Not enough or too much?

[Port Conway Lane]

I think it's absurd to fine them. WTF can anyone expect if the industry allows equipment that can potentially cause a welt. Get rid of the whips or equip the horse with something protective.

[trackrat59]

Originally Posted by Port Conway Lane

I think it's absurd to fine them. WTF can anyone expect if the industry allows equipment that can potentially cause a welt. Get rid of the whips or equip the horse with something protective.

[Riot]

Originally Posted by Port Conway Lane

I think it's absurd to fine them. WTF can anyone expect if the industry allows equipment that can potentially cause a welt. Get rid of the whips or equip the horse with something protective.

If you think this about whips, what in the world do you think about bits?

[Port Conway Lane]

Originally Posted by Riot

If you think this about whips, what in the world do you think about bits?

Apples and oranges.

Forget the bits for a second and you tell me how a jockey is supposed to whip the horse with just enough force to encourage him but not too much to injure or cause a welt.

The jockeys need to make split second decisions during a race and in addition to that they need to whip the horse with the perfect amount of force ?

Safety for themselves,other riders and the horse are paramount and secondary is their commitment to owners,trainers and bettors to get the horse to the finish line as fast as possible. If the industry can't find equipment designed to help them do their job without injuring the animal whose fault is that ?

I have no idea what the particulars of these two incidents are. If the horses in question were backing up out of contention and the jockeys were whipping them mercilessly then that's one thing. It's another thing if the horse was in a position to affect the parimutuel payoffs.

[Riot]

Originally Posted by Port Conway Lane

Apples and oranges.

Not really, as a jockey can cause extreme pain and physical damage to the mouth, teeth, jaw and spine misusing a bit. You don't see this in the afternoon with professional jocks, but you can cringe watching some guys ride in the mornings, and at smaller tracks.

The point is that the equipment is about as safe as it can be, and the jockeys have a responsibility to know how to use equipment properly.

Forget the bits for a second and you tell me how a jockey is supposed to whip the horse with just enough force to encourage him but not too much to injure or cause a welt.

It's an easy thing to learn. All riders, all disciplines, learn and know how to use whips correctly. Jockeys are professionals. They are required by their job to know, too. And yes, they feel (know) exactly where they can, and cannot, strike a horse with a whip while riding. That's not hard, either. It's easy.

Remember [ Jeremy Rose ] hitting a horse in the eye?

If a horse returns with welts, let alone split skin, it is clearly the fault of the jockey.

When they blow it, when they misuse their equipment to the detriment of the living creature they are riding, they are fined. As they should be.

Nobody wants jocks not to have whips, that could be dangerous.

[3kings]

Originally Posted by Riot

.

Remember Stu Elliot hitting a horse in the eye?

Jeremy Rose?

[Riot]

Originally Posted by 3kings

Jeremy Rose?

Thanks. Sorry, Stu!

[Port Conway Lane]

You don't see this in the afternoon with professional jocks

exactly why this is apples and oranges,don't pretend it's not.It has nothing to do with use or misuse of whips.

And yes, they feel (know) exactly where they can, and cannot, strike a horse with a whip while riding

There is simply not enough information in these two incidents for anyone, including myself, to judge wether or not there was abuse and if these two should have been fined. The fact that they were fined would suggest the races in question were observed by the experts so I concede to their judgement.

Don't complain the next time you get nosed out of the tail end of a superfecta if the jockey chose not to use the whip because he was afraid to be fined.

[Riot]

exactly why this is apples and oranges,don't pretend it's not.It has nothing to do with use or misuse of whips.

My point was simply that equipment is safe when used correctly, and can do great harm when misused.

Don't complain the next time you get nosed out of the tail end of a superfecta if the jockey chose not to use the whip because he was afraid to be fined.

That's happened to me, that jocks have wrapped up on horses I've been on, or stood in the stirrups. I leave it to the jock. He's on the horse, I'm not. I know whipping a done horse doesn't do anything. I've never complained, and never will. The horses come before winnings for me.