Actually, they haven't been whips for a long time, since they don't have lashes at the end like a whip. Riders probably stopped using real whips about the same time as they stopped wearing spurs. (You think whips are bad? When jocks rode upright instead of aerodynamically, spurs that regularly drew blood were an important part of the jock's equipment.) Jockeys have been carrying crops for years and calling them whips; why not be accurate? Especially since 'whipping' has so many negative connotations.
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