Post by lynx on Oct 24, 2011 5:56:52 GMT
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2051190/John-McCririck-Why-jockeys-whip-barbaric-banned.html
I would never hurt an animal for the world. Not only do I love all creatures great and small too much, but I also realise that pain is no way to teach them or to make them do anything.
This said I do not agree with the jockey's whip ban. It has been suggested it is being put into place to appease spectator 'newbies' to the sport. If you have never ridden you would have no idea what use the whip is. With regards the whip It would be futile to compare using a whip on a horse to using one on a pet dog, which you have to wonder if the non-riding fans of the sport may be doing.
There is a world of difference between standing on the ground and whipping a horse, now that is WRONG, totally and utterly, without question, to using a tap with is to enforce or 'back up' a leg aid. The contact with the leg is the most significant way of communicating with a horse while you are riding it.
To explain briefly the use of the 'leg' in any equestrian discipline; the horse is ridden 'away from the leg' ie the leg creates impulsion. This energy is ridden into the hands (via the reins) which controls the energy. A cowboy has his legs right down the horses side which is a very good place to give leg commands from. A dressage rider had a similar 'seat' and would usually wear spurs (I do) not to make the aids more severe but to refine them more precisely. Show jumpers have shorter stirrups but can still use their legs on the horses side to create the energy needed. Even with legs in this position sometimes a whip is used. Like dogs horses can decide to ignore the commands and 'switch off', lets face it it may not be a joint decision to perform to ones best on the day. If a horse doesn't respond to a leg aid it would be backed up by a little flick with the whip in the same area as you used your leg, just to say to the horse in 'horse to rider' language 'I was 'talking' to you didn't you hear'.
Look at where a jockeys legs are. His stirrups are so short (to help keep his balance in a place to help the horse run faster) there is no way he can use his legs against the horses side to encourage him forwards. A jockey's whip is padded so can never cause a sharp cut, it is purely used to encourage a horse to use the energy he is asked for. There is a lot he can still do to help his horse forwards but his most useful conveyance of the 'go faster' message is too high up the horses sides to be a dominant command. He would need to tap the horse behind the saddle to ask him to give just a little more of himself.
So is it fair to ask ''that little bit more'? That's a whole new can of worms, but put it this way, while the horse is winning races he is kept better than a lot of people are. Race horses are looked after like princes, whether out of love or gain is another question but on the whole they are cared for and happy. A horse that is a 'looser' will quickly find himself down the slaughter house and in a can of dog meat. Sorry, but that's a fact, only the lucky few failures end up in pet homes. So a few non-painful taps with a padded whip to encourage a horse past the post could be considered a kindness!
Another point is that you would never ever get the best out of a horse by hurting it with a whip. If a jockey really 'stung' a horse it would loose it's rhythm or could even swerve away from any pain. It would be pointless.
These jockeys are very skilled at their job, they should be left alone to do what they do best IMO
I would never hurt an animal for the world. Not only do I love all creatures great and small too much, but I also realise that pain is no way to teach them or to make them do anything.
This said I do not agree with the jockey's whip ban. It has been suggested it is being put into place to appease spectator 'newbies' to the sport. If you have never ridden you would have no idea what use the whip is. With regards the whip It would be futile to compare using a whip on a horse to using one on a pet dog, which you have to wonder if the non-riding fans of the sport may be doing.
There is a world of difference between standing on the ground and whipping a horse, now that is WRONG, totally and utterly, without question, to using a tap with is to enforce or 'back up' a leg aid. The contact with the leg is the most significant way of communicating with a horse while you are riding it.
To explain briefly the use of the 'leg' in any equestrian discipline; the horse is ridden 'away from the leg' ie the leg creates impulsion. This energy is ridden into the hands (via the reins) which controls the energy. A cowboy has his legs right down the horses side which is a very good place to give leg commands from. A dressage rider had a similar 'seat' and would usually wear spurs (I do) not to make the aids more severe but to refine them more precisely. Show jumpers have shorter stirrups but can still use their legs on the horses side to create the energy needed. Even with legs in this position sometimes a whip is used. Like dogs horses can decide to ignore the commands and 'switch off', lets face it it may not be a joint decision to perform to ones best on the day. If a horse doesn't respond to a leg aid it would be backed up by a little flick with the whip in the same area as you used your leg, just to say to the horse in 'horse to rider' language 'I was 'talking' to you didn't you hear'.
Look at where a jockeys legs are. His stirrups are so short (to help keep his balance in a place to help the horse run faster) there is no way he can use his legs against the horses side to encourage him forwards. A jockey's whip is padded so can never cause a sharp cut, it is purely used to encourage a horse to use the energy he is asked for. There is a lot he can still do to help his horse forwards but his most useful conveyance of the 'go faster' message is too high up the horses sides to be a dominant command. He would need to tap the horse behind the saddle to ask him to give just a little more of himself.
So is it fair to ask ''that little bit more'? That's a whole new can of worms, but put it this way, while the horse is winning races he is kept better than a lot of people are. Race horses are looked after like princes, whether out of love or gain is another question but on the whole they are cared for and happy. A horse that is a 'looser' will quickly find himself down the slaughter house and in a can of dog meat. Sorry, but that's a fact, only the lucky few failures end up in pet homes. So a few non-painful taps with a padded whip to encourage a horse past the post could be considered a kindness!
Another point is that you would never ever get the best out of a horse by hurting it with a whip. If a jockey really 'stung' a horse it would loose it's rhythm or could even swerve away from any pain. It would be pointless.
These jockeys are very skilled at their job, they should be left alone to do what they do best IMO