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Home / Equine Research Bank / Animals (Basel) / Whip Rule Breaches in a Major Australian Racing Jurisdiction...
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2017; 7(1); 4; doi: 10.3390/ani7010004

Whip Rule Breaches in a Major Australian Racing Jurisdiction: Welfare and Regulatory Implications.

Abstract: Whip use in horseracing is increasingly being questioned on ethical, animal welfare, social sustainability, and legal grounds. Despite this, there is weak evidence for whip use and its regulation by Stewards in Australia. To help address this, we characterised whip rule breaches recorded by Stewards using Stewards Reports and Race Diaries from 2013 and 2016 in New SouthWales (NSW) and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). There were more recorded breaches at Metropolitan (M) than Country (C) or Provincial (P) locations, and by riders of horses that finished first, second, or third than by riders of horses that finished in other positions. The most commonly recorded breaches were forehand whip use on more than five occasions before the 100-metre (m) mark (44%), and whip use that raises the jockey's arm above shoulder height (24%). It is recommended that racing compliance data be analysed annually to inform the evidence-base for policy, education, and regulatory change, and ensure the welfare of racehorses and racing integrity.
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Publication Date: 2017-01-16 PubMed ID: 28275207PubMed Central: PMC5295154DOI: 10.3390/ani7010004Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article

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.

The research article primarily puts into question the use of whips in horse racing, specifically focusing on rule breaches related to whip use in Australia’s major racing jurisdictions, New South Wales (NSW) and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). The study leverages stewards’ reports and race diaries from 2013 and 2016 to uncover trends and inform future policy, education, and regulation considerations.

Objective of the Study

  • The primary goal of the research was to scrutinize the use of whips in horse racing, an aspect increasingly being challenged on ethical, animal welfare, legal, and social sustainability grounds. The study aimed to strengthen the evidential basis for whip usage and its regulation by stewards within Australia.

Methodology

  • The researchers examined whip rule breaches in horse racing events by analyzing Stewards Reports and Race Diaries in NSW and ACT. These records dated from two main years, 2013 and 2016.

Findings

  • The study revealed that there were more recorded whip rule violations at metropolitan locations than at country or provincial venues.
  • Additionally, riders of horses that finished in the top three positions were found to breach whip rules more often as compared to those who did not finish in those top spots.
  • The two most common types of whip rule infraction included using the whip in a forehand manner more than five times before reaching the 100-meter mark, which accounted for 44% of breaches. The other major violation was whip use that compelled the jockey to raise his/her arm above shoulder height, constituting 24% of the total violations.

Implications and Recommendations

  • The data reveals that there may be a need to reassess the use of whips in horse racing due to the high number of rule breaches.
  • The research authors propose that racing compliance data should be analyzed on an annual basis. This would help create a sound evidence base crucial for informing policy-making, education, and regulatory modification geared towards preserving the welfare of the horses and the integrity of horse racing.

Cite This Article

APA
Hood J, McDonald C, Wilson B, McManus P, McGreevy P. (2017). Whip Rule Breaches in a Major Australian Racing Jurisdiction: Welfare and Regulatory Implications. Animals (Basel), 7(1), 4. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani7010004

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 7
Issue: 1
PII: 4

Researcher Affiliations

Hood, Jennifer
  • Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Room 206, R.M.C. Gunn Building, Sydney 2006, New South Wales, Australia. jenih@iinet.net.au.
McDonald, Carolyn
  • Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Room 206, R.M.C. Gunn Building, Sydney 2006, New South Wales, Australia. carolyn131283@gmail.com.
Wilson, Bethany
  • Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Room 206, R.M.C. Gunn Building, Sydney 2006, New South Wales, Australia. bethany.wilson@sydney.edu.au.
McManus, Phil
  • School of Geosciences, University of Sydney, Room 435, F09, Madsen Building, Sydney 2006, New South Wales, Australia. phil.mcmanus@sydney.edu.au.
McGreevy, Paul
  • Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Room 206, R.M.C. Gunn Building, Sydney 2006, New South Wales, Australia. paul.mcgreevy@sydney.edu.au.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Citations

This article has been cited 8 times.
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  4. 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).
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