When racing stopped at the famed Santa Anita course in March, following the deaths of 22 horses over a scant few weeks, the why and hows started immediately.
The owner of the track, The Stronach Group, when finally allowing racing to return three weeks later, after every possible thing was examined, said… “No more medications on race day, oh, and also, no more use of the whip.”
That stunned the horse racing world – the world over actually.
Not the medication part – that has been part of many jurisdictions’ policy for some time. Australia and Hong Kong lead the way on that topic.
But as sure as Friday follows Thursday, this no whip use ban will gather momentum. Santa Anita is the first famed, major race horse track in the world to implement the no whip use policy.
Golden Gate Fields near San Francisco, as of April, has now adopted it too.
And while it remains true that every racing territory on earth has its own rules and regulations, massive changes to the way racing is governed, do have ripple, domino-like effects globally. Santa Anita has set a precedent that racing regulators around the world will struggle to ignore.
And racing there over the next two months will be VERY closely monitored by PETA, other animl l protection groups, and ALL the racing bodies on the planet. If Santa Anita can get on with it and race well without the whip in the closing stages of a race, why can’t everyone else?
Australia has its restriction of whipping working fairly well here, but the wolves of PETA are closing in and that will change soon too.
Canada, probably because they are so far away from everyone, still have no whip restriction rules but that will change. They have been living on borrowed time in this regard for years and pressure is coming for them to change sooner rather than later.
It must, and it must here too because we are seen as a world leader on the racing stage. There is a rather pungent belief among many followers of horse racing, and let’s be specific to Australia now, that a similar complete whipe ban move is only a matter of time.
So because of that, Racing Australia would be VERY wise to watch Santa Anita’s attempt to ban the whip, and be pro-active about doing likewise. And I say that because whether we like it or not, flogging horses will NEVER be tolerated by the activists and it is inevitable they will win, and it will be banned.
Australia needs to get on the front foot and implement banning now. Be a leader and not a reluctant lemming follower.
Right now, the whip ban will need to work at Santa Anita firstly, and to be seen as a success in both competitive and commercial terms. Jockeys here in Australia will not like being told they can’t use the stick, but their thoughts, feelings on the subject are immaterial.
The sport must be seen to be one of celebration of equine athletics, and NOT one where the beloved star of the show is belted while giving its all. It is at worst cruel, fuelling the PETA people of this world, and at best stupid as it negatively reinforces in the horses’ mind at a time when he thinks he is doing his best. “I’m giving everything you’ve asked of me, I’m giving my all…and I’m being bashed for it. Why?”
Perception is in equal portion the binding motivation to ban whip use. The new padded whips, so we are constantly assured, do not hurt the horse, just keeps them focussed. Be that as it may, again, that is nOT part of the argument. It still looks terrible when a rider pulls the stick. And for horses dropping out of the contest, tired and beaten, to still get belted is just fuel to the fire.
The integrity of the sport is at stake and only when it is addressed properly will racing continue to thrive.
Santa Anita is on the threshold of a tipping point in global horse racing.
I say Australia should be next to step up and stop whip use.
Have Your Say 🗣: Should Whips be banned in Australia? Comment below
