Beating Horses for Gambling and Entertainment

WHAT DO YOU SEE?

Two fierce competitors, in an exciting battle, giving it their all towards the finish line?

Or

Jockeys beating terrified horses with whips as they are pushed beyond their limits to the finish line?

If this picture makes you feel disturbed more so than excited about horse racing, you’re not alone.  Numerous surveys have proven that what most people see in the picture above, is cruelty towards horses. Yet, globally the racing industry and media, continue to depict this very scene as thrilling, entertaining and entirely acceptable.

Let’s face it. Horse racing hasn’t been about horses for decades. Today, racing and gambling is about politics, money and maintaining old traditions – not what is fair or good for horses.  There is a long list of issues associated with using horses for racing.  In that list, is the use of whips. 

Ironically, striking a horse with a whip off the track is deemed as animal cruelty, punishable by law since 1979 (NSW).  If that alone doesn’t arrest the debate on the use of whips, we can continue with the following evidence that is well known:

• Research proved whipping horses does not increase a horse’s performance.
• Whipping in a race increases the physical dangers a horse is exposed to during racing.
• Whipping distress horses, inflicts pain and does not improve safety for riders
• Norway banned the use of whips in horse racing in 1982, without issue.
• Limiting the number of strikes proved jockeys can’t count accurately to 5
• Three quarters of Australians support a ban of the whipping of horses in the racing industry

With eroding public support, diminishing crowds, bad publicity, relentless scrutiny by welfare groups and corporate sponsors disengaging, you would expect Australia’s Racing Industry to be feeling the pressure. Ironically, the Racing Industry as a whole, remain ignorant and painstakingly slow to change.

Jockeys found guilty of breaching the whipping rule, are handed penalties that are minor in comparison to any prize monies and therefore fail to act as a deterrent.

How to help ban the whip –

In the history of humankind, it was never possible to communicate a message to the entire world at once. Today, social media makes this possible.  You have the power to share, inform and influence key stakeholders within the Racing industry on a grand scale via Face Book, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

CPR ask you to continue sharing important information about horse racing with your friends, their friends and corporate sponsors of racing. Whipping horses for thrills and excitement, is far from normal and Australians can and will, force change.