RSPCA Victoria applauds today’s motion by Animal Justice Party MP, Andy Meddick, calling on state racing authorities to work with Racing Australia to develop a national approach to address community concern around the use of the whip.
RSPCA Victoria CEO, Dr Liz Walker said it was positive to see such broad support for the motion, and that a national approach to the use of the whip in horse racing could pave the way for significant changes to the welfare of horses in the racing industry.
“RSPCA Victoria is opposed to the use of whips for the purpose of enhancing performance in racing due to the pain and distress they inflict on horses and has been advocating for an end to whip use in racing for some time.
“A recent study showed that whipping horses does not make them run faster – this debunks traditional arguments that the whip is needed for performance enhancement and to maintain racing integrity.
“Additionally, community concern regarding the use of whips in horse racing has increased in recent years and statewide research conducted in the second half of last year showed that seven in 10 (69%) Victorians feel that horses should not be hit with a whip in the normal course of a race.
“The majority of Victorians do not believe the use of whips in horseracing is necessary or reflective of community sentiment, RSPCA Victoria sees an end to whip use as a significant step toward improving the welfare of horses in racing.”
“It is encouraging to know that many Victorians do not believe horses should be hit with a whip and today’s result shows our leaders in government share this view.
“We welcome the discussion around whips in racing, however our position remains firm that the ultimate outcome should be that whips are not used.
“This would ensure that racing performance is not determined by inflicting pain through whipping but rather by sound breeding, quality training and outstanding horsemanship.”
RSPCA Victoria recently announced its 2021-22 advocacy goals, one of which involves driving significant welfare improvements across the three racing codes, including advocating for reform in horse racing relating to whip use.
