Whip

We have all been affected by the recent tragedies that have occurred in the racing industry. Whether reading of, heartbreakingly witnessing these horrors on national television, or while sitting with our friends at an event, we have all begun with breathless engagement in the grand spectacle of poetry in motion. We watch in admiration and awe as living, breathing works of art slice through the wind in full flight only to often sadly witness events that cannot be unseen; events that may haunt the recesses of our minds, creating fodder...

The British Horseracing Authority approved new guidelines, penalties and procedures regarding the use of the padded whip Tuesday. In Flat racing, the rules will be fully implemented Mar. 27, with a bedding-in period that begins Feb. 27. In Jump racing, the bedding-in period will commence Jan. 9 before being fully implemented Feb. 6. During the bedding-in period, jockeys will be asked to ride under the new rules, however, will not be subject to the new penalty framework. The core recommendations include: Use of the whip for encouragement to be limited...

With new regulations regarding whipping set to go into effect throughout the country on July 1 when the Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) takes effect, management at Monmouth Park has asked the New Jersey Racing Commission to adopt the more lenient HISA rules when the meet opens May 7. The story was first reported by the Asbury Park Press. At the start of the 2021 meet controversial rules were put in place by the New Jersey Racing Commission that banned the practice of whipping horses to encourage them...

Jockeys in Sweden will no longer be able to use the whip for encouragement when the new racing season begins in that country on Apr. 10. Swedish racing authority Svensk Galopp has published a new rule that will allow jockeys to carry the crop, but only use it "to ward off a dangerous situation." Recently, jockeys in Sweden have been allowed to hit their horses three times in a race. The whip, however, has not been allowed in jumps racing or for 2-year-old racing. Helena Gartner, project manager of the...

The Whip Consultation Steering Group is discussing possible recommendations stemming from the three-month consultation period last summer, the British Horseracing Authority said in an update on the whip consultation project on Thursday. This stage of the project has been slightly delayed due to Covid complications, and is now expected to be completed towards the end of winter, with the proposals scheduled to be considered by the BHA board in April. After a period of adjustments, the full report and recommendations is to be published in May, with any new rules...

Following an agreement between 1/ST RACING's Gulfstream Park, the Jockeys' Guild and the Florida Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association, Gulfstream Park will institute new house rules regarding the usage of riding crops.    The implementation of the new crop rules come into effect on Friday, Aug. 6. The extensive list of rules includes: designating when a rider is not carrying a whip; the crop may be used to maintain focus or for safety, but the horse must be given a chance to respond after two taps before trying again; crops...

The British Horseracing Authority on Thursday opened a 10-week open, public consultation on British racing's whip rules and penalities. The consultation, a recommendation of the industry's independently chaired Horse Welfare Board, aims to gather and assess the views of industry participants, stakeholders and wider audiences regarding the rules, use, and penalties for rule breaches. The first part of the consultation is an online questionnaire that will be available until Sept. 6 and is open to anyone. The second part of the consultation will involve detailed discussions with relevant parties and...

Starting at next year's Monmouth Park meet, whipping a Thoroughbred will not be allowed by any New Jersey jockey or exercise rider except for the express purpose of ensuring the immediate safety of the horse or rider. Spanning three new rules covering prohibition, allowable usage for safety, and whip construction, the trio of regulations were voted in 4-0 by the New Jersey Racing Commission (NJRC) at its Sept. 16 meeting, making the state the first in the nation to ban whipping beyond protection in an emergency situation. If a jockey...

A unified set of whipping regulations is in the pipeline for the mid-Atlantic region jockeys, and the plan could be announced by early June with the goal of rolling out the new rules as tracks start to reopen from COVID-19 closures. "We are very actively working on finalizing a riding crop policy--rule if you want to call it [that]--for the mid-Atlantic region that will bring a consensus to the region on the use of the crop," Alan Foreman, the chairman and chief executive officer of the Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, said...