At the invitation of the Executive Director of the Ontario Racing Commission (ORC), a number of individuals and organizations have submitted their opinions on the use of the whip in Ontario horse racing.

The ORC Administration issued the call in preparation for an industry working session taking place next week.

Representatives of the horse racing community attending the meeting will include current and retired jockeys and drivers, horsepeople associations, racetracks, animal welfare agencies and the equine veterinarian community.

All submissions, as well as information collected by ORC staff, are now available for viewing from the main page on the ORC website.

The information includes the submissions, background articles, Letters to the Editor, statistics, and existing rules from Ontario and other jurisdictions.

The invitation to submit their views remains open to any interested individuals who have not done so already.

The ORC recognizes that there are varying degrees of opinion on the subject of whip use, both within horse racing and the community at large. It also believes this close examination of the degree of acceptability of the practice is both appropriate and timely, within the framework of social responsibility and concern for the welfare of the horse.

To view the submissions, click here.

(ORC)