People have been whipping racehorses since time immemorial, but until now there has been little research into whether it actually goads them into running faster. Well, it doesn’t, according to the authors of a new study, who also suggest the practice is unethical.
“It’s the first study to confirm that whipping does not increase the chances of the horse finishing first, second or third,” said Paul McGreevy, a veterinary ethologist at the University of Sydney who is a co-author of the new paper. “Ninety-eight percent of the horses were whipped in this study without, on the whole, influencing race outcome.”
The study, which has stirred some debate in Australia, was funded by RSPCA Australia, an animal welfare group thatopposes the use of whips in horse racing. One U.S. jockey advocacy group has questioned whether the source of the funding biased the results. Another horse expert says the study was not set up to determine the effect of whips. Read more…
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