6 Tips for Buying a Riding Crop

Now that you've discovered kink, you're finding that you love impact toys. That's totally normal. They can provide a lovely and kinky thrill to spank your partner while they're begging you for even more. As you start to explore new spanking options, you'll come across a wide variety of implements to play with: paddles, slappers, floggers, canes, whips, and, of course, riding crops.

Originally designed for use in the equine world, riding crops are long, semi-flexible poles designed for striking. You make contact with the very tip of a riding crop, and you grip it with the base handle. The tip usually includes a looped or cute design that "hangs" off the pole for a more flexible strike and noise. Here we'll take a look at how to choose one you'll love.

How Are Riding Crops Used in Kink?

In kink, riding crops are regularly used as a fun way to provide punishment during foreplay. If he's cleaning the kitchen and misses a spot, whap! If she's doing a workout and is using bad form, whap! If he's giving oral sex and isn't hitting the right spot, whap! Used lightly, they can be a fun and playful way to keep your partner "in line."

As with most impact toys, you'll want to take safety into account before you actually strike your partner with a riding crop. While paddles are relatively straight-forward and hard to mess up, it's much easier to misjudge a riding crop strike. Depending on the design of the crop, this can make your riding crop hurt much more than you intended.

The hit should come from the tag-like end. With proper striking, it should make a noticeable noise. Striking with the area right-below the tip can be extremely stingy and painful (as you're hitting with the attachment point of the shaft instead). Make sure that you practice to know how to wield the crop. Try striking yourself to understand the difference in sensations when you accidentally hit with the wrong spots. You should always know exactly how much sensation you're giving to your partner.

An alternative use is to hit with the shaft, effectively using the riding crop as a cane. Be aware that riding crops were not designed to hold up to this. It may break your toy if you get too rough with it.

Now that we have safety information out of the way, it's time to actually sit down and browse all of your awesome riding crop options. While trying to narrow down your options to that one special riding crop, try to keep these things in mind:

Mull Over Colors

Like anything in the bedroom, the colors and appearance of your riding crop can make a huge difference in its sensuality. You should pick out a riding crop that feels "sexy" to you and your partner. Whether "sexy" is bright pink and purple for a non-threatening appearance or a leather-covered black for a darker playtime, you can find a riding crop that matches your fantasies.

Decide Upon the Tip

The most noticeable part of a riding crop is the tip. The actual sensation of how the riding crop feels when it hits skin doesn't change too much regardless of the shape of the tip. However, the tip does vastly change how the riding crop looks. If you want something fun and playful, consider a heart-shaped tip or other cute shapes. If you're looking for something that exemplifies dominance, consider a standard, long floppy leather tip.

Contemplate Flexibility

Riding crops will vary in shaft flexibility. Because a riding crop works by gaining momentum for each strike, the flexibility of the riding crop will make a difference in how hard of an impact the crop can provide. Consider a less-flexible crop for a gentler sensation or a more-flexible crop for a more stingy sensation. Since it can be hard to judge the flexibility online, try to seek out some reviews to see what other people think about the sensation and flexibility.

Think About Length

Length makes a big difference in a riding crop. As mentioned above, the length will affect flexibility. Longer crops tend to be more flexible. Length also changes how you can use the crop. If the crop is longer in length, it might be hard to use it when you're pressed up close to your partner. It may also be harder to use in smaller bedroom spaces. Don't forget about storage; riding crops can't be bent or folded for storage. So if you get a long riding crop, you need that much area for storing the toy.

Evaluate the Handle

While it can be hard to judge when shopping online, the handle and its fit is an important part of using a riding crop. Try to find measurements of the crop's handle to ensure it will comfortably fit in your hand. Most riding crops are designed for an average hand. If you have an above-average or below-average hand size, you'll want to pay special attention to finding handle measurements.

Consider a Wrist Loop

Some riding crops come equipped with a loop that hangs off the handle. Surprisingly enough, even equine-designed crops come with this loop! It's designed to slip around the wrist to ensure the crop stays in the rider's hands even with the movement of riding a horse. You may not need quite so much stability when playing in the bedroom. However, the loop can be used to easily hang up the riding crop for storage. You can always cut off a wrist loop if you don't like it, but it's much harder to add a wrist loop if your riding crop doesn't have one. So consider whether you'd like to use this feature before you purchase a crop.

Now that you have a list of things to think about while shopping for your riding crop, it's time to look at your favorites and try to narrow things down. Think about what you want to use the riding crop for, how you'll store it, and, of course, fantasize about how you'd like to use it with your partner. Try to choose a riding crop that exemplifies everything you've been seeing in your mind - and then enjoy it! Half of the enjoyment of purchasing new toys is the excitement of selecting the new toy in the first place. Have fun with it!