Personally I have no problem with the whip being banned except for correctional and safety use. We will still have winners and losers. If you hit any other animal with a whip there would be a public outcry yet we allow it on horses. The whip rules have been tightened considerably over here in the UK over the last few years. I also believe the whip over here is different to that in use in the states. We use an air cushioned whip which if used correctly apparently shouldn't cause pain. However, a big issue is how the public perceive it. Public perception is important to the continuation of racing. The rules themselves are going the right way although I think the penalty for incorrect use could be more. Britain's most high profile horse race is The Grand National over jumps and the prize fund is £1 million and attracts large viewing figures from people who wouldn't normally watch racing. On the flat the Derby, although not as high profile as the Grand National, attracts a purse of £1.5 million. The penalties perhaps won't deter because of the possible rewards. Maybe we should look at disqualification.
UK rules.
http://www.thepja.co.uk/members-info...ory/useofwhip/
Interesting study on use of the whip.
https://www.theguardian.com/science/.../2011/feb/14/6
