An investigation of racing performance and whip use by jockeys in thoroughbred races.
Abstract: Concerns have been expressed concerning animal-welfare issues associated with whip use during Thoroughbred races. However, there have been no studies of relationships between performance and use of whips in Thoroughbred racing. Our aim was to describe whip use and the horses' performance during races, and to investigate associations between whip use and racing performance. Under the Australian Racing Board (ARB) rules, only horses that are in contention can be whipped, so we expected that whippings would be associated with superior performance, and those superior performances would be explained by an effect of whipping on horse velocities in the final 400 m of the race. We were also interested to determine whether performance in the latter sections of a race was associated with performance in the earlier sections of a race. Measurements of whip strikes and sectional times during each of the final three 200 metre (m) sections of five races were analysed. Jockeys in more advanced placings at the final 400 and 200 m positions in the races whipped their horses more frequently. Horses, on average, achieved highest speeds in the 600 to 400 m section when there was no whip use, and the increased whip use was most frequent in the final two 200 m sections when horses were fatigued. This increased whip use was not associated with significant variation in velocity as a predictor of superior placing at the finish.
Publication Date: 2011-01-27 PubMed ID: 21283587PubMed Central: PMC3026808DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0015622Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.
This research studies the use of whips by jockeys in Thoroughbred races, and the connection it has with animal-welfare issues and racing performance. The researchers concluded that increased whip use, particularly in the final sections of the race, did not significantly affect the horse’s performance or placing at the finish line.
Objective and Methodology
- The objective of this research was to study the association between the use of whips by jockeys and the performance of horses in Thoroughbred races. Animal welfare issues were also considered in the context of whip use.
- The team collected data on whip strikes and sectional times across the final three 200 meter sections of five different races.
Findings about Whip Use and Race Performance
- Generally, jockeys who were in a better position towards the end of the races tended to use the whip more frequently.
- In contrast, horses achieved their highest speeds in the middle section of the race, where there was less use of the whip.
- Increased use of the whip was more common in the final two sections of the race where horses were more likely to be fatigued.
Implication about Whip Use and Velocity
- The data shows that the increased use of the whip, particularly when the horses were tired, had no significant impact on their velocities or their final placements in the race.
- This finding contrasts with the common belief that using a whip can lead to superior performance, particularly in the later stages of the race.
Association between Race Sections Performance
- The research also aimed to determine if the performance of the horses in the latter sections of the race was tied to their performance in the earlier sections of the race. However, the abstract does not provide a clear conclusion on this point.
Cite This Article
APA
Evans D, McGreevy P.
(2011).
An investigation of racing performance and whip use by jockeys in thoroughbred races.
PLoS One, 6(1), e15622.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0015622 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
MeSH Terms
- Animal Welfare
- Animals
- Australia
- Horses / physiology
- Running
- Sports
Conflict of Interest Statement
Dr. McGreevy confirms that his colleague Honorary Associate Professor David Evans was commissioned by RSPCA (Australia) to design this study and was paid an honorarium to undertake it. This does not alter the authors' adherence to all the PLoS ONE policies on sharing data and materials.
References
This article includes 11 references
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Citations
This article has been cited 15 times.- Stallones L, McManus P, McGreevy P. Sustainability and the Thoroughbred Breeding and Racing Industries: An Enhanced One Welfare Perspective.. Animals (Basel) 2023 Jan 31;13(3).
- Quain A, Ward MP, Mullan S. What Would You Do? Types of Ethical Challenging Situations Depicted in Vignettes Published in the Veterinary Literature from 1990 to 2020.. Vet Sci 2021 Dec 22;9(1).
- Wilson BJ, Thompson KR, McGreevy PD. The race that segments a nation: Findings from a convenience poll of attitudes toward the Melbourne Cup Thoroughbred horse race, gambling and animal cruelty.. PLoS One 2021;16(3):e0248945.
- Tong L, Stewart M, Johnson I, Appleyard R, Wilson B, James O, Johnson C, McGreevy P. A Comparative Neuro-Histological Assessment of Gluteal Skin Thickness and Cutaneous Nociceptor Distribution in Horses and Humans.. Animals (Basel) 2020 Nov 11;10(11).
- Thompson K, McManus P, Stansall D, Wilson BJ, McGreevy PD. Is Whip Use Important to Thoroughbred Racing Integrity? What Stewards' Reports Reveal about Fairness to Punters, Jockeys and Horses.. Animals (Basel) 2020 Oct 29;10(11).
- Mellor DJ, Beausoleil NJ, Littlewood KE, McLean AN, McGreevy PD, Jones B, Wilkins C. The 2020 Five Domains Model: Including Human-Animal Interactions in Assessments of Animal Welfare.. Animals (Basel) 2020 Oct 14;10(10).
- Rørvang MV, Nielsen BL, McLean AN. Sensory Abilities of Horses and Their Importance for Equitation Science.. Front Vet Sci 2020;7:633.
- Wilson B, Jones B, McGreevy P. Longitudinal trends in the frequency of medium and fast race winning times in Australian harness racing: Relationships with rules moderating whip use.. PLoS One 2018;13(3):e0184091.
- McGreevy PD, Griffiths MD, Ascione FR, Wilson B. Flogging tired horses: Who wants whipping and who would walk away if whipping horses were withheld?. PLoS One 2018;13(2):e0192843.
- Mellor DJ, Beausoleil NJ. Equine Welfare during Exercise: An Evaluation of Breathing, Breathlessness and Bridles.. Animals (Basel) 2017 May 26;7(6).
- Hood J, McDonald C, Wilson B, McManus P, McGreevy P. Whip Rule Breaches in a Major Australian Racing Jurisdiction: Welfare and Regulatory Implications.. Animals (Basel) 2017 Jan 16;7(1).
- Ruse K, Davison A, Bridle K. Jump Horse Safety: Reconciling Public Debate and Australian Thoroughbred Jump Racing Data, 2012-2014.. Animals (Basel) 2015 Oct 22;5(4):1072-91.
- Jones B, Goodfellow J, Yeates J, McGreevy PD. A Critical Analysis of the British Horseracing Authority's Review of the Use of the Whip in Horseracing.. Animals (Basel) 2015 Mar 20;5(1):138-50.
- McGreevy PD, Corken RA, Salvin H, Black CM. Whip use by jockeys in a sample of Australian Thoroughbred races--an observational study.. PLoS One 2012;7(3):e33398.
- . Ratified AVA policies July 2011.. Aust Vet J 2011 Oct;89(10):375-9.
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