SA Footy

Media Release:

STUDY REVEALS FUTILITY OF WHIPPING RACEHORSES

Whipping racehorses is pointless and does not make a difference to the outcome of the race, new research from two University of Sydney veterinarians has revealed.

The study, which has been peer-reviewed and published by the Public Library of Science, investigated the impact of whipping on performance in Thoroughbred races.

Study co-author and Honorary Associate Professor, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Dr David Evans, said the results offer no support for the retention of whipping in horse racing.

“We looked at running times in a series of races, how whips were used and whether that whip use influenced the outcome of a race. What we found was that whipping did not affect the probability of whether or not a horse finished a race in the first three placings.

“How a horse ran in the first part of a race, when it wasn’t being whipped, was the most critical factor in racing success. So horses are being whipped in the final stages of a race, in the face of muscle fatigue, for no benefit.”

Animal behaviour expert Professor Paul McGreevy (co-author) said he hoped this research would highlight the fallacy and futility of whipping.

“The reason for whip use has traditionally been the need to be seen to ride the horse out and the suggestion that you can steer a horse with the whip. Many horse riders, and certainly these findings, refute that.

“Top performance horses have been bred and prepared to give of their best. Add to that excellent horsemanship and you’ve got a winning combination. That’s all you need. We have evidence here that great horsemanship does not involve flogging tired horses.”

The research was funded by RSPCA Australia and carried out with the assistance of Racing New South Wales. RSPCA Chief Scientist, Dr Bidda Jones, said the results will help end the debate over whether there is a place for whipping in the future of Australian Thoroughbred racing.

“This study has found that jockeys use whips just as people would expect – to try to make their slowing horse recover speed in the closing stages of a race in the hope they will get a place. That’s not surprising. What is surprising is the finding that whipping doesn’t make any difference.

“Jockeys may as well save their energy, keep their hands on the reins, and head straight for home. Their horses will be so much better off for it,” said Dr Jones.

Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Science at the University of Sydney, Professor Rosanne Taylor, said this report will challenge traditional thinking.

“Science has the ability to challenge our views of what is otherwise considered the norm. This result is a good example of how evidence can inform the way we work with animals to promote their optimal performance and welfare.

“In this instance, the future wellbeing of Australian racehorses is looking brighter, because we now better understand that horses give their best when they are not whipped, before the 400m mark, positioning themselves for a win or place.”

The Study is available on the Public Library of Science website: http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0015622

a jockey will tell you that they need a whip to use as a steering mechanism especially with young horses, as for whipping over the concluding stages of a race, some horses DO respond but MOST do put in regardless of whip use or not

This kind of evidence just makes me even angrier about the controversy of whipping horses.
With the Australian Jockeys Association claiming it is distracting and dangerous for jockeys to have to count how often they whip in a race, it was a victory of sorts for horses that they failed to achieve the mandate they wanted- to whip horses as much as they wanted in the last 100m of a race.
In 2009 the Australian Racing Board declined allow jockeys unlimited use of the whip.
I hope they are carefully watched for overuse of the whip!
The excuse that padded whips “don’t hurt” is disingenuous. If these whips don’t hurt I want to see one of the jockeys who wield them so freely on a horses’ rump or the officials who rule in these cases, to take seven consecutive strikes across his own backside with one- then stand up and tell me they don’t hurt.
Jockeys have made ineffective and abusive use of whips as long as there has been horse racing. I have been heard of the residual effects of the whip with horses left with multiple, large welts or bleeding stifles.
The enforcement of the rule is difficult and counting the number of times a whip is used in a race is laborious and time-consuming but there are whips available now which are fitted with compact electronic sensors, not only can it record the number of blows, it can also log the severity of each blow and the time it occurred. After the race back in the weighing room all jockeys present their whips to a scanner which downloads the data. A screen instantly displays the information; whip count, severity- absolute guarantee off helping stop the merciless overuse of the whip which I believe should be banned entirely- especially in the face of this recent study.

Darth Vader wrote:The excuse that padded whips “don’t hurt” is disingenuous. If these whips don’t hurt I want to see one of the jockeys who wield them so freely on a horses’ rump or the officials who rule in these cases, to take seven consecutive strikes across his own backside with one- then stand up and tell me they don’t hurt.

Great logic at work.
I dont want to eat chaff all day and having my shoes nailed to my feet would hurt so it must hurt the horse too.

If it doesn't hurt, why does the horse run faster?

in adelaide at the trots when you see a driver using the whip he is actually hitting a whip pad & the noise more than the hit 'sparks or encourages' them to go harder, faster towards the line.........................now i know a few drivers a safooty members & many many more read this site, so i'll ask them to log in & explain it better than me & to also say whether it helps the horse respond etc

becuase it has $10 each way on itself...
or maybe its excited.

It is a national disgrace that racehorses in Australia have continued to be subjected to barbaric physical pain and psychological stress despite the above and other expert opinion that whipping simply does not work.
A Senate Select Committee into welfare of horses in 1991 showed that whips should be eliminated as a means of making a horse run faster. It is widely acknowledged that the whip causes physical pain and psychological stress including an inherent sense of panic to racehorses.
Flogging a horse which is at the point of physical exhaustion is nothing but cruel.
Racehorses are routinely pushed far beyond their natural limitations and many break down and have to be destroyed before the age of five. A horse does not finish growing until it is five and yet we train and race horses from two-years olds.
If whipping exhausted horses which are finishing back in the field is a sport, we need to be utterly ashamed as a nation.
To say that whipping does not hurt a horse is outright nonsense.

I wonder if the horse was named Rhianna, if it would mind being whipped?

Darth Vader wrote:It is a national disgrace that racehorses in Australia have continued to be subjected to barbaric physical pain and psychological stress despite the above and other expert opinion that whipping simply does not work.
A Senate Select Committee into welfare of horses in 1991 showed that whips should be eliminated as a means of making a horse run faster. It is widely acknowledged that the whip causes physical pain and psychological stress including an inherent sense of panic to racehorses.
Flogging a horse which is at the point of physical exhaustion is nothing but cruel.
Racehorses are routinely pushed far beyond their natural limitations and many break down and have to be destroyed before the age of five. A horse does not finish growing until it is five and yet we train and race horses from two-years olds.
If whipping exhausted horses which are finishing back in the field is a sport, we need to be utterly ashamed as a nation.
To say that whipping does not hurt a horse is outright nonsense.

when did you last go to the races?

Clare Cup and Port Augusta Cup in 2009 and 2010. Couple of times before that. More for the networking and social activity than anything.

Do you want to ban the jumps races too while your at it darth?

come on Mickey thats another thread in itself

another thread indeed!
mate I'm not a greenie or tree hugging animal activist but I am seriously against animal cruelty and exploitation. I'm not a vegan so plenty of holes in my argument I grant you. Anyway, yep I would definitely ban jumps races. Seeing those beautiful horses stumble and break legs only to be put down really pisses me off big time.

If a horse cant take 10 whips a fortnight over the rump then it is psss weak and belongs in a glue factory

please darf P.O.Q and go protect the Apes who are having their forrests taken or the Rhino's in Africa who are being hunted for their horns....


animal cruelty FFS

p.s. or the whale hunting

what branch of rocket science did you specialise in overloader. You are obviously an owner operator

were you one of those DH's I hit out the front of the oakbank races last year?

i know one thing whether it be tomorrow night or saturday night if a horse i back looms up looking a chance & may need the persuader i'll be yelling out ''hit the bloody thing'' seriously though these horses a looked after a lot lot better than some people are on this planet

bayman wrote:i know one thing whether it be tomorrow night or saturday night if a horse i back looms up looking a chance & may need the persuader i'll be yelling out ''hit the bloody thing'' seriously though these horses a looked after a lot lot better than some people are on this planet

nahhhhhh I havent protested or marched or gathered or anything like that. I just like animals - do you have a problem with that?