Ban Horse Whipping in Australia
High risk of injury and mistreatment of retired animals make horse racing a controversial sport. The unnecessary use of whips adds another layer of cruelty to the life of a race horse.
Jockeys traditionally use whips near the end of a race, in hopes of forcing their horses to run further and faster. Unfortunately, whipping does nothing except inflict pain -- a University of Sydney study shows that horses achieve their highest speeds when no whips are used, and whips have no effect on the probability of a horse finishing a race in the first three placings.
Despite knowing these facts, the Australian Racing Board continues to allow jockeys to use whips in horse racing. Please sign the petition to support a ban on this cruel practice.
We, the undersigned, are concerned with the use of whipping in Australian horse racing. Whipping does nothing to enhance race horse performance, and only inflicts pain to the animals.
Jockeys traditionally use whips near the end of a race, in hopes of forcing their horses to run further and faster, but a University of Sydney study shows that horses achieve their highest speeds when no whips are used, and whips have no effect on the probability of a horse finishing a race in the first three placings.
There is no reason to whip an already tired animal, and this practice has no benefit for jockeys. Please ban this cruel, outdated and useless practice. Thank you for taking the time to read and consider our petition.
