13 Jul 2022
New rules and tougher penalties are being proposed in a long-awaited report, but MP Neil Hudson and a welfare charity boss believe further restrictions are needed.
Allister Webb
Job Title
Image © Gabriel Cassan / Adobe Stock
Vet and MP Neil Hudson has said more should be done to limit whip usage in British horse racing, despite a review proposing new rules and tougher penalties.
Dr Hudson, who represents Penrith and The Border, was part of a 15-member steering group that has now published its long-awaited report on the issue.
Twenty separate recommendations have been made, including restricting jockeys’ use of the whip to a backhand position, from which officials claim it is more difficult to strike a horse with excessive force. Riders’ representatives believe that it is likely to represent a significant change.
However, while the panel unanimously agreed to retain the implement for safety purposes, members were divided about whether it should be permitted for encouraging a horse.
Dr Hudson, a BEVA member and RCVS fellow, said he was a “passionate supporter of the horse racing industry” and described the review as “an important piece of work” that he was happy to be part of.
He added: “The broad recommendations of the review I am comfortable with. However, I was in the minority in the group who wanted the whip to be retained for safety purposes only and not used for encouragement.
“This has been done in some authorities internationally and I think this is the direction of travel that the sector should take.”
Dr Hudson said: “This lack of a complete consensus on the use of the whip for encouragement among the group is reflected in the main report. At the heart of this, we must keep equine health and welfare foremost, and the safety of the horse and jockey.”
The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) described international consensus on whip rules as a “positive aspiration” and called for discussions to continue with its counterparts in other jurisdictions, particularly in Ireland and France.
Although the limits on the number of times the whip can be used are set to remain unchanged at seven in flat races and eight in National Hunt contests, the review does propose more severe penalties, including bans of up to 28 days for jockeys and disqualifications for the most serious breaches in major races. Those rules would have seen the winner of this year’s Grand National disqualified.
World Horse Welfare, which was represented on the steering group, also believes the recommendations do not go far enough.
Chief executive Roly Owers, who is also BEVA’s honorary treasurer, said the sport should be praised for its approach to the review, including inviting a welfare organisation to contribute, as well as plans for an independent stewards’ committee to deal with infringements, plus a greater focus on training and education.
But he added: “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. 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.”
However, the BHA said research is limited to indicate whether the whip should be outlawed for encouragement purposes.
