The Whip

In the light of Towcesters proposal to stop the use of the whip apart from those put down in strict guidelines,i wondered as to the feeling of board members on this issue.Its a very emotive subject with many good arguments for and against it.Personally i think that its a vital part of a jockeys equipment,it can be used as a steering aid,correcting aid and encourager.As long as the jocks stay within the current guidelines i dont see what the problem is,some horses do run better for the whip and some dont,some horses mark very easily,some dont,its a real swings and roundabouts issue.The only thing i will say about Towcesters proposal is that its probably an ideal track to try this out,horses tend to give their all and more there anyway because the finish is so severe that getting "stuck into one" tends to make them wander almost punchdrunk toward the finish,im of the opinion that horses dont need the stick at this particular place,strong hands and heels will bring as much benefit.As a steering aid its essential at every track end of story.The modern day stick is a universe away from the old school sticks,they are ultra light,air cushioned things,ive got one in the garage that Ferdy gave my little lad as a "trophy" one stable visit and you could flog the behind out of it and it really wouldnt leave a mark.
I hope this isnt a knee jerk reaction to the bad press racings received since the National,theres a place in racing for the whip as long as its controlled properly.

Hi Racingnut,

I agree with what you say.......and yes, whips are an essential aid, it would be dangerous to ride in a race without one.

I'm not so convinced that these modern whips are as painless as a lot of people say they are but they are nothing like the old ones....and so much has gone into the design of them to make them as kind as possible.

I think perhaps the current rules need tightening a bit as in my opinion I still think the whip is overused even when jockeys stay within the guidelines.....so maybe they need to be looked at.

Part of me thinks we shouldn't be hitting race horses at all.

Imagine the outcry if when an athlete was in a race someone was running behind them whacking them with a whip and then saying " It's alright...... it's only for encouragement.......it doesn't hurt"

I don't know, racing, like you say it may just be a reaction to the bad press the National received this year.

I love watching hands and heels races just to try and spot the jockeys who forget it's hands and heels

Sorry for this waffle but I'm not sure what I think really.......I'll be interested to read the views of the others,

Solerina