Kinder Whipping Rules

[Horseplayersbet.com]

I'm all for the new whips we see in Ontario. I'm all for the new urging rules too.
But does anyone think that these whipping rules will cause anyone to bet more, or cause anyone to start betting or stop anyone who was going to give horse racing a lengthy rest from doing so?

I don't. But I have a feeling that today's racing marketing exec thinks it will help grow the game.

[Imriledup]

Its not going to make anyone bet more.

The only thing it will do is add another handicapping factor into the mix.

[HUSKER55]

iF, IT DOES ANYTHING, IT WILL ALEVIATE BAD PRESS ABOUT HORSE RACING AND THAT IS A GOOD THING

JMHO

[Horseplayersbet.com]

iF, IT DOES ANYTHING, IT WILL ALEVIATE BAD PRESS ABOUT HORSE RACING AND THAT IS A GOOD THING

JMHO
The press really doesn't care about horse racing anymore, unfortunately. But even when it did, whipping was never a major issue. The general public is concerned about break downs, and whipping is usually not even mentioned in the same sentence.

I'm happy that new whipping rules are coming about, but I doubt it will draw any new money into the pools whatsoever.

[Java Gold@TFT]

You mean the PETA people aren't running to the windows yet to show their support for change in the name of change?

[Cat Thief]

I don't pay much attention to who whips and who doesn't. I feel the horse is running as fast as it can anyway and whips make no difference.

[WinterTriangle]

I don't pay much attention to who whips and who doesn't. I feel the horse is running as fast as it can anyway and whips make no difference.

Right. So why whip them mercilessly?

A good racehorse is going to react to urging. The question is, how much urging DOES a good racehorse need? It they have to be whipped 20 in the last part of stretch, I'd say they aren't going to be good racehorses anyway.

One of the things that doesn't come up during conversations of what makes a racehorse *great*....they are able to take cues from jockey. The so-called push button horses. They get their signal, and they start doing whatever it is they're asked to do.

Horses that don't, or can't do that, aren't *great* on the track.

Whipping won't help them.

[Java Gold@TFT]

WT, your point is fine about great race horses. The problem is that 95% of the races in this country are basically $5K claimers and not great horses. A lot but not all of them do respond somewhat to the whip. They are the bread and butter of the handle at mid to lower level tracks. I can't say how any individual horse will react to a whip but many are kept to a drive by the extra urging when they might be tempted to quit on their own 100 yds from the finish. There are a lot of horses that race every day that don't respond to hand urging and shifts in their reins but do respond to a whip on the butt or shoulder and then a couple of waves in their view. I'm not saying one way or the other which is best but i don't think it's disputable that many horses do get their cues from the whip ratherthan the reins.

[46zilzal]

There has been a mixed reaction to the new whips. Many of the riders think they do little to nothing in awakening latent potential.

[FenceBored]

I'm all for the new whips we see in Ontario. I'm all for the new urging rules too.
But does anyone think that these whipping rules will cause anyone to bet more, or cause anyone to start betting or stop anyone who was going to give horse racing a lengthy rest from doing so?

I don't. But I have a feeling that today's racing marketing exec thinks it will help grow the game.

I don't know. If the new whips are less painful, then why the additional need to limit further the number of strikes?

[ukbro00]

Right. So why whip them mercilessly?

A good racehorse is going to react to urging. The question is, how much urging DOES a good racehorse need? It they have to be whipped 20 in the last part of stretch, I'd say they aren't going to be good racehorses anyway.

One of the things that doesn't come up during conversations of what makes a racehorse *great*....they are able to take cues from jockey. The so-called push button horses. They get their signal, and they start doing whatever it is they're asked to do.

Horses that don't, or can't do that, aren't *great* on the track.

Whipping won't help them.


Every horse is different, especially when it comes to how much urging they need. Some react right away and don't need much asking, whereas others need constant urging, just so they don't lose focus. It has nothing to do with the level of the horse either, just some are push-button horses and some aren't.