Home Study reveals futility of whipping tired racehorses

Study reveals futility of whipping tired racehorses

Whips are a familiar sight in Australian Thoroughbred racing. However in recent years the international trend has been to limit use of the whip and in some countries to ban it as a performance aid all together. The Australian Racing Board last year made moves to reduce whip use.

Despite fierce opposition to changing whip rules, there was little agreement within the industry as to why whips are actually used and no real understanding about what impact whips have on the horse and race outcome. 

An Australian-first study* out of the University of Sydney has shed light on this issue.

The study reveals:

  • Whipping does not increase a horse's chances of finishing first, second or third
  • Horses run their fastest when they aren't being whipped
  • The strongest predictor of racing success is how a horse runs in the section of the race that it isn't being whipped

The results of this study do not offer any support for the retention of whipping in horse racing.

Watch the Study's authors discuss their findings

* An investigation of racing performance and whip use by jockeys in Thoroughbred races. Evans, D.L., McGreevy, P.D. Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.


Padded whip in action [the photographer has stated that this image can be used without her being credited]
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