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On Monday 10th October, new rules regarding the use of crops during horse racing were implemented by the British Horseracing Authority and have since sparked numerous debates from figures in the sport.

The rules; published three weeks ago, limit the number of times a jockey can whip their horse during a race. It is a debate which has raged for years, and was once again brought to the forefront of the public’s attention following this year’s Grand National. The winner Bellabriggs is said to have been thrashed so much in the final stages of the race that he was left exhausted and in need of oxygen. If these new rules had been in place at the time, jockey Jason Maguire would have lost his winning money and received a ban.

Although many people are happy about these changes, others wish to have whipping banned altogether. Many figures in the sport are also frustrated with the strict new regulations. A particular sore point in the dispute is the new limit on five strokes for Flat Jockeys within the final furlong of the race, as jockeys claim it is not always clear when they have entered this final stretch. Many are threatening to strike if the rules are not reconsidered.

The punishment for breaking these rules result in the jockey receiving a ban of at least five days and forfeiting their riding fee and any prize money earned in the race. Since their introduction, numerous jockeys have been banned, with at least five of those bans issued on Monday; the first day of the new rules being in place.

On Monday 17th October, a crisis meeting was held between jockeys and the British Horseracing Authority, to determine what could be done about the controversial new whip rules. Executive of the Professional Jockey’s Association Kevin Darley led a delegation of jockeys including Tony McCoy, Ryan Moore, Frankie Dettori, horse trainer John Gosden and Richard Hughes who gave up riding in races after he received a total of a 15 day ban for breaking the new regulations.

The argument for and against whipping in the sport has been discussed fervently in the media. Is whipping in horseracing useful or abusive?

PETA, Animal Aid and other anti-animal cruelty charities have produced a number of campaigns and staged numerous protests about the issue. No other animal is allowed to be whipped for sport, and thus a controversial campaign ensued. Some feel that the use of the whip is unnecessary and does not increase the jockey’s chance of winning, so should therefore be removed completely from the sport, whist others are against it because they believe it to be animal cruelty. Experts claim that the purpose of whips is to startle the horse, not to harm it.

Local horse trainer Kevin Macauley said on the matter (that) “In my opinion, whip ruling can’t work. The modern whip is air cushioned and doesn’t actually hurt the horse. Also, look at it like this: if a professional jockey falls during a race, he gets back up because he’s fit and strong. The race horse is exactly the same, they’re fit and their muscles are hard so as long as they’re hit in the right place, it won’t hurt them. If they get hit in a softer area, they’ll blister; that’s where the cruelty side is. It’s all about common sense. I think the steward should just look at each jockey and if they’re using the whip too much, ban them, because that is cruelty. But when it’s used properly, the whip’s very important. It’s used for encouragement. For example, if the ground is soft, the horse needs more encouragement. If you take away that encouragement, it’ll stop running. Every horse is different, and a lot of time the whip is used for their own safety, to keep them on course. I think it’s wrong to limit the jockeys, but I do think those who overuse the whip should be banned.”

The subject of whipping in horse racing is evidently a sensitive subject and will continue to be a heavily debatable topic for years to come. Let us know your thoughts on the new rules, and how you think they will impact on the future of horse racing.