THE use of the whip in horse racing has been and continues to be a hotly debated topic all over the world.

This heated discussion has raged for decades, and as long as it has the controversial use of the whip is often the reason many people despise horse racing.

The whip’s aim is to make horses run faster and to sustain speed when they tire near the end of a race. Whipping horses repeatedly causes physical and psychological suffering and raises the risk of harm, say experts. The local racing industry has managed to avoid culpability for this egregious act of what is no doubt a form of animal cruelty.

It’s full time the industry evaluates its appropriateness and gets it outlawed. After all, prohibition, it is believed, will ultimately improve horsemanship skills, level the playing field, and prevent injuries to horse and rider.

The regulatory agency of horse racing, the Jamaica Racing Commission (JRC), is now reviewing the current rule on excessive use of the whip and also is close to adding a new rule of racing that will limit the number of times a jockey can whip a horse in any one race.

At present, Rule 138 (5) of the Racing Rules regarding the use of the whip by jockeys reads as follows:

“Any jockey or apprentice whom the stewards consider has been guilty of excessive use of the whip in a race shall be liable to be punished by the stewards by the suspension of his permit for such period not exceeding twenty-five successive race days, by such fine not exceeding ten thousand dollars ($10, 000.00), or to deprive him of his whip when riding in a number of races not exceeding his next ten successive riding, or by all or any combination of the foregoing. The hitting of horses other than down the shoulders or on the hind quarters shall, except in very exceptional circumstances, be considered to constitute excessive use of the whip. The hitting of horses with unreasonable force or frequency shall also be considered to constitute excessive use of the whip. The use of the whip on a horse prior to or during a parade or after finishing the race, except where it is necessary to control a visibly fractious or unruly horse, shall also be considered excessive use of the whip.”

Rule 138 (5) deals with excessive use of the whip but does not include the number of times a jockey can use the whip in a race.

The stewards of the JRC are currently in consultation mode with stakeholders, especially the jockeys. One such consultative effort was at Caymanas Park on October 26, with members of the jockeys’ colony — led by President Phillip Parchment — giving their views.

This rule change will bring local racing in line with what is considered international standards specifically aimed at protecting the horses.

The Jamaica Observer has been told that the proposed new rule will limit riders to six strikes of the whip in the straight in any one race.

This provision of six strikes of the whip is being considered as a starting point, after which consideration based mainly on feedback and observation will be given by the regulatory body for any amendment to limit the number of strikes allotted during the course of a race.

According to Eustace Williams, an international accredited steward, changing the mindset surrounding whip use is critical in order to solve animal rights concerns.

“To change the culture about how you use the whip is why we are engaging them [jockeys]; to find a medium where everybody understands that we’re riding with this caution behind us. And not just a broad rule that we can get slapped at us but with numbers, maybe, [on] how often we can use the whip — and we will [then] know when we’re riding in a race that: ‘I have exceeded the number and I’m going to get penalized,’ ” Williams told the Observer.

“The world is gradually changing; the animal rights people are focusing on horse racing. You have groups around the world that think horse racing is cruel and shouldn’t be done, [that] we shouldn’t be subduing the horses to be in confined spaces, riding them in races, and doing all that we are doing with them. They are supposed to be allowed to run free, because that’s how God made them.

“So, the world is changing and focusing on horse racing, and whatever they can get to nitpick on that they see as not proper in terms of an animal rights person, they are focusing on getting to the racetrack and making their point clear,” Williams further added.

Williams also mentioned the protests and pressure on the racing industry regarding the penalties for excessive whip use and potential suspension.

“As you heard somebody mention, they can close down races; they are strong like that. At Newmarket earlier this year the people planned a protest and were actually on the racetrack for the start of some of the races in England, to make their point clear.

“And that pressure is to put on [make clear to] the horse racing industry that: ‘Here we are telling you what you’re doing is not right, and we are making the point by stopping the races and making everybody around the world see.’ So, whether or not the person is a horse racing person or doesn’t like horse racing, they’re looking at it as an animal rights thing. You are abusing the animals,” he explained.

Dr Sophia Ramlal, a senior JRC veterinarian, stated that the use of whips in horse racing must be rigorously examined to minimise potential abuse, with a focus on being humane to animals and minimising discomfort.

“Whip usage is something that we have to look at very closely. We recognise that there is a potential for abuse if not used properly. We are of the view that using the whip must be done in a way that gives the horse the chance to respond, and should not be used unless it is absolutely necessary.

“The commission is minded to think of how to restrict the use of whips, and in fact we already have situations where jockeys are subjected to penalties for having used the whip inappropriately. We want to be humane to the animals,” Dr Ramlal told the Observer.

“We understand that whipping, when done incorrectly or if you don’t need to at all, can create discomfort for horses. The commission is moving in a direction; they are going to try to limit how many times a horse can be struck, and to have the jockeys fully understand that whipping a horse excessively will not enhance its performance,” she added.

While the whip is vital in winning and losing races, Parchment believes it is more necessary to encourage his teammates to be more creative in the saddle rather than relying on striking the horses.

“I think reviewing the rule on whipping is in the best interest of the horses. I think that is good what they [the stewards] are doing but some of these horses in Jamaica are what we call tough head horses, and they take a lot of riding.

“What we need to do is come on good terms and decide on good numbers to hit the horses. But my point of view is that this is good, and it will do wonders for some of these riders to make them learn to more hand-ride the horses as these jockeys we have here are depending on the whip too much and don’t know how to take and balance the horses during the race.

“Whip is very important, and it can cause you to lose. When you depend on it too much you can hit the horse out of his rhythm and cause the horse to drift in another horse’s path. But at the same time, the whip is used to encourage the horse in the most busy part of the race, which is in the last two furlongs where we want to get the best out of the horses,” Parchment said.