Ban the Whip
“Whip use is arguably the most visual form of violence to animals”
The racing industry has created a facade of glamour, but in reality, is founded on the exploitation and abuse of these gentle animals. The most visible element of cruelty to racehorses is the use of the whip. Whips are used in thoroughbred racing based on two false beliefs being that whipping makes horses run faster and increases jockey safety. Let’s dive into these claims and uncover the blatant abuse that happens in almost every race
Do whips make horses run faster?
In short, no, beating a horse with a whip does not improve their performance. Findings from a study in 2011 “undermine the popular assumption that whipping increases the speed of horses, or at least reduces the loss of speed that can be expected towards the end of a race when horses are fatigued.”
Using the whip excessively in the final stages of a race - when a horse is tired, slowing and less physiologically capable of increasing speed - is counterproductive as it constitutes positive punishment, which is most effective in discouraging behaviour, i.e. running faster.
Do whips increase jockey safety?
Research by the University of South Australia found no evidence to prove that whips increase jockey safety, despite the industry's claims.
The study compared stewards’ reports from whip races and whip-free races and found that there was “no statistical safety difference between the two race types. Their findings clearly show that the use of whips is unnecessary, unjustifiable and unreasonable.
“... we found no evidence that whip use improves steering, reduces interference, increases safety or improves finishing times. These findings suggest that the whip-free races do not compromise racing integrity. They also highlight the need for more effective ways to improve the steering of horses.”
Do whips hurt racehorses?
Yes, horses feel pain and whipping hurts them. A study in 2020 found no significant difference between humans and horses in terms of concentration of nerve endings in the outer pain-detecting layer of skin (epidermis) or the thickness of this layer.
This is because a horse needs to be sensitive to touch, especially to insects and other horses, and they experience pain from a whip strike - just like we would. For these reasons, the RSPCA is opposed to the use of whips.
An observational study of horse racing in Australia found 83% of whip strikes caused indentations of the skin of the horses whipped, and comparative studies in humans showed such deformation is likely to be detected by cutaneous nociceptors - giving the feeling of burning pain. Further, it is noted that on 64% of impacts, the unpadded section of the whip made contact - which is more painful and contravenes the Rules of Racing.
When given a single “medium” whip on a human thigh, thermal imaging showed that inflammation remained for over half an hour after.
The nerve endings in a horse and human epidermis and superficial dermis were stained with red dye. Analysis found that that epidermal nerve endings are found in equivalent density across horse and human skin (Tong, et. al.)
Whip indentation post race at Randwick, NSW
Padded whip. Source: Liss Ralston
Welts caused by trauma on Vow And Declare after winning the 2019 Melbourne Cup. Sources: Horses and People
What is the whip rule?
According to the Australian Rules of Racing, there is a limit of five whip strikes prior to the final stage of a race, but there is no limit on the number of times a horse can be struck with the whip during the last 100 metres of a race.
Horses are allowed to be consecutively beaten with a whip as many times as the jockey likes, after passing the 100-metre mark.
Despite this clear rule, several jockeys are repeatedly beating the horses more than the allowed number of times and no action is being taken.
Source: Australian Rules of Racing (PDF)
What is over-whipping?
Over-whipping is when a jockey has “exceeded the permitted strikes of the whip prior to the 100m under AR132(7)(a)(ii)”. The stewards record their names and the number of additional strikes, and in almost all instances, the jockeys do not receive a penalty for their actions.
Animal Liberation monitors the NSW Horse Racing Steward’s Reports to record how many times jockeys over-whip the horses and has recorded if any action was taken. Below is a list of jockeys who have over-whipped during a race so far in 2022.
Should whips be banned from racing?
Yes - whips should be banned from horse racing. If a person were to hit the same horse with the same whip away from the track, it would generally be considered a prosecutable animal cruelty offence under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
Have other countries banned whips during a horse race?
Other countries have already started holding whip-free and whipping-free (where jockeys can hold the whip for safety) races and even banned the whip altogether.
In 1986, Norway outlawed the whipping of racehorses, allowing jockeys to hold a shortened whip for safety, but bans them from beating the horse to win. In 2009, they added an amendment, where jockeys cannot carry any whip in races for 3-year-olds and above.
In 1999 the United Kingdom implemented the “Hands and Heels” Apprentice Series to teach jockeys how to ride without resorting to the whip.
In 2020, New Jersey became the first state to prohibit jockeys from whipping a Thoroughbred or Standardbred, except in an emergency.
From April 10 2022, Jockeys in Sweden will no longer be able to use the whip, but can carry one to “ward off a dangerous situation”.
What does the Australian public think?
Beating horses with whips is losing its social license. According to an independent study of 1,148 people, 74.95% of respondents said horses should not be hit with a whip in the normal course of the race.
The industry has admitted whip-free races are the future
In 2016, Ray Murrihy, the outgoing chief steward in NSW (now former chairman), admitted that whip use in the future is uncertain. He added:
“If we don’t pay due regard to welfare matters, it will be at our peril. If we don’t do it ourselves, the next time we’ll be sitting in the back seat, not the driver’s seat.”
Then, in 2017, Steve Moran, leading racing commentator, declared that a ban on the whip in Thoroughbred racing was inevitable.
Deaths in NSW
The individuals listed below lost their lives to racing.
How You Can Help Horses
This is just one of the inherent issues with horse racing. So long as the industry remains self-regulated, horses will continue to suffer and jockeys will go unpunished. That is why Animal Liberation needs your support for an Independent Office of Animal Welfare (IOAW). If an IOAW is established, animal welfare will come before profits.
To learn more about IOAW, please click here.
After signing the call for an Independent Office of Animal Welfare, please also sign The Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses petition to #ditchthewhip, here.