Researchers say a new study published in the open-access journal Animals fails to support the most common justifications for whip use in Thoroughbred racing. The research team was led by cultural anthropologist Dr. Kirrilly Thompson and its third author was Dene Stansall, horse consultant for the animal rights group Animal Aid in Britain. The team set out to examine whether whips improved a rider's ability to steer, prevent interference, and to ride horses out to their best ability.
Whip use is believed to give every horse, jockey, owner and trainer an equal chance of winning. Researchers say that the idea of whip use being critical to racing integrity is a cultural belief and that its actual impact on steering and safety have not previously been scientifically studied.
For the study, the team looked at stewards' reports for 125 British flat races that included 1,178 jockeys and their horses. Of these, 67 races were considered “hands and heels” races, where whips were carried but not used, and 59 races where whip use was permitted.
The team compared stewards' reports between hands and heels races and conventional races and determined there was no significant difference between the two groups as far as interference or drifting on course or reported incidents of jockey misbehavior. Steward reports in both categories indicated an urgent need to improve steering, which prompted the team to suggest racehorses be better trained to respond to weight shifting or opening a rein to prevent drifting.
The team also found no statistical difference between finishing times in hands and heels versus conventional whip races, which researchers interpreted to mean that horses were no more compelled to maximum performance by use of the whip. The study did not appear to examine differences in an individual horse's performance in races with and without conventional whip use.
The team recommends whipping-free races could be adopted without compromising racing integrity. They also note that any costs to introducing whipping-free races would be exceeded by the benefits to horse welfare and public perception.
Read the full study here.
Read more at HorseTalk.
The post Study: Whip Use Doesn’t Improve Steering, Finishing Times In Races appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
