The most notable improvement that has been made is with regard to the use of the whip. Stricter rules with harsh punishments have been put into place in the UK, Australia, Canada, and the United States [1,2,3]. The British Horseracing Authority conducted a review of the use of the whip in racing and, because of the findings, has tightened the rules and penalties relating to the misuse of the whip by jockeys [1]. They have given specific guidelines as to how the whip should be used (some of the “good ways to use a whip” are: showing the horse the whip and giving it time to respond before hitting it, having used the whip, all the horse a chance to respond before hitting it again, and using the whip in rhythm with the horse’s stride) and on which body parts the whip can be used (on the quarters or down the shoulder, though the whip must be in the backhand position if the smack is to the shoulder)[1]. After a race, horses will be inspected by a veterinary office, who will report his/her findings to the stewards. Furthermore, trainers or owners who give riding instructions to the jockey should include instructions on the use of the whip. Failing to do so will result in disciplinary action being taken against owners and trainers. Punishments are in the form of fines and suspensions [1]. Australia has rules very similar to those in Britain [2].

Canada requires the use of new, shorter, and more humane whips [3]. Canadian racetracks require whips to have open poppers [4]. The popper on a traditional crop is about 2 inches long and made of solid leather. When it is used too forcefully, it can raise welts and draw blood; however, the poppers on these new, humane, whips are about 6 inches long and consist of a piece of foam sewn inside a soft pad of woven fibers. Instead of giving a harsh sting to encourage speed, they are supposed to make a loud popping noise instead [3]. Stewards at the racetracks scrutinize the number of times jockeys hit their horses with their whips, and they hand out fines for overuse of the crop.

Similar implementations have occurred in the US, with Kentucky, Indiana, and South Dakota having mandated the use of the new, more horse-friendly whips. California has proposed this as a state rule, whereas some racetracks have “house rules” requiring the use of new crops [3].

Sources

1. British Horseracing Authority. 2011. Responsible regulation: a review of the use of the whip in horseracing. Available at: http://www.britishhorseracing.com/whip-review/. Accessed April 1^st, 2012.
2. McGreevy, PD, Corken, RA, Salvin, H, Black, CM. 2012. Whip use by jockeys in a sample of Australian Thoroughbred races- an observational study. PLoS ONE 7: e33398. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0033398
3. Hersh M. 2009. Giving safer whips a crack. The Daily Racing Form, November 19^th, 2009. Available at: http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/horse/news/story?id=4671332. Accessed April 1^st, 2012.
4. Williams G. 2012. Whipping up a storm. Horse-Canada. Available at: http://www.horse-canada.com/archives/whipping-up-a-storm/. Accessed April 1^st, 2012.