Horse , has been especially bred for Australian conditions. It is a hardy breed of horse noted for endurance, agility and a good temperament. Its ancestry dates to the arrival of the first horses in Australia, brought from Europe, Africa and Asia...
events. Competitions known as a ‘stockman’s chop’ are held in which a rider must canter down a row of pegs with paper pieces attached and ‘chop’ these pieces off with the whip. Whipcracking
Whipcracking
Whipcracking is the act of producing a cracking sound through the use of a whip. Originating during mustering and horse driving/riding, it has become an art of its own. A rhythmic whipcracking belongs to the traditional culture among various Germanic peoples of Bavaria , various Alpine areas ,...
events are a popular form of competition for juniors through to the older family members.
Composition of an Australian stockwhip
Unlike the American equivalent (Florida Cow Whip which is made of inexpensive nylon) an Australian stockwhip is usually made of redhide or sometimes greenhide leather but can also be made of kangarooKangaroo
A kangaroo is a marsupial from the family Macropodidae . In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, especially those of the genus Macropus, Red Kangaroo, Antilopine Kangaroo, Eastern Grey Kangaroo and Western Grey Kangaroo. Kangaroos are endemic to the country...
hide. Because a kangaroo is a native animal, and cattle are a lot cheaper and abundant, kangaroo hide stockwhips are more expensive. Only the most expensive whips are made from kangaroo hide and they often have a fully plaited handle. Kangaroo hide allows the whip maker to produce the fine plaits for which the kangaroo leather stockwhip is renowned.
Sizes of Australian Stockwhips
The size of Australian stockwhips are measured by the length of the thong (length doesn't include stock, keeper, fall or cracker). Australian stockwhips can be as short as 3' (child's whip) or as long as 10 feet (3 metres). The standard Australian stockwhip is 6 ft (1.8 metres) long. Stronger people generally prefer a larger and heavier whip to be used on horseback. Small and light whips that are designed for crowded environments such as cattle yards are called yard whips. Yard whips are swift and easy to use.Parts of an Australian Stockwhip
The stock
The stock is usually made of cane and usually has a part plaited leather grip. The stock of an Australian stockwhip is usually longer than the bullwhipBullwhip
A bullwhip is a single-tailed whip, usually made of braided leather, which was originally used as a tool for working with livestock.Bullwhips are pastoral tools, traditionally used to control livestock in open country...
. The most noticeable difference between a bullwhip and an Australian stockwhip is that the handle of a stockwhip is not integrated into the thong, instead it is attached to the thong by a keeper, to stop the thong from slipping off. The advantages of this design are many but is mainly that the stock can be easily replaced if it falls off.
The keeper
The keeper is the part of the whip that connects the stock to the thong. The keeper is made of a wide strip of leather passing over the end of the whip handle. It loops through end of the thong and is then joined to the stock.The thong
The thong is the long, plaitedBraid
A braid is a complex structure or pattern formed by intertwining three or more strands of flexible material such as textile fibres, wire, or human hair...
section of whip. Redhide whips are usually made of 4 plaits due to ease and speed of construction but some people prefer 6 plait. A kangaroo hide whip is made, usually, with 8 or 12 plaits, but can be made even finer by cutting the strands narrower prior to construction. This doesn't make a better whip, just a finer and more costly one. The thong is the part of a stockwhip that is measured.
The fall
The fall is a single piece of tapered rawhide or redhide leather which is about 60 centimetres (24 inches) long and attached to the end of the thong. The fall suffers the most wear and tear of the whip because the movement of a whip is faster towards the end because of the whip's tapered design. The fall is weaker than the thong because it only a single strand (not plaited). It is essential for a whip owner to have a decent, high quality fall attached to their whip.The cracker
Cracking techniques
The main techniques used when whipcrackingWhipcracking
Whipcracking is the act of producing a cracking sound through the use of a whip. Originating during mustering and horse driving/riding, it has become an art of its own. A rhythmic whipcracking belongs to the traditional culture among various Germanic peoples of Bavaria , various Alpine areas ,...
are the cattleman's crack and round yard. The sound is created when the velocity of the cracker breaks the sound barrier and creates a sonic boom. The cracker at top speed can achieve more than 3 times the speed of sound.
Round yard
The whip cracker spins the whip counter-clockwise (if right-handed) over his/her head. When the whip is approximately 90 degrees to the right of the whip cracker, he/she swings the whip in the opposite direction. It is one of the simplest techniques, yet it can be one of the loudest used in whip cracking.Further reading
The Aussie stock whip Text and words by a retailer demonstrating how R. M. WilliamsR. M. Williams
Reginald Murray Williams AO, CMG was an Australian bushman and entrepreneur who rose from a swagman, to a millionaire. Widely known as just 'R.M.', he was born at Belalie North near Jamestown in the Mid North, 200 kilometres north of Adelaide, into a pioneering settler family working and training...
stock whips are made.