The use of whips in racing...

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Lottiedude

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<font color="blue"> What effect would banning whips have on racing? Do you think they should be banned, if so why?

I'm interested on peoples views in regards to the welfare issues involved with the use of whips, in racing in particular.

Thanks in advance for any posts.</font>
 
The only thing I would note is that the jockeys because of their riding positions hve no leg aids.

I do think they whip too much but to a certain extent whips are necessary for racing.
 
There was a campaign a couple of years ago you might be interested in - Think BHS was involved or summat like that? Someone had invented a "humane" whip that made a massive crack noise when used but wasn't supposed to be anywhere near as harsh.

Unfortunately I think it goes with the territory, I don't like it but then again I don't like the concept of racing much - I think the industry is too much about the money and not about the horses welfare - don't get me wrong, I used to live near Newmarket and ALL the yards I ever went to their standard of horse care was brilliant - its the fundamentals that I don't agree with, like backing horses too young and the fact that in the moment jockeys have to do whatever they can to get the final sprint out of a horse if it means winning a race. So yes, I'd like whips to be banned from racing, if it was a blanket ban nobody would be put at an unfair disadvantage.
 
personally i think they should be banned, if a horse wants to go faster they will with out a whip... or atleast put a limit on how many times they can use it!!
i dont agree with racing anyway (well with the hurdles anyway)
 
Having worked with racehorses and dressage horse I cannot understand why people have such a thing about whips on racehorses when they are seen as fine in every other horsey sport. Encouraging a horse to go that bit faster is no different to giving a crack on the bum before a fence a la Robert Whitaker at Olympia or any given eventer or a dressage rider tapping up a horse to get it to be more expressive!
Banning whips in racing would be detrimental to safety, I believe. If you have ever tried riding a horse with really short stirrups as speed you will soon realise that your legs are of little use and hauling on the reins to straighten a horses is not effective or safe. Most whip use is to straighten a horse out or stop it drifting into the path of another one.
There are 'hands and hells' races for apprentice and amateurs which I believe is good as it discourages a whip happy attitude and the new 'humane' whips are not as harsh a long thin dressage whip.
 
Totally agree with everything Laafet has said. (Except tha apprentice races are 'hands and heels' not 'hands and hells'!).Also, I'm sure whips in racing do less damage than spurs in some other 'horsey' sports.
 
i disagree with you there laafet, theres a slight difference, to giving a horse a tap on a shoulder when jumping or slight touches in dressage to get them enthusiastic than racing, in racing they hit them fairly hard and im sure if you were at a show ground and they saw you hitting your horse like that im sure they would have something to say about it!! theres no need to hit a horse like that, if they're trained well enough they dont need it!
 
I still think that dressage whips hurt more than racing ones from personal (!) experience. Kimberley, you may be very light with yours but I have seen a lot of pro's in Dressage and Eventing that are very handy with theirs. Racehorses are rarely marked by the whips so they can't be used that hard, can they. And if a horse is marked as a result of being whipped in a race then the stewards come down hard on them. I've only ever seen one racehorse marked by a whip and the lad responsible was sacked on the spot. However I have seen plenty of riding horses with spur marks.
You cannot just pick on racing, there has to be a blanket ban on all equestrian sports. I believe there is a petition on the Government site about it.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Encouraging a horse to go that bit faster is no different to giving a crack on the bum before a fence a la Robert Whitaker at Olympia or any given eventer or a dressage rider tapping up a horse to get it to be more expressive!

[/ QUOTE ]
Encouraging it by hitting it continually on the backside is a little different from one crack with a short stick prior to a fence, or a tap with a dressage stick.

Ban em. Or at least ban the jockeys who use them to excess.
 
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