If Thoroughbred race horses love running so much, why is it necessary to go to the whip to force them to run ?

Question

My husband & I feel a nationwide campaign should be started to ban going to the whip with a racing horse.

Answer 1

you have a valid point...to date i have never seen a horse run faster by use of the whip! it looks good for effect in the movies and at the races...

Answer 2

The whip is used to tell the horse what to do.  

The horse starts out and the jockey "Hand rides" the horse, with no whip (unless the jockey needs to use the whip to tell the horse to get out of the way of another horse)

Then when you get towards the finish, the jockey "Flashes" the whip by letting the horse see it, this tells the horse that it needs to get ready to run hard.   Then the jockey uses the whip on the rump to tell it to get going.

The reasion why you see it used down the stretch if you have two horses close together is that they are telling the horses to keep running hard, and also to make sure that the horse does not bump into the rail or other horse.   That is why you will see them say "right hand whip" or "left hand whip" as that means the jockey is keeping the horse from bumping the other horse.  

Horses have such thick skin that the wide riding crop would be the same as peice of string to us humans.   Some areas are getting away from whips for PR reasions, as some people don't like it.

Answer 3

New York State issued its first rules on the proper use of the riding crop by jockeys, and the question still remains: to whip or not to whip?

"You can use it, but not abuse it," said Jerry Bailey, the leading rider in the country. "I don't like to use the stick too much. You never know how the horse will react. Some of them don't like it. Some resent it. Some stop running.

"You don't want to hurt the horse. So, the rules are clear: You can hit him only on the shoulder and the rump. They're like people. They have less padding on the shoulder, more on the rump. You should wait until he extends to full stride, then flick him once to see how he reacts. But there are no magic spots. It depends entirely on the horse, and they're all different."

Please read more here:

http://www.igha.org/tb_whip.html

Jockeys can be fined for improper use of the whip.  Even though use is pretty subjective, there are still lines that cannot be crossed.

Answer 4

i dont know what country you are from, but im Ozzy and sure lots of jockeys use the whip however some dont..... they show there horse the whip to spur them on this does look like they are whipping away but in fact there not!

also in England there jockeys are only allowed to use the whip X amount of times in a race

and what about harness racing, there whips are alot longer giving them more leveridge and they really whack away

Answer 5

What about the horses who are hand-ridden?  How do you explain that?  People should really stop trying to start campaigns when they know next to nothing about this particular sport.

Answer 6

The whip is an extension of the rider's hands and legs. It's used to encourage the horse to keep moving forward as many will start "loafing " once they get to the front or alongside another horse. It's also used to keep the horse from moving sideways into another horse or to and  from the rail. A lot of horses drift sideways at the top of a stretch run, causing them to lose ground. A flick of the whip pushes them back into a straight path. The horses are also trained to switch leads (Which is running with one front leg extended further for balance, left thru turns,right on straightaways) which helps them use both sides of their bodies in a more equal manner. A flick reminds them to change their leads so they don't become too fatigued  on one side. Some horses don't need reminders. Most do. Their skin is pretty thick and a few swats with all that adrenaline pumping is no big deal. And if you overdue it on any horse they will "sour up" and stop working .So no, they are not being beaten.Mostly they are just being brushed or tapped

Answer 7

I know! This puzzles me. But people use whips all the time, not just in racing. Its not recognised as a "whip" though. Its a crop and even I use it to encourage a horse to go a bit faster, or more so listen.

But people just sit with their money and their stupid fluffy hats with bouncing sh*t coming out of the top and dont realize what the horses are being put through! I didnt make it to the television in time but when i found out this morning i was heartbroken. Its so sad how people put young horses in like that for MONEY. Its really depressing. I would be so mordified if my favorite horse on this planet was put into a big shindig like that and had to be put down for breaking to ankles.

I'll pray for Eight Bells.