(Reuters) – The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) published a list of recommendations on Tuesday relating to the use of the whip, saying jockeys must only use it in a backhand position and those who breach the rules must be disqualified.
The recommendations of the Whip Consultation Steering Group said the permitted level for using the whip must be seven strikes on the Flat and eight over Jumps, with any rider using the whip four or more times above that level to be disqualified.
The group also want whip use for encouragement restricted to the backhand position only as it discourages the wide arm action, making it difficult to strike the horse with excessive force.
“As a result of this process, we are continuing to evolve standards of whip use, through a regulatory approach that will be demonstrably and visibly fair in terms of what they ask of our horses and the spirit of fair sporting competition,” David Jones, chair of the group, said in a statement.
“It is inevitable that there will be those who think we have gone too far, and those who think we have not gone far enough.
“I ask only that the considerable expertise that has provided its input to this process, and the scale of the task in finding consensus across such a broad range of complex factors, be considered as part of any discussion about these proposals.”
World Horse Welfare’s chief executive Roly Owers, who was also a member of the group, said the use of the whip in a backhand position was welcome but “does not go far enough”.
“We are clear that we want to see a move away from the use of the whip for ‘encouragement’ in horse racing on both welfare and ethical grounds,” Owers said.
“We simply do not believe its use is justified, especially in light of what we now know about what makes a good horse-human partnership.”
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
