A recent peer-reviewed study into the use of the whip in horse races has determined that the act of whipping a horse does not make a difference to the outcome of a race
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According to an article by perthnow.com University of Sydney Associate Veterinary Professor David Evans, a co-author of the study which examined the act of whipping in thoroughbred racing Down Under, said the findings do not support that the act be retained in the industry.
“We looked at running times in a series of races, how whips were used and whether that whip use influenced the outcome of a race," Dr. Evans was quoted as saying. "What we found was that whipping did not affect the probability of whether or not a horse finished a race in the first three placings."
Evans also said, “How a horse ran in the first part of a race, when it wasn’t being whipped, was the most critical factor in racing success.
"So horses are being whipped in the final stages of a race, in the face of muscle fatigue, for no benefit.”
The study's findings have struck a nerve with participants in the thoroughbred racing industry Down Under, according to an article by The Sydney Morning Herald. The report explains that thoroughbred horsemen were 'floored' with the findings, which they claim are 'without foundation.'
''Give me a tape of 500 races and I will show you the reason a majority of winners won, and that was from good whip-riding,'' the article has quoted a leading jockey as saying.
''I know with most academics they have to be published or perish, but they should spend their time on curing MS or cancer instead of insulting the industry with this baseless garbage,'' a Flemington trainer was quoted as saying.
''If the RSPCA have got that sought of money, they should go out and find homes for cats and dogs, and stop investing in schemes and studies that are only intended to damage the brand name of an industry that gives tens of thousands of Australian's a living.''
(With files from perthnow.com and The Sydney Morning Herald)
With all the trouble in
With all the trouble in regards to animal abuse and as was stated in the article, many heath problems to work on, money and facilities are being given to total morons who come up with something like this?
A whip or for that matter anything a jockey/driver does to encourage a horse in the final stages of a race?!?!?! Give me a break! Has this group of Einsteins ever watched a horserace in their lives? I'd be remiss if I didn't say that all horses react differently to a whip or any other form of urging, same as humans they're all individuals.
Cheers,
Nohoax.