BAN THE WHIP

[bond]

   omg--Is this a knee jerk action or what??

No more whips in races to be used--and banned at farms and training centers also.

Im assuming this is due to public outcry-to cruelty on animals especially after the entire greyhound Industry was nearly scrapped..

IMHO I agree whip use in racing needs to be seriously toned down--padded whips etc

But to ban them completely-is not only stupid-but dangerous IMHO.

Horses need a tap of the whip to get their mind under control-shift focus.

Lets hope they review this and come to their senses.

But I fully agree-there are drivers also here who abuse the whipping rule-and this is not good at all for the Integrity/image of racing-especially young kids seeing horses get hammered/cracked right in front of them.

Judges dont control it--too much favoritism--eg I witnessed J. Bartlett carving up a horse a week ago--counted 23 hits in last 400 meters.

Joe Bongiorno-pretty good at carving one up also.

This is BS and has to be STOPPED.IMHO

[The Exporter]

PETA and maybe some other animal rights groups are seen by many as the most credible threat to horse racing. It may seem overkill to ban the use of whips altogether but, it is the most politically correct move racing can make.
 If by chance there proves to be a real threat to safety and race integrity, the limited use of a whip can be restored.
 Disarming your enemy is often more adventurous then fighting a now win battle.

[Lawyer]

What's next???....no race bikes...the lift does put alot of strain on a horses back.

[pacingmachine]

Joe Bongiorno-pretty good at carving one up also.

This is BS and has to be STOPPED.IMHO

He drove one of mine a couple of weeks ago. He hit her more times in the stretch than she probably had been hit in her whole life  including training trips. Asked never to be put up again.

[bond]

He drove one of mine a couple of weeks ago. He hit her more times in the stretch than she probably had been hit in her whole life  including training trips. Asked never to be put up again.

 -I would consider you to be a true horseman that cares about the welfare of his animals.

Unfortunately-there seem to be more of the opposite in racing right now--those that value money above the welfare of their animals.

They will do anything to win-including putting up drivers who drive the horse as aggressively as possible and will slash/whip/kick it to get the job done.

If officials do nothing to stop this abuse-Racing leaves itself wide open to public condemnation-and will have no political support when it comes down to making tough decisions for the future.

[The Exporter]

You are 100% correct, Bond. That is why racing needs to get in front of this issue. It was a key point at the recent racing summit. Tracks need to get in front of the issues that are politically driven before their politically driven slot revenue streams are compromised.

[John Esposito]

 IT IS WAY PAST TIME THAT HARNESS RACING TAKES THE WHIP AWAY FROM THESE BRUTAL SAVAGES BEATING HELPLESS ANIMALS.  URGING RULES SIMILAR TO THOSE IN INDIANA OR CANADADA  SHOULD BE IN PLACE INDUSTRY WIDE

[Lawyer]

I'm not sure taking the whips away from drivers is the answer...maybe stiffer penalties..THAT ARE ACTUALLY ENFORCED.....now a days....judges turn their heads too much...don't wanna rock the boat...just wanna collect that FAT days pay......

[slivercharm]

josh marx cant race there without a whip hes as good as dead on a horse

[Lawyer]

josh marx cant race there without a whip hes as good as dead on a horse

.     Is he any relation to Harpo Marx?

[thedoctor]

In the 21st century, there is no reason for drivers to carry a whip during a race.  It is done with success in other countries and it is about time the USTA stepped up and banned the whip during a race.   Let's see who the real talent is and ban the whip.   

The positive publicity for the sport this will create is priceless.   

[Inside The Pylons]

Shows how little you know, the USTA cant band anything.  All
pari mutuel harness racing is run by race commissions of individual states. The USTA has nothing to do with this, perhaps we should band people who complain about stupid shit like this

[thedoctor]

Yeah, "BAND" them you ignorant asshole!

[MR.DALRAE]

Drivers should have two whips

[caddy]

-I would consider you to be a true horseman that cares about the welfare of his animals.

Unfortunately-there seem to be more of the opposite in racing right now--those that value money above the welfare of their animals.

They will do anything to win-including putting up drivers who drive the horse as aggressively as possible and will slash/whip/kick it to get the job done.

If officials do nothing to stop this abuse-Racing leaves itself wide open to public condemnation-and will have no political support when it comes down to making tough decisions for the future.

These remarks are on point.  There are two horsemen :  1) Greedy people that are out of control to WIN at no concern to the horses.  2)  Experienced, qualified trainers / owners / drivers / grooms that value and respect the effort their horse gives to please them

One of the BIG problems is young  /  new cowboys that want to impress trainers and owners so they can get a few drives.  to that end, they get to whipping almost during the post parade.  Give me a driver that is conservative and strategic and taps the whip to communicate with my horses - doesn't beat my horses out of the outside hole and doesn't pummel away when the race is obviously lost.