Whip

A whip is a tool, in various forms, traditionally designed to strike animals or people, or both, in order to control and punish. The capacity to inflict pain is the most instrumental property of a whip, although many animal-goading whips are used simply to tap the creature and provide guidance, as in dressage. Whips fall generally into two categories: firm, at most moderately flexible stick-like forms used to strike directly; and highly-flexible whips, with or without an inflexible hand, that require a specialised swing or "crack" motion to use. This second category can exert greater force and typically has a longer range.

The majority of whips are designed for use on animals, but several prominent designs, including the "cat o' nine tails" and knout, were specifically developed for flagellation as a means of inflicting corporal punishment or torture on human targets. Certain religious practices, as well as BDSM sexual activities, involve the self-use of whips or the use of whips between consenting partners.

Whips were primarily designed to control animals by inflicting discomfort and pain as a means of guidance: if the animal veered off the required path or behaved out of line, a whip would correct it until it developed an association and thus learnt to avoid those behaviours. Whips are still used in some animal training along these lines, and in equestrianism the use of riding crops is mandated as a riding aid; crops provide a more reliable method of reining in an animal should they ignore other measures: a useful means of averting accidents. Many competitive governing bodies limit the use of whips, and place severe penalties, like fines and disqualification, on overusage. In a broader context, overly-pernicious usage of whips on animals is typically classed as animal cruelty.

In the light of modern attitudes towards the potential for cruelty in whips, other names have gained currency among practitioners for whips that are designed never to hurt an animal seriously. Straight whips of this sort are sometimes called "wands" or simply "sticks", while loose examples are called "strings" or "poppers".

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Wikipedia