Equine welfare charities have shared their responses following the conclusion of the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) review of the use of the whip in racing. World Horse Welfare, who supports the responsible involvement of horses in sport and is an independent welfare advisor to horse sport regulators, advised the BHA on a series of welfare matters.
The charity’s Chief Executive Roly Owers was a member of the BHA’s 2021 Whip Consultation Steering Group and the only member representing the equine welfare sector, with other members of the group drawn from jockeys, trainers, representatives of the racing industry, politics and media.
World Horse Welfare also fed into the BHA’s 2011 whip review, confirming the role of the whip in safety but highlighting the need for a wider debate on the use of the whip for encouragement. The charity wants to see racing move away from the latter use of the whip, and during this review argued that this use should cease on both ethical and welfare grounds.
“We welcomed the formation of the BHA Whip Consultation Steering Group and have been happy to participate actively in the consultation process as the only member representing the equine welfare sector,” said Roly Owers, World Horse Welfare Chief Executive. “We thank David Jones, who chaired the Steering Group, for his very hard work, and the BHA for initiating this important process.
“Much good has come out of the work including the focus on education and tougher penalties for breaches of the rules, including disqualification. We are also encouraged by the establishment of the independent stewards committee which the BHA hopes will identify and address any breaches of the rules more consistently.
“An increased focus on training and education on how the whip should be used is also warmly welcomed. We would like to see this education include a focus on how horses learn so that, if the whip is used, it is used in accordance with evidence-based learning theory.
“However, we believe that the recommendation on whip use “to be used in a backhand position only,” while welcome, does not go far enough. We are clear that we want to see a move away from the use of the whip for ‘encouragement’ in horseracing on both welfare and ethical grounds. We simply do not believe its use is justified, especially in light of what we now know about what makes a good horse-human partnership.
“We will continue to work constructively with the BHA and others in racing to support the implementation of the rules and the recommendations of the Horse Welfare Board. Racing of horses, like all horse sport, can only continue to take place if the sport maintains the support of the public, which will require everyone in racing to justify their use of the whip in the context of horse welfare, and show that they can be trusted to adhere to and enforce these rules.”
RSPCA expresses ‘extreme disappointment’
The RSPCA has expressed “extreme disappointment” at the BHA decision to allow jockeys to continue to use the whip for encouragement.
“This is an extreme disappointment and a real missed opportunity for horse welfare; and there will be complete disbelief from countless animal lovers by this news,” said Emma Slawinski, RSPCA director of policy, prevention and campaigns.
“The BHA has missed the chance to improve the welfare of horses in sport – and get rid of the whip for encouragement – something that is long overdue and being demanded by the public.
“By just tinkering with the rules, and allowing the whip to still be used for encouragement, the wellbeing of the horse is depressingly absent from these changes.
“It’s difficult not to conclude that these rule changes are about ‘optics’ not welfare. There’s no evidence that switching to ‘backhand only’ whip strikes will reduce pain for horses – it’s just an attempt to try to make the sport look better.”
