Whip Discussion Headlines ARCI Day 2:

An assembly that included four former jockeys from different racing jurisdictions participated in a frank dialogue about the use of riding crops, which until a few years ago were always called whips, at the second day of the Association of Racing Commissioners International (ARCI)'s Equine Welfare and Racing Integrity conference Tuesday.

Panel moderator Doug Moore, a former jockey who is executive director of the Washington State Racing Commission, noted the built-in conflicts in crafting an appropriate rule for a whip's use.

“We have to take into account public perception,” he said. “We tell these people that these horses are bred for and love to run. But then we turn around and use a whip on them, and they want to know why. We also tell the jockey that they must give their best effort. But then we turn around and tell them that they can only hit the horse three times in succession, when the horse may be responding to that whip. So how much is overuse of the crop? And should the rule apply for all breeds?”

Former jockeys Ramon Dominguez and Alan Monet went toe-to-toe with California Horse Racing Board executive director Rick Baedeker over California's restrictive whip rule.

“There are many reasons why we use a riding crop, but the most important is to maintain safety and for encouragement,” said Dominguez, adding that it is problematic for jockeys being forced to routinely change their stick style depending on where they were riding, suggesting it prevents them from performing at an optimum level.

In California, a jockey can hit a horse at most three times in succession before giving the horse a minimum of two strides to respond. Baedeker said that the stewards had found “there's no question that the jockeys have more control of the horse when their hands on the reins more often than not,” with the new rule.

He said the rule has changed the way the jockeys ride and “has made a difference in perception.”

Former jockey Alan Monet, who is chair of the ARCI rider and driver safety committee, said jockeys need more discretion than the California rule provides, especially in the final sixteenth of a mile.

Chris McCarron, the retired Hall of Fame jockey, told of his own heavy use of the whip early in his career and how he studied jockeys such as Laffit Pincay on when and where they were striking horses and adapted his style.

“My biggest pet peeves are that the stewards aren't strict enough on the riders in the use of the crop, most particularly when the horse is well-beaten,” he said, adding that jockeys can adapt to the new rules. “If you're a professional athlete with as much hand-eye coordination, as much physical ability as jockeys have to possess–because it is damn hard to ride a Thoroughbred–they can change.”