tag:theconversation.com,2011:/ca/topics/horse-racing-3272/articlesHorse racing – The Conversation2023-11-06T03:58:58Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2166412023-11-06T03:58:58Z2023-11-06T03:58:58ZDo racehorses even know they’re ‘racing’ each other? It’s unlikely<p>When racing season arrives, everyone becomes an expert on the horses that are the stars of the spectacle. </p>
<p>TV personalities, professional pundits and form guides talk confidently about the favourite’s “<a href="https://www.racenet.com.au/news/tony-brassel-on-the-great-unmeasurable-ticker">will to win</a>”. In close races, the equine contestants “<a href="https://www.justhorseracing.com.au/news/australian-racing/war-machine-to-battle-it-out/120326">battle it out</a>”, demonstrating “heart”, “grit” and “determination”. </p>
<p>But do horses even know they are in a race, let alone have a desire to win it? Do they understand what it means when their nose is the first one to pass the post?</p>
<p>Based on decades of experience and everything we know about horse behaviour, I think the most plausible answer is “no”. </p>
<h2>From the horse’s perspective</h2>
<p>From a horse’s perspective, there are few intrinsic rewards for winning a race. </p>
<p>Reaching the end might mean relief from the pressure to keep galloping at high speed and hits from the jockey’s whip, but the same is true for all the horses once they pass the finishing post. If the race is close, the horse that eventually wins might even be <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0015622">whipped more often</a> in the final stages than horses further back in the field.</p>
<p>So while being first to reach the winning post can be crucially important to the horse’s human connections, there is very little direct, intrinsic benefit to the horse that would motivate it to voluntarily gallop faster to achieve this outcome.</p>
<p>So does a horse even know it’s in a race? Again, the answer is likely “no”. </p>
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<a href="https://theconversation.com/10-things-we-do-that-puzzle-and-scare-horses-143675">10 things we do that puzzle and scare horses</a>
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<p>Running (cantering or galloping) is a quintessential horse behaviour and horses voluntarily run together in groups when given the opportunity – even in races <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/2022/08/22/riderless-race-horses-take-to-the-streets-in-central-italy-in-pictures/">without jockeys</a>. However, there are a number of reasons to think horses have not evolved a desire to “win” during a group gallop.</p>
<p>Horses are social animals. In the wild, to minimise their individual exposure to predators, they <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0258944">synchronise their movement</a> with other horses in their group.</p>
<p>This synchronisation includes maintaining similar speeds to other group members (to keep the group together), being alert to the positions of their own body and their neighbours’ to avoid collisions, and adapting their speed to the terrain and environmental cues that indicate upcoming danger or obstacles. In the wild, “winning” – that is, arriving first, long before other group members – could even be a negative, exposing the “winner” to an increased risk of predation. </p>
<p>This collective behaviour is the opposite of what owners, trainers and punters want from horses during a race. </p>
<h2>The horse’s preferences (and how riders override them)</h2>
<p>Horse races depend on two horse-related factors: the horse’s innate tendency to synchronise with other horses, and its ability to be trained to ignore these tendencies in response to cues from the jockey during a race. </p>
<p>Trainers and jockeys also harness the preferences of individual horses. Some horses are averse to bunching up with others during the race, so jockeys let them move to the front of the field (these are “<a href="https://www.racingnsw.com.au/news/feature-articles/the-art-of-the-front-runner-timing-a-jockeys-best-friend/">front runners</a>”). Other horses seek the security of the group, so jockeys let them remain in the bunch until closer to the winning post (these are “come-from-behind” winners). </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-horseracing-industry-is-ignoring-what-science-says-about-whipping-188943">The horseracing industry is ignoring what science says about whipping</a>
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<p>Jockeys use several different interventions to override the horse’s innate tendency to synchronise. These might include: </p>
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<li><p>directing the horses to travel much closer to the other horses (risking the sometimes fatal injuries we sometimes see at the track)</p></li>
<li><p>travelling at speeds not of the horse’s choosing (usually at far higher speeds and for longer durations, and often maintained by use of the whip) </p></li>
<li><p>preventing the horse from changing course to adapt its position relative to other horses in the field (directing its path via pressure on the mouth from the bit or taps from the whip). </p></li>
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<p>During the early stages of a race, jockeys rely on horses’ innate desire to remain with the group to ensure they maintain the physical effort required to keep in touch with the front runners. This tendency may then be overruled so the horse will act independently of the group, leave it behind and come to the front to hopefully win. </p>
<h2>No concept of being in a race</h2>
<p>So horses most likely have no concept of being in a “race”, where the goal of their galloping is to get to a certain location on the track before any of the other horses. However, they undoubtedly know what it’s like to <em>be</em> in a race. That is, they learn through prior experience and training what is likely to happen and what to do during a race. </p>
<p>And with jockeys and trainers who understand the individual preferences of their horses to maximise their chances during the race, there will always be one horse that reaches that part of the track designated the winning post before the other horses in the group. </p>
<p>But as for winning horses understanding they are there to “win”? It’s far more likely it is the combination of natural ability, physical fitness and jockey skill that accounts for which horse wins, rather than any innate desire by that horse to get to the winning post before the other horses.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/216641/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Cathrynne Henshall receives post-doctoral research funding from the Hong Kong Jockey Club Welfare Foundation</span></em></p>Horses naturally synchronise their running in groups – but ‘racing’ and ‘winning’ are human concepts.Cathrynne Henshall, Lecturer, School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2165302023-11-06T00:08:04Z2023-11-06T00:08:04ZHow Phar Lap’s skin, bones and heart became ‘holy relics’ in colonial Australia and New Zealand<p>When the legendary <a href="https://nzhistory.govt.nz/media/video/phar-lap-wins-1930-melbourne-cup">Phar Lap won the Melbourne Cup in 1930</a>, the big chestnut horse didn’t just live up to his Thai name, which means “lightning”. He also brought together strands of colonial history and mythology that are only now properly visible.</p>
<p>Much worshipped in life and in death, Phar Lap has occupied a unique place in the story of Australia’s and New Zealand’s evolving national identities. The posthumous division and distribution of his corpse into “relics” – mounted hide, skeleton and heart – represented a form of what I call “<a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/248984602_Colonial_Sainthood_in_Australasia">new world worship</a>”. </p>
<p>Old world religions were an important part of colonisation. But the early settler experience also saw the appearance of quasi-religious icons and symbols, one of which was the horse. Vital for settling, farming and policing the new land, they became more than mere beasts of burden.</p>
<p>Successful colonisation involved the breeding of introduced species – plants and animals, but also people. Physical strength, egalitarianism, battling against the odds and “mateship” were characteristics of the new colonial societies on both sides of the Tasman. For a while, Phar Lap embodied them all.</p>
<h2>Breeding good colonial stock</h2>
<p>The other thing Australia and New Zealand shared was a “cultural cringe” that expressed itself in a need to prove the new colonies could take on the world and win. National myths based on climate, soil, good pastures and practical skill took shape.</p>
<p>Whether it was soldiers, race horses or rugby players, the goal was to produce the best winning stock in the world. Breeding <a href="https://teara.govt.nz/en/1966/racehorses-famous-new-zealand-thoroughbreds">champion race horses</a> from overseas bloodlines fitted the narrative perfectly.</p>
<p>By the time Phar Lap was born in Timaru in New Zealand’s South Island in 1926, horse racing was well established as an important industry throughout Australia and New Zealand. Uniquely, it brought together the business of breeding and training with socialising, entertainment and gambling.</p>
<p>Antipodean racing culture mimicked British rituals and traditions, but involved a wider cross-section of society. Many factors made following the horses so appealing: genetics, condition and training, track conditions, riders and of course the field, all contributed to the interest and the odds. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/was-phar-lap-killed-by-gangsters-new-research-shows-which-conspiracies-people-believe-in-and-why-158610">Was Phar Lap killed by gangsters? New research shows which conspiracies people believe in and why</a>
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<p>A big race meeting became a kind of “holy day”. The fun, excitement, dressing up and partying while trying one’s luck on the horses lives on today, nowhere more so than at the Melbourne Cup.</p>
<p>Phar Lap’s famous win by three lengths in 1930 – having survived an assassination attempt shortly beforehand – became part of the legend. Against the grim backdrop of the Great Depression, he offered escapism and even a sense of confidence that things could be better.</p>
<p>When he won the <a href="https://www.nfsa.gov.au/collection/curated/phar-laps-last-race-agua-caliente">Agua Caliente Handicap in Mexico</a> it thrilled Australians and New Zealanders alike. And his death two weeks later saw shock and public mourning. The attendant <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/how-did-australasias-first-champion-racehorse-phar-lap-really-die/CXJZJIQZPEZZPQY2J3X52FSJP4/">conspiracy theories</a> – killed by gangsters, toxic feed, too much arsenic in his tonic – are seemingly as immortal as Phar Lap’s memory.</p>
<h2>Horse with a big heart</h2>
<p>Like holy relics, the horse’s hide, bones and heart were brought back from the United States and then shared between Australia and New Zealand for the faithful to witness.</p>
<p>Renowned New York taxidermists the Jonas brothers <a href="https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/articles/14229">created the life-like mount</a> that went to the National Museum of Victoria (later the Melbourne Museum). Phar Lap’s skeleton went to Wellington’s Dominion Museum (now Te Papa).</p>
<p>But it’s <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/mystery-over-phar-lap-s-heart-only-strengthens-the-legend-20211218-p59io4.html">Phar Lap’s heart that has seen the most myth-making</a> and mystery. Preserved and displayed at the National Institute of Anatomy in Canberra (later the Australian National Museum), it is extremely large, leading to various claims that it enabled Phar Lap’s success and that it can’t be authentic. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-greatest-ever-or-will-ascot-be-a-lap-too-phar-for-black-caviar-7803">The greatest ever, or will Ascot be a Lap too Phar for Black Caviar?</a>
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<p>Nonetheless, the symbolism of a big heart can’t be denied. And while it evokes the preserved and sacred hearts of old-world saints, it suggests forms of new-world worship are evolving too. All three museums claim their Phar Lap relics are perennially popular.</p>
<p>Phar Lap’s skeleton and hide were temporarily reunited for a special exhibition at the Melbourne Museum to celebrate the <a href="https://www.nma.gov.au/audio/heart-of-australian-racing-the-melbourne-cup">150th anniversary of the Melbourne Cup in 2011</a>. But it’s ironic the remains of a horse that once united Australia and New Zealand should be so separated.</p>
<p>Then again, perhaps it’s a fitting metaphor after all, as the two former colonies find their separate way in the modern world, nearly a century on from Phar Lap’s brief but glorious reign.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/216530/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Katie Pickles does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Phar Lap’s famous 1930 Melbourne Cup victory united Australia and New Zealand in celebration. Almost a century on, people still flock to visit his remains, on display at three different museums.Katie Pickles, Professor of History, University of CanterburyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2034552023-04-13T13:40:50Z2023-04-13T13:40:50ZGrand National protests: Animal Rising campaigners reveal how exploiting animals harms us too<p>Britain’s 175th annual <a href="https://www.grandnational.org.uk/">Grand National</a> horse race is set to take place on Saturday April 15. The protest group <a href="https://www.animalrising.org/who-we-are">Animal Rising</a> (formerly known as Animal Rebellion), an offshoot of the larger climate movement <a href="https://extinctionrebellion.uk/">Extinction Rebellion</a>, plans to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/apr/02/climate-activists-grand-national-animal-rebellion-horse-racing">disrupt</a> it with direct-action tactics, including activists gluing themselves to the track before the race commences.</p>
<p>The group’s opposition to the spectacle is about much more than the numerous <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/apr/10/eclair-surf-becomes-second-horse-to-die-after-grand-national">injuries and deaths</a> that horses sustain during races. Animal Rising stands opposed to what it sees as the systemic exploitation of other species which reduces non-human beings to expendable commodities. Crucially, the group also seeks to highlight the inextricable link between the exploitation of other species, ecosystems and the escalating climate crisis. </p>
<p>Animal Rising emerged in the UK in 2019 with a refreshingly holistic perspective, arguing that the systematic exploitation of other species isn’t just ethically unacceptable but also fuels <a href="https://www.unep.org/facts-about-climate-emergency">climate change</a>. The group targets animal farming and fishing as particularly devastating devourers of “<a href="https://www.animalrising.org/who-we-are">ecosystems and lives</a>”. Their repertoire of non-violent direct-action tactics include <a href="https://www.plantbasedfuture.animalrebellion.org/post/the-last-animal-rebellion-action-ever-supermarket-aisles-blocked-in-national-action">blocking meat and dairy aisles</a> in supermarkets. In 2019, 400 activists <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-49976197">occupied the Smithfield meat market</a> in London for 18 hours.</p>
<p>Animal Rising’s attempts to draw attention to the disastrous climate impacts of industrial animal agriculture and fishing are laudable. But is an absolute shift to plant-based subsistence, as the group advocates, the answer?</p>
<p>The treatment of other species as means for human ends stems from <a href="https://theconversation.com/humanity-and-nature-are-not-separate-we-must-see-them-as-one-to-fix-the-climate-crisis-122110">anthropocentric worldviews</a> prominent in western societies which frame humans as separate from and superior to nature and other species. Reduced to such an inferior status, other species become prime candidates for exploitation, as seen in <a href="https://med.stanford.edu/animalresearch/why-animal-research.html">medical testing</a>, sport and entertainment and the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/sep/25/industrial-farming-one-worst-crimes-history-ethical-question">horrors of factory farming</a>. </p>
<p>Animal agriculture is <a href="https://journals.plos.org/climate/article?id=10.1371/journal.pclm.0000010&fbclid=IwAR33T-YJBBLV35epl0z7dDo-org_XxyQnWdG3vgX18NyRTGQX-DfOXliH68">one of the largest</a> contributors to climate change. Livestock are a major emitter of greenhouse gases including methane, which is around 25 times more effective than CO₂ at trapping heat in Earth’s atmosphere. And acquiring land to rear these captive animals drives tropical deforestation, resulting in the further loss of vital <a href="https://www.clientearth.org/latest/latest-updates/stories/what-is-a-carbon-sink/?gclid=CjwKCAjwitShBhA6EiwAq3RqA0b3sHdxbTlC_RvoyCZetl5LI2Jfs0nbEidwYRd7nGU_GIelHNFsNBoCYswQAvD_BwE">carbon sinks</a> and biodiversity. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-023-01631-6">Recent research</a> has underscored the role that animals in the wild play in keeping climate-warming gases like CO₂ out of the atmosphere. For instance, wildebeest migrating across Africa’s Serengeti consume large amounts of grassland carbon, which is returned as dung and incorporated into the soil by insects. </p>
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<img alt="A herd of wildebeest on a yellow African plain dotted with shrubs and trees." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/520799/original/file-20230413-26-uvey6r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/520799/original/file-20230413-26-uvey6r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520799/original/file-20230413-26-uvey6r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520799/original/file-20230413-26-uvey6r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520799/original/file-20230413-26-uvey6r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520799/original/file-20230413-26-uvey6r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520799/original/file-20230413-26-uvey6r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Rewilding animal populations could accelerate the drawing down of carbon from the air.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/pt/image-photo/beautiful-african-landscape-masai-mara-kenya-292335302">Oleg Znamenskiy/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>Animal Rising is right to claim that liberating other species and <a href="https://www.rewildingbritain.org.uk/explore-rewilding/what-is-rewilding">rewilding</a> the <a href="https://ourworldindata.org/global-land-for-agriculture">three-quarters of farmland</a> used for livestock production would significantly aid the fight against climate breakdown. But the group’s demand for a plant-based future lacks important nuance.</p>
<h2>Plant-based solutions?</h2>
<p>The campaigners call the urgent transition to plant-based food systems “<a href="https://www.animalrising.org/our-history">the key solution</a>” to contemporary environmental crises and an essential component of a more just and sustainable world. The world’s foremost experts would tend to agree. In a recent report the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) repeatedly called for a <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02409-7">reduction in meat consumption</a>, especially in wealthy countries, highlighting the considerable <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/srccl/chapter/chapter-5/5-5-mitigation-options-challenges-and-opportunities/5-5-2-demand-side-mitigation-options/5-5-2-1-mitigation-potential-of-different-diets/figure-5-12/">climate benefits</a> of vegan, vegetarian and <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/what-flexitarian-diet">flexitarian</a> diets.</p>
<p>My work looks at how we can ethically reshape our relations to nature and other species along more harmonious and sustainable lines. An absolute ban on consuming other animals, while plants remain fair game, constitutes another arbitrary boundary akin to that used to separate humans from other animals. All animals must take life in order to survive, as we cannot produce our own nutrients or energy. This fundamental aspect of our entangled lives with others is <a href="https://theconversation.com/go-vegan-because-of-mass-exploitation-of-animals-not-because-eating-them-is-wrong-110628">not inherently problematic</a>. </p>
<p>But how we use others in the business of living matters considerably. There’s a world of difference between small-scale subsistence fishing and farming and the profit-driven, industrial-scale extraction under global capitalism. Similarly, plant-based food systems which turn habitats into chemical wastelands <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/research-and-innovation/en/horizon-magazine/rise-and-fall-monoculture-farming">devoid of biodiversity</a> are far from ethical or sustainable. </p>
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<img alt="A lone fisher casts a wide net over shallow water at sunset." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/520800/original/file-20230413-16-mmi1p6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/520800/original/file-20230413-16-mmi1p6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520800/original/file-20230413-16-mmi1p6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520800/original/file-20230413-16-mmi1p6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520800/original/file-20230413-16-mmi1p6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520800/original/file-20230413-16-mmi1p6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520800/original/file-20230413-16-mmi1p6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Subsistence farmers and fishers can harvest food sustainably.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/pt/image-photo/asian-fishermen-throwing-fishing-net-during-1523805494">Worawit_j/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p><a href="https://www.un.org/en/fight-racism/vulnerable-groups/indigenous-peoples">Indigenous peoples</a> the world over explain how to live more ethically and sustainably. Robin Wall Kimmerer, environmental scientist and citizen of the Potawatomi Nation, refers to the “<a href="https://guides.nyu.edu/nyu-reads/braiding-sweetgrass/the-honorable-harvest">honourable harvest</a>”: when deciding anything, from how and where to build homes to how to produce food and source energy, principles to live by include taking only what we need, always leaving some for others, and sustaining those who sustain us.</p>
<p>Some indigenous communities in <a href="https://bioone.org/journals/journal-of-ethnobiology/volume-38/issue-3/0278-0771-38.2.314/Everything-We-Do-Its-Cedar--First-Nation-and-Ecologically/10.2993/0278-0771-38.2.314.full">northwestern North America</a> practice partial harvesting of trees instead of clear-cutting. By only removing certain parts, the trees continue living and sustaining the wider ecosystem. In the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S259033222030350X">Ekuri community-managed forest</a> in southeastern Nigeria, hunting endangered species and commercial timber extraction is prohibited. These considerate relations to the land and other species are among the reasons why biodiversity tends to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1462901119301042?casa_token=tEhgr7K5dL0AAAAA:wr1qSSaNovwsOAcC8d-prVQdujHpbMZYr1lSeWOvTgmcPTlgnb0ZR0NVTC6dOJ6GnXC-4xTnGw">thrive</a> on indigenous-managed lands worldwide.</p>
<p>Animal Rising’s fight for a future devoid of exploitation is essential. A substantial shift towards plant-based food systems in wealthy countries could work wonders in that direction, and Animal Rising is right to target these excesses. Let this be the beginning of <a href="https://www.sydney.edu.au/sydney-environment-institute/news/2023/03/27/a-future-of-political-theory--when-justice-is-multispecies.html">collective resistance</a> to all forms of exploitation and domination.</p>
<p>As Kimmerer has said, only by <a href="https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/443658/the-democracy-of-species-by-kimmerer-robin-wall/9780141997049">respecting and sustaining those who sustain us</a> can the Earth last forever.</p>
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Heather Alberro does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The horse race is likely to be disrupted by activists from the Extinction Rebellion offshoot.Heather Alberro, Lecturer in Global Sustainable Development, Nottingham Trent UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1942212022-12-26T08:01:47Z2022-12-26T08:01:47ZBetting on female jockeys can bring greater rewards – but it’s not all good news<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496150/original/file-20221118-9310-wkrws0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C37%2C5003%2C3407&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Rachael Blackmore is among the top jockeys in the UK</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.alamy.com/file-photo-dated-18-03-2022-of-jockey-rachael-blackmore-celebrating-on-a-plus-tard-after-winning-the-boodles-cheltenham-gold-cup-chase-a-plus-tard-is-set-to-face-four-rivals-as-he-attempts-to-win-back-to-back-renewals-of-the-betfair-chase-at-haydock-on-saturday-issue-date-thursday-november-17-2022-image491321387.html?imageid=12598E33-30FD-47BF-B414-E44A35C45FB9&p=0&pn=1&searchId=fe4817a7cac83b5e32001a9577368d86&searchtype=0">PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The bookmaker (nearly) always wins, as the adage goes. But if you want to tip the balance in your favour, look to female riders. </p>
<p>Gamblers’ biases have created a situation where punters can make greater returns by backing female jump jockeys. In our <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jebo.2022.08.012">recently published research</a> that was funded by the <a href="https://www.racingfoundation.co.uk">Racing Foundation</a>, my colleagues and I discovered that when male and female jockeys have an equal chance of winning, the odds on horses ridden by women are longer (more profitable) overall.</p>
<p>But while these findings may be a revelation to punters, there is a darker side to our work. </p>
<p>We analysed British horse racing data from 664,536 runners (horses and riders) in National Hunt races across a 20-year period, from January 2001 to January 2021. National hunt races require horses to jump fences and ditches. The races were mixed – women didn’t compete in separate races.</p>
<p>Using starting prices, the odds at the start of a race, we calculated each horse’s probability of winning. We also gauged the expected finish position of each horse by ranking the odds. Then we compared our predictions with the race results.</p>
<p>To our surprise, the results for horses with female jockeys were significantly better than their odds predicted. Indeed, our model estimates that across the study period in a 20-horse race, females would on average finish one place higher than their odds implied. </p>
<p>Starting prices are based on the volume of bets placed. They represent the market’s opinion of each runner’s chance of winning. We found that while the odds predicted race outcomes well, the betting public favour male riders. With less support for female jockeys, their odds are longer than is realistic. But this was not our only surprising discovery.</p>
<h2>Against the odds</h2>
<p>We also found that the discrepancy between male and female odds is growing. The tendency for the British betting public to underestimate female jockeys has increased over the last decade. </p>
<p>Bettors seem to allow sexist beliefs to harm their winnings – but their attitudes may actually be based on a misinterpretation of the facts. Women accounted for less than 3% of rides in our study period, so punters may find it more difficult to assess female jockeys’ performance than males’.</p>
<p>However, the percentage of female-ridden horses has nearly trebled over the last decade, from 2.4% to 6.5%. There is now more information available about how female riders perform – yet bettors are increasingly underestimating women. </p>
<p>It may be that bettors <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/1089-2680.2.2.175">focus on evidence that supports their opinions</a>. <a href="https://www.sportinglife.com/racing/news/horse-racing-analysis-why-are-there-so-many-small-fields-in-british-jumps-racing/196695">Fewer participants</a> in each race has driven an increased win rate among both male and female jockeys. While the male win rate increased by 1.8 percentage points, female jockeys’ win rate rose by 4.7 percentage points across the study period. Bettors seem to be ignoring this information. Or perhaps they are adapting their beliefs at a slower pace than women’s performance is improving. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/cognitive-biases-and-brain-biology-help-explain-why-facts-dont-change-minds-186530">Cognitive biases and brain biology help explain why facts don’t change minds</a>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496154/original/file-20221118-22-d2hnid.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496154/original/file-20221118-22-d2hnid.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=420&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496154/original/file-20221118-22-d2hnid.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=420&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496154/original/file-20221118-22-d2hnid.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=420&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496154/original/file-20221118-22-d2hnid.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=528&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496154/original/file-20221118-22-d2hnid.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=528&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496154/original/file-20221118-22-d2hnid.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=528&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Rachael Blackmore winning the Unibet Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.alamy.com/honeysuckle-ridden-by-rachael-blackmore-right-on-their-way-to-winning-the-unibet-champion-hurdle-challenge-trophy-during-day-one-of-the-cheltenham-festival-at-cheltenham-racecourse-picture-date-tuesday-march-15-2022-image464645641.html?imageid=CAEF6E61-2E61-49F0-A323-5BE351A576E1&p=309339&pn=undefined&searchId=1cb795ac63986b37bc1cfee4f0d85ba7&searchtype=0">PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo</a></span>
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<p>It is often more comfortable to tell yourself that an unexpected event is an exception, as it helps you avoid <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/buy/1995-05331-001">cognitive dissonance</a>. For example, bettors may acknowledge <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/racing/grand-national-2021-rachael-blackmore-b1829003.html">Rachael Blackmore</a>, the first female winner of the Grand National, is a talented jockey and make an exception for her, but still avoid betting on other female jockeys. </p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-do-we-feel-bad-when-our-beliefs-dont-match-our-actions-blame-cognitive-dissonance-193444">Why do we feel bad when our beliefs don't match our actions? Blame 'cognitive dissonance'</a>
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<p>We found some evidence that this is what’s happening. When we excluded the top female riders from our analysis, underestimation of female jockeys increased. Regardless of whether the bias is conscious or unconscious, the public underestimates female jockeys.</p>
<h2>Why it matters</h2>
<p>Our analysis raises questions about whether the racing industry itself is biased. The low number of female jump jockeys suggests women <a href="https://www.womeninracing.co.uk/media/filer_public/84/89/84898a2a-7ea7-4fe9-b1dd-0e7d3d6cfa64/oxford_brookes_womens_representation_and_diversity_in_the.pdf">may face barriers</a> to entering this career. It is curious there are not more professional female jockeys when the <a href="https://www.britishhorseracing.com/press_releases/female-jockeys-good-males-suggests-thoroughbred-horseracing-industries-mba-study/">majority of racing’s trainee stable-staff are female</a> and women make up roughly half of all point-to-point riders (an amateur form of National Hunt racing). Contrary to <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/racing/2021/04/10/rachael-blackmores-historic-triumph-has-shattered-racings-glass/">media reports that female jockeys are treated equal to males</a>, our analysis suggests gender bias persists in British horse racing. </p>
<p>Measuring the behaviour of bettors offers a window into people’s attitudes towards women more generally. The <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/mar/28/britain-gender-equality-war-complacency-women-pandemic">assumption in Britain</a> is that equality for women in general is improving, but our study shows this is not true in racing. And if the public chooses to avoid backing female jockeys even though they could achieve better returns, how much sex discrimination still exists in our society?</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/194221/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Vanessa Cashmore receives funding from The Racing Foundation. </span></em></p>Horse racing can be at thrill for punters and jockeys alike. But sex discrimination could be skewing the odds.Vanessa Cashmore, PhD student, University of LiverpoolLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1889432022-09-15T17:11:23Z2022-09-15T17:11:23ZThe horseracing industry is ignoring what science says about whipping<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/482779/original/file-20220905-2314-596d1f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=7%2C49%2C4670%2C2791&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Is it time to rethink whipping in horse races?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/race-horse-jockeys-on-home-straight-1718700883">Lukas Gojda/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>When the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) released its recent <a href="https://media.britishhorseracing.com/bha/whip/Whip_consultation_report.pdf">whip consultation report</a>, it claimed to have consulted the science. But it insists whipping when done “correctly” shouldn’t hurt horses and fails to substantively recommend that the racing industry changes its approach to the way whips are used. </p>
<p>The BHA recognises two uses of the whip. For encouragement, to activate the horse or trigger a gear change in speed. And for safety of the horse and rider such as when jumping an obstacle. It recommends that whipping “for safety and encouragement” should continue. Industry leaders and jockeys say that whip use is essential to keep horses and jockeys safe.</p>
<p>The BHA report says using a whip as a form of “encouragement” acts “as an aid to activate the horse, which motivates a horse to give of its best and realise its potential in a race”. This gives the impression that striking horses with a partially padded rod is in their interest, like making your children eat their vegetables. But the scientific research into how horses experience whipping reveals a different story. </p>
<p>Horses evolved to run away from painful pressure on their hindquarters, given the most likely natural cause of such stimulation is contact from a predator. Whips evoke this evolutionary response to deter horses from slowing down in the closing stages of a race. But, in contrast to contact from a pursuing predator, whip strikes from a jockey are totally inescapable and so may give horses a sense of <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18569222/">learned helplessness</a>.</p>
<p>A 2020 <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/11/2094">study</a> showed that horses’ skin is just as sensitive as humans’ by comparing skin samples under the microscope and exploring any differences in their skin structure and nerve supply. It found the outer layer of horses’ skin is no thicker (or more protective) than in humans. So if whip strikes cause pain to humans, they are likely to hurt horses. </p>
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<p>When it comes to changing a horse’s behaviour, whips are used in racing as a form of punishment (for its failure to perform), not encouragement (to realise its potential).</p>
<h2>What the report says</h2>
<p>The report recommends one change to the way whips are used: to restrict their use for “encouragement” to the backhand position only. In racing, whips are held like a ski pole (backhand) or like a tennis racquet (forehand). The BHA’s rationale for moving to backhand-only strikes is that “the backhand discourages a wide arm action, which is not only neater and more stylish it also reduces the likelihood that the whip will be used with excessive force and/or from above shoulder height”. The report adds that “it is more difficult, though of course not impossible, to strike a horse with excessive force from the backhand position”. </p>
<p>Yet a 2013 <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259162264_A_note_on_the_force_of_whip_impacts_delivered_by_jockeys_using_forehand_and_backhand_strikes">study</a>, not listed in the BHA report, showed that when jockeys whipped with their dominant hand, they struck with more force in the backhand than the forehand position. Stylish or not, promoting backhand strikes is bad for horses if forehand strikes are milder.</p>
<p>The report also recommended the BHA, on behalf of the racing industry, should commission and support objective research into the effects of the whip, using scientific advances to inform its policy. Conspicuously, it failed to specify what more science was needed.</p>
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<img alt="Horses race down a grass track" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/482068/original/file-20220831-24-pzawkk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/482068/original/file-20220831-24-pzawkk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482068/original/file-20220831-24-pzawkk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482068/original/file-20220831-24-pzawkk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482068/original/file-20220831-24-pzawkk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=474&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482068/original/file-20220831-24-pzawkk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=474&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482068/original/file-20220831-24-pzawkk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=474&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">The BHA says whipping is used as a form of encouragement.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/race-horses-jockeys-on-home-straight-1033555036">Lukas Gojda/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>When the BHA <a href="https://www.britishhorseracing.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/WhipReview.pdf">reviewed whipping in 2011</a>, it also concluded that whipping stimulates a horse and doesn’t cause pain. This time around, the report confined itself to simply providing a list of papers published since 2011 about whipping, without discussing any of them. </p>
<p>The 2022 report reveals that this year some panel members felt there was enough evidence to remove the use of whips for “encouragement” now. So why the call for “more science”? </p>
<h2>What about safety?</h2>
<p>The report says “in general, a focused, appropriately activated horse will tend to race more safely”, but it does not elaborate further on how whipping keeps a horse and jockey safe. </p>
<p>This view runs counter to a 2020 <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/11/1985">study</a> (listed, but not discussed, in the report) which compared whipping-free races for apprentices (in which whips are held but not used) with races in which the actual use of the whip is allowed. </p>
<p>Races of both types were meticulously matched for racecourse, distance, number of horses starting each race, and “the going” (turf conditions on the day). A detailed analysis of stewards’ post-race reports revealed no difference between the two race types in movement of horses across the track and interference with other horses. There was no evidence that whipping improved safety. </p>
<h2>Do whips improve performance?</h2>
<p>The received wisdom is that whipping a horse makes it more likely to win. However, a landmark <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0015622">study</a> published in 2011 showed increased whipping does not significantly affect a horse’s speed at the finishing line. This reflects the reality that, as they finish a race, most horses are losing speed because they are fatigued. The comparison study mentioned above also found no difference in finishing times between whipping-free and conventional races.</p>
<p>While the ethics of promoting gambling is a different debate entirely, whip-free races in Norway and the UK still allow people to bet. It may even be more attractive to sponsors seeking assurance their brand is associated only with ethical activities.</p>
<h2>What others think</h2>
<p>A spokesperson for the BHA told The Conversation: “The BHA’s whip review was the most detailed and rigorous of its type carried out by a racing body. It included a detailed public consultation, and recommendations were made by a steering group which contained expertise from across the racing and equine industry, alongside neutral and external participants including from the equine welfare sector and government. </p>
<p>"It included detailed consideration of public sentiment and the scientific landscape. It should be noted that the whip can only be used in racing for safety, correction, or to activate or encourage a horse, never to coerce. As a result of the whip review British racing will now have amongst the most strict and innovative whip rules in world racing.”</p>
<p>All horse riding, including so-called natural horsemanship, involves some form of negative reinforcement. This involves applying pressure until the horse responds the way you want it to. A <a href="https://www.equitationscience.com/posstat-aversive-stimuli">position statement</a> from the International Society for Equitation Science says trainers should use <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1558787810000614">minimal force</a> and avoid punishing horses or making them feel scared. They oppose jockeys whipping horses to improve their position in a race.</p>
<p>Animal ethicists say people should apply the <a href="https://www.wellbeingintlstudiesrepository.org/animsent/vol2/iss16/1/">precautionary principle</a> and “err on the side of caution” when animals are made to participate in human activities. But the BHA rejected the precautionary principle because of the “proportionality of the principle in relation to this issue”. </p>
<p>In contrast, the website of the charity <a href="https://www.worldhorsewelfare.org/what-we-do/sport-and-leisure-horses/review-of-the-use-of-the-whip-in-racing">World Horse Welfare</a> states: “We need to assume that if a procedure causes pain in humans and leads to a response in horses, then it causes that response by causing pain.” It concludes that whipping for encouragement should be banned. Photographic evidence that the padded whip can leave <a href="https://horsesandpeople.com.au/whip-welts-on-melbourne-cup-winner/">welts</a> on horses underscores this point. </p>
<p>An Animal Aid-funded <a href="https://www.animalaid.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/YGwhippoll2018PR.pdf">2018 YouGov study</a> found that 68% of adult respondents in the UK either oppose (30%) or strongly oppose (38%) the use of the whip in racing. When excluding those who did not express an opinion on the issue, the number of respondents who oppose or strongly oppose the use of the whip in racing rose to 83%.</p>
<h2>The turning tide</h2>
<p>Groups that the BHA once considered allies are now openly criticising its stance on whipping. In part as a result of the 2022 consultation, the <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=D&q=https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/%3Furl%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.rspca.org.uk%252F-%252Fnews-fury-over-whipping-decision%26amp%3Bdata%3D05%257C01%257Cpmcgree2%2540myune.mail.onmicrosoft.com%257C1a88665cff5941c91a1408da745a3b37%257C3e104c4f8ef24d1483d8bd7d3b46b8db%257C0%257C0%257C637950228159763041%257CUnknown%257CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%253D%257C3000%257C%257C%257C%26amp%3Bsdata%3DIbT6MgFRWXvTO1NXmLPh6qxTSf7l95ny1XKf29lAplU%253D%26amp%3Breserved%3D0&ust=1660829820000000&usg=AOvVaw1kpMpzNubINiRjUzCr1AS9&hl=en&source=gmail">RSPCA</a> (England and Wales) and <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=D&q=https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/%3Furl%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.worldhorsewelfare.org%252Fnews%252Fthe-british-horseracing-authoritys-review-of-the-use-of-the-whip-in-horse-racing-our-response%26amp%3Bdata%3D05%257C01%257Cpmcgree2%2540myune.mail.onmicrosoft.com%257C1a88665cff5941c91a1408da745a3b37%257C3e104c4f8ef24d1483d8bd7d3b46b8db%257C0%257C0%257C637950228159763041%257CUnknown%257CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%253D%257C3000%257C%257C%257C%26amp%3Bsdata%3DHnXj%252Bemwggc2Ocby2K9TRxrRIkN01vE1ZwABdYUceII%253D%26amp%3Breserved%3D0&ust=1660829820000000&usg=AOvVaw2iRWVvdfA80k93BizFZtdb&hl=en&source=gmail">World Horse Welfare</a> have withdrawn support on whipping horses for encouragement.</p>
<p>It is easy to see why whipping in horseracing has become a touchstone issue, disliked by the <a href="https://www.animalaid.org.uk/poll-reveals-strong-public-opposition-use-whip-racing/">majority of the public</a> and a central threat to racing and other equestrian sports’ <a href="https://www.worldhorsewelfare.org/what-we-do/sport-and-leisure-horses/what-is-a-social-licence-to-operate">social license to operate</a>. When the justification for whipping tired horses comes down to semantics, how much longer will society tolerate this violent form of “encouragement”? </p>
<p><em>This article was changed on September 23 2022 from “But it insists whipping doesn’t hurt horses” to “But it insists whipping when done "correctly” shouldn’t hurt horses and fails to substantively recommend that the racing industry changes its approach".</em></p>
<p><em>This article was changed on September 28 to “But it insists whipping when done "correctly” doesn’t hurt horses and fails to substantively recommend that the racing industry changes its approach.“</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/188943/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Professor Paul McGreevy is an Honorary Fellow of the International Society for Equitation Science and a life member of the RSPCA NSW. He has received funding from the Australian Research Council for research into the welfare of racing Thoroughbreds. He occasionally conducts research funded by the RSPCA Australia.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Bidda Jones is employed by the Australian Alliance for Animals. She is a member of the Thoroughbred Aftercare Welfare Working Group which provides independent advice to the Australian Thoroughbred breeding industry.</span></em></p>Does whipping hurt horses and why do jockeys do it? Research shows the industry’s view that whipping is important for safety and performance is misguided.Paul McGreevy, Professor of Animal Behaviour and Welfare, University of New EnglandBidda Jones, Honorary Associate, Sydney School of Veterinary Science, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1708012021-11-01T19:06:30Z2021-11-01T19:06:30ZIs the Melbourne Cup still the race that stops the nation – or are we saying #nuptothecup?<p>The Melbourne Cup is <a href="https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/melbourne-cup">supposed</a> to be the “race that stops a nation”. </p>
<p>But among increasing community concern about gambling and animal welfare, does it stop us for the right reasons? As Cup Day dawns at Flemington, how is our relationship to the Cup changing? </p>
<h2>Gambling in Australia</h2>
<p>Gambling is a significant part of Australian culture. Helped by the fact we have <a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/post/removing-pokies-from-pubs-and-clubs-a-step-towards-normality">pokies</a> in clubs and pubs, we lose more money on gambling than any other nation. Per capita, our gambling losses are <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/04/world/australia/australians-gambling-betting-machines.html">more than double</a> those in the United States. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Punters line up to place a bet at the TAB." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/429218/original/file-20211028-13-113egfd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/429218/original/file-20211028-13-113egfd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/429218/original/file-20211028-13-113egfd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/429218/original/file-20211028-13-113egfd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/429218/original/file-20211028-13-113egfd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/429218/original/file-20211028-13-113egfd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/429218/original/file-20211028-13-113egfd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Australians spent more than A$220 million on the Melbourne Cup in 2020.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Dan Himbrechts/AAP</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>But <a href="https://www.gamblingresearch.org.au/publications/new-second-national-study-interactive-gambling-australia-2019-20">research</a> shows gambling participation is dropping. A recently <a href="https://www.gamblingresearch.org.au/publications/new-second-national-study-interactive-gambling-australia-2019-20">released study</a>, led by Nerilee Hing at CQUniversity, and funded by <a href="https://www.gamblingresearch.org.au/about">Gambling Research Australia</a>, was the first national gambling prevalence study since 2010-11. It included a telephone survey of 15,000 Australian adults in 2019, giving an insight into the nature and extent of gambling in Australia. </p>
<p>According to this report, 56.9% of those surveyed had gambled in the previous 12 months, compared with 64.3% the decade before. Participation on every gambling form has declined, apart from forms that were not available ten years ago, such as betting on <a href="https://theconversation.com/esports-is-the-future-of-all-sports-heres-why-121335">e-sports</a> and gambling within <a href="https://parentinfo.org/article/skin-gambling-what-parents-should-know">video games</a>. Race betting has dropped from 22.4% to 16.8%.</p>
<h2>What do people think of gambling?</h2>
<p>Despite this decline, total <a href="https://www.qgso.qld.gov.au/statistics/theme/society/gambling/australian-gambling-statistics">race betting turnover</a> continues to climb, up by about A$4 billion in today’s dollars from A$22.9 billion in 2010-11 to A$26.9 billion in 2018-19. </p>
<p>This may be in part due to the rise in online gambling, <a href="https://www.gamblingresearch.org.au/sites/default/files/2021-10/Final%20IGS%20report%202021.pdf">which has doubled</a> over the past decade. Race betting is certainly more accessible than ever, with a lot of <a href="https://responsiblegambling.vic.gov.au/resources/publications/effects-of-wagering-marketing-on-vulnerable-adults-408/">promotions</a> ready to entice you to place a bet, or bet more than you intended.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Pub goers watch the Melbourne Cup in 2020." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/429217/original/file-20211028-24-szwnvh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/429217/original/file-20211028-24-szwnvh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/429217/original/file-20211028-24-szwnvh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/429217/original/file-20211028-24-szwnvh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/429217/original/file-20211028-24-szwnvh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/429217/original/file-20211028-24-szwnvh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/429217/original/file-20211028-24-szwnvh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Survey research shows the number of Australian adults who gamble is dropping.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Dan Himbrechts/AAP</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>For many, however, a bet on the Melbourne Cup will be the <a href="https://www.racenet.com.au/melbourne-cup/betting">only race bet</a> they place each year. The decline in race betting prevalence, despite an increase in turnover, suggests it is these less-engaged punters who are not betting anymore. </p>
<p>There certainly appears to be a growing concern about gambling in the community. A 2019 state government <a href="https://www.responsiblegambling.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/881279/NSW-Gambling-Survey-2019-report-FINAL-AMENDED-Mar-2020.pdf">gambling survey</a> of more than 10,000 adults in New South Wales included a question about whether gambling has done more harm than good for the community. Of those surveyed, 46% strongly agreed gambling has done more harm than good, and a further 32% agreed. Only 8% disagreed or strongly disagreed.</p>
<h2>Animal welfare</h2>
<p>In 2020, the horse Anthony Van Dyck became the <a href="https://wwos.nine.com.au/horse-racing/melbourne-cup-2020-horse-deaths-how-many-horses-have-died-in-race/bab05d7d-950f-4af4-8448-b43b6c4266bf">sixth horse to die</a> in the Melbourne Cup, and the seventh to die in a race on Cup day, since 2013.</p>
<p>These deaths have been met with mounting concern about the racing industry. A 2019 <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-28/122-horses-killed-on-australian-race-tracks-in-past-year/11456462">report</a> examining stewards’ documents from August 2018 to July 2019 found 122 horses died on race tracks in Australia. In 2019, the ABC’s 7.30 program <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-17/racehorses-sent-slaughterhouses-contravention-racing-rules/11611688">aired an expose</a> on cruelty, with former racehorses being sent to slaughterhouses, despite animal welfare guarantees.</p>
<p>Earlier this year, Racing Victoria <a href="https://www.racingvictoria.com.au/news/2021-04-28/enhanced-safety-initiatives-to-set-new-global-benchmark-for-spring-racing-carnival">announced</a> it was implementing new measures to reduce risk to horses. Many of these appear to revolve around the Melbourne Cup in particular, especially international horses, given deaths in recent years have all been foreign runners. But for horses in the thousands of other races across Australia, the risks remain as real as ever.</p>
<h2>Changing attitudes</h2>
<p>The increasing visibility of the impact on animals has soured the Cup. A 2019 <a href="https://www.marketingmag.com.au/news-c/news-semrush-melbourne-cup/">analysis</a> of Melbourne Cup tweets found that #nuptothecup was the third most popular hashtag associated with #melbournecup. The hashtags #horseracingkills and #animalcruelty also appeared in the top ten. </p>
<p>The hashtag #youbettheydie was also associated with #nuptothecup. These findings suggest the animal welfare issue is a strong driver of anti-Cup sentiment.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1452853147580338178"}"></div></p>
<p>Increasing <a href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/rendezview/our-watch-ceo-keeping-women-safe-is-crucial-ahead-of-next-week/news-story/47b26be248278d135fd6014a5386a695">public awareness</a> of how the Cup (like other major sporting events) is accompanied by a spike in domestic violence has also tarnished the “feelgood” atmosphere. </p>
<p>Beyond the Cup, public opinion around horse racing is not reliably supportive. In 2018, the barrier draw for another prestige race, The Everest, was projected onto the Opera House sails. This was met with <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/oct/09/sydney-opera-house-racing-ad-disrupted-as-protesters-shine-torches-on-sails">significant public outcry</a>, despite the sails previously being used for projections about sport, including the Wallabies and the Ashes, and even for Samsung mobile phones. Protesters cited concerns about animal welfare and gambling.</p>
<h2>What next?</h2>
<p>This is not to suggest the race is going anywhere.</p>
<p>For many, the Melbourne Cup isn’t really about gambling, or even horses. It’s a reason to dress up and have a few (or more) drinks with friends. Or enjoy a sweep and some nibbles in the office. It’s also a welcome public holiday for Victorians. </p>
<p>But there is also a <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-11-05/you-told-us-you-feel-torn-about-what-melbourne-cup-means-to-you/11649416?nw=0&r=HtmlFragment">growing realisation</a> this party day has real costs to others.</p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/whether-teams-win-or-lose-sporting-events-lead-to-spikes-in-violence-against-women-and-children-99686">Whether teams win or lose, sporting events lead to spikes in violence against women and children</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/170801/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>In the last 5 years, Alex Russell has received funding from Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation; New South Wales Office of Responsible Gambling; South Australian Government; Gambling Research Australia; New Zealand Ministry of Health; Australian Communications and Media Authority and the Alberta Gambling Research Institute. Travel expenses have been paid by the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation, PsychMed and the Hawthorn Hawks Football Club Players Association, for research presentations. He has received an honorarium from Movember for assessing applications for funding. He is a member of the International Gambling Think Tank.</span></em></p>New research shows gambling participation in Australia is dropping.Alex Russell, Senior Postdoctoral Fellow, CQUniversity AustraliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1522282021-01-22T00:11:19Z2021-01-22T00:11:19ZRacing 2-year-old horses is lucrative, but is it worth the risks?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/379178/original/file-20210118-15-1sur5k9.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=18%2C18%2C4071%2C2704&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Shaquero, a two-year-old horse, won the Magic Millions 2YO Classic on Saturday. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://twitter.com/mmsnippets/status/1350327056400330753?s=20">Magic Millions/Twitter</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Horse racing is an ethical hotbed in Australia. The Melbourne Cup alone has seen <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/nov/03/anthony-van-dyck-tragedy-again-mars-melbourne-cup-as-horse-euthanised">seven horses</a> die after racing since 2013, and animal cruelty protesters have become a common feature at carnivals. </p>
<p>The latest event to spark protests was the <a href="https://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/news/gold-coast/protest-outside-turf-club-as-thousands-arrive-for-magic-millions-race-day/news-story/26bf9f553fa5de75990456b5c114a42c">Gold Coast Magic Millions</a> last Saturday, one of the most anticipated horse races in Australia. Unlike some other Australian racing carnivals, Magic Millions focuses on two-year-old horses, the youngest age a horse can <a href="https://racingaustralia.horse/uploadimg/Australian_rules_of_Racing/Australian_Rules_of_Racing_01_August_2017.pdf">be raced in Australia</a>.</p>
<p>Yearling (two year old) sales during the carnival eclipsed previous records, with bidders spending a whopping <a href="https://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/news/gold-coast/all-the-action-from-the-magic-millions-race-day-on-the-gold-coast/news-story/73c0e2b0749fe9060df2b0cbf1f439f5">A$200 million</a> for young horses by Sunday.</p>
<p>There have always been inherent risks when it comes to racing horses, but these risks may be amplified when horses as young as two are placed under the intense physical stress of racing. Horse racing should be reformed so limited financial incentives are attached to racing two-year-old horses. Let’s explore why.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="InstagramEmbed" data-react-props="{"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/CKF_TJIpuJe/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link","accessToken":"127105130696839|b4b75090c9688d81dfd245afe6052f20"}"></div></p>
<h2>Exercise is good for horses, but how much is too much?</h2>
<p>Musculoskeletal (soft tissue) injuries are a major threat to the health and welfare of racehorses. This is because their bones, joints, tendons and ligaments are placed under significant stress during physical pre-race training and races. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/horse-racing-must-change-or-the-court-of-public-opinion-will-bury-it-125637">Horse racing must change, or the court of public opinion will bury it</a>
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<p>Physical stress is not necessarily bad for the horse. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1558787812000056?casa_token=MkW_WS_r6o0AAAAA:hmuoCrAw0y7LDjGIlZJvncsm_MUvFUkuy0aL5Pdl8_tunwqoYBdXUeePwEvLBPSpp7xbDAGMbzzH">Research conducted in 2012 suggests</a> the equine musculoskeletal system may benefit from early exposure to exercise, where “bone remodelling” occurs in response to physical stress. This means bone may become thicker and stronger from exercise for young horses, helping to protect them from future injury.</p>
<p>What’s not yet known, however, is just how much exercise is best for <a href="https://www.publish.csiro.au/AN/AN17685">the developing young horse</a> and at what age they should be exposed to certain intensities of physical training. </p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/P9K_yXUq4pw?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">The two-year-old horse Shaquero won the Magic Millions 2YO Classic.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>So are two-year-olds really at greater risk of injury?</h2>
<p>The answer is not a simple one. Let’s look at what some of the research says. </p>
<p>Australian <a href="https://www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2016/10/31/3-horse-racing-myths-busted-for-the-melbourne-cup.html">research from 2013</a> compared the career lengths of 117,000 horses and showed horses that started racing at the age of two had longer careers than those that started racing later in life. </p>
<p><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1751-0813.1999.tb11678.x?casa_token=R-H_xnss8FMAAAAA:StkIyYbj7d5CDlcplk5MtkIAg6gQeIYWbAEKtan9r6ytTNL55_ECW3b75v8uw_0KO7pcKHUkcB2kHMSXEg">Another longitudinal Australian study</a> found yearlings outperformed older racehorses. However, of the horses that began racing at two or three years of age, only 46% were still racing two years later. This suggests high rates of “<a href="https://kb.rspca.org.au/knowledge-base/what-happens-to-horses-that-leave-the-racing-industry/">wastage</a>” (when horses leave racing prematurely). </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/whos-responsible-for-the-slaughtered-ex-racehorses-and-what-can-be-done-125551">Who's responsible for the slaughtered ex-racehorses, and what can be done?</a>
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<p>In keeping with this, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15460076/">UK research suggests</a> two-year-old horses and horses older than five may be at a higher injury risk than those aged between three and five. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.ava.com.au/library-resources/library/ava-scientific-journals/aev/1990/two-year-old-racing/Two_year_old_racing.pdf">Research in 1990</a> indicates between 40-80% of two year olds develop shin soreness, a painful condition for horses. And <a href="https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.2746/042516406776563305?casa_token=3HLtcXu1s5YAAAAA:jkUNP66IAG-BGpwOk4cNn4jHzlz0sSyqBR1IydDqNjicASaws6YKxD4cWihgPRRWDLRA8gRPVYfKYqcc7A">research</a> 20 years later found three-year-old horses had shin soreness half as often as two year olds.</p>
<p>While shin soreness is not typically a career-ending condition, it does raise questions about the quality of the horse’s racing life.</p>
<h2>Like racing a 13-year-old child</h2>
<p>Then, there’s the issue of whether it’s acceptable to race a “physically immature” horse. Horses don’t fully mature physically <a href="http://www.equinestudies.org/ranger_2008/ranger_piece_2008_pdf1.pdf">until around the age of six</a>. </p>
<p>The research in general indicates the risk of injury may increase as a horse gets older. But this must be considered in light of two things: the cumulative effect of musculoskeletal strain across a horse’s racing lifespan, and the impact of early training and racing on a horse’s injury trajectory.</p>
<p>Most horses begin training at <a href="https://horseracingsense.com/why-are-racehorses-so-young/">18 to 20 months of age</a>, well before their <a href="https://ker.com/equinews/principles-of-bone-development-in-horses1/">skeleton has reached full maturity</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/379172/original/file-20210118-13-g4n0le.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Horses' legs as they race across a track" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/379172/original/file-20210118-13-g4n0le.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/379172/original/file-20210118-13-g4n0le.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/379172/original/file-20210118-13-g4n0le.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/379172/original/file-20210118-13-g4n0le.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/379172/original/file-20210118-13-g4n0le.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/379172/original/file-20210118-13-g4n0le.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/379172/original/file-20210118-13-g4n0le.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">While natural activity and movement may be beneficial to skeletal development, intensive training may place them at a higher injury risk.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>As a young horse matures, the cartilage on either end of each bone will fuse, with the horses’ knees typically fusing at around the age of two. This makes their knees vulnerable to injury. </p>
<p>Likewise, the horse’s spine — which controls the horse’s physical coordination and running style — is vulnerable, as it matures last.</p>
<p>As Deb Bennett, an <a href="https://www.jayhawkartandimage.com/about-dr-deb-bennett">authority</a> on the biomechanics and anatomy of horses, <a href="http://www.writingofriding.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/deb-bennett-maturation.pdf">writes</a>: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>the higher the speed, and the greater the physical effort, the more important it is that the animal have all of its joints mature and in good working order.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In the end, engaging two-year-old horses in the intensive physical conditioning required to prepare for competitive racing is a bit like asking a 13-year-old child to perform at the peak of their athletic potential. Such efforts may help to build physical strength and stamina, but intensive training may have long-term, negative consequences.</p>
<p>This comparison isn’t a perfect one, as it doesn’t fully highlight the physical maturation patterns of horses. But it does give a sense of the physical status of two-year-old racehorses and their vulnerabilities.</p>
<h2>If yearlings are vulnerable, why do we race them?</h2>
<p>Yearlings aren’t necessarily faster or more successful than older racehorses, despite the bone conditioning effects outlined earlier. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4013968/">Research suggests</a> peak speed is usually reached at 4.5 years of age. </p>
<p>So if two-year-old horses are not faster and may be at increased risk of injury, why race them at all?</p>
<p>One simple justification is the younger a horse begins its racing career, the earlier the owner and any investors will receive <a href="https://www.toconline.com/publicationsmedia/article-archives-2/racing-your-horse/two-year-old-racing/">financial returns</a>, with greater potential return on investment across the horse’s career. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/10-reasons-to-stop-whipping-racehorses-including-new-research-revealing-the-likely-pain-it-causes-149271">10 reasons to stop whipping racehorses, including new research revealing the likely pain it causes</a>
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<p>An early return on investment may be offset if the longevity of the horse’s career is curtailed. So, if financial prerogatives rest at the heart of horse racing, early financial returns may be seen as justifying the risks. If animal welfare is core to the sport, however, financial considerations lose their relevance. </p>
<p>Given the generous prize money currently on offer in many two-year-old horse races, such as the A$2 million at Magic Millions, and the inherent uncertainty around the longevity of any racehorse, owners may choose to race juvenile horses. </p>
<p>The Conversation reached out to Magic Millions, but the race declined to comment on the arguments in this article.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/379179/original/file-20210118-21-k3rz40.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/379179/original/file-20210118-21-k3rz40.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/379179/original/file-20210118-21-k3rz40.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/379179/original/file-20210118-21-k3rz40.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/379179/original/file-20210118-21-k3rz40.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/379179/original/file-20210118-21-k3rz40.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/379179/original/file-20210118-21-k3rz40.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/379179/original/file-20210118-21-k3rz40.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A horse’s peak speed is usually reached at 4.5 years of age.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://twitter.com/mmsnippets/status/1350318227641913347?s=20">Magic Millions/Twitter</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>What can be done?</h2>
<p>The racing industry and the general public must carefully consider the sustainability of racing two-year-old horses. Some say the practice should be banned. But evidence to support a ban is inconclusive, so the move is unlikely.</p>
<p>Instead, incentives for racing young horses should be reduced. This could mean lowering prize money for, or banning gambling on, two-year-old races.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/over-20-of-australian-horses-race-with-their-tongues-tied-to-their-lower-jaw-99584">Over 20% of Australian horses race with their tongues tied to their lower jaw</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>An independent veterinarian should evaluate a horse’s legs and spine before it begins its racing career, and routinely check these things until it turns four, as a compulsory practice. </p>
<p>There’s also scope for more research into <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0071804">new technologies</a> to monitor horses with veterinary assistance. Any technological advancements should be used as early as possible to detect physiological abnormalities that might impact a horse’s welfare. </p>
<p>There is no one prescribed training regime for racehorses in Australia, and there are perils of a “one-size-fits-all” approach. Still, given what we know about the physical vulnerabilities of two-year-old racehorses, some regulations may be helpful in reforming the sport. </p>
<p>Many age-related reforms would be relatively simple to enforce, if the racing community is prepared to make animal welfare its core priority. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-could-reduce-the-slaughter-of-racehorses-if-we-breed-them-for-longer-racing-careers-123760">We could reduce the slaughter of racehorses if we breed them for longer racing careers</a>
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</p>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/152228/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rachel Hogg would like to thank equine exercise scientist Dr David Evans who provided feedback during the preparation of this article.</span></em></p>Engaging two-year-old horses in the intensive training to prepare for competitive racing is a bit like asking a 13-year-old child to perform at the peak of their athletic potential.Rachel Hogg, Lecturer in Psychology, Charles Sturt UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1492712020-11-12T02:05:32Z2020-11-12T02:05:32Z10 reasons to stop whipping racehorses, including new research revealing the likely pain it causes<p>Pressure is <a href="https://www.racingvictoria.com.au/news/2020-09-07/racing-victoria-calls-on-industry-to-progress-whip-reform">increasing</a> on the global horse-racing industry to reconsider the use of whips in the sport.</p>
<p>Our research, published in the journal <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/11/2094">Animals</a>, shows horses’ skin is very similar to humans’ in both thickness and the arrangement of nerve endings. </p>
<p>This adds to existing evidence that whipping is ineffective and unethical. Here we outline ten reasons why it’s time to drop the crop.</p>
<h2>1. Horses’ skin appears just as sensitive as humans’</h2>
<p>At the core of the debate is the question of whether horses experience pain when being whipped. A Sydney-based research team (of which one of us, Paul McGreevy, was a member) examined skin from 10 human cadavers and 20 euthanased horses under a microscope to explore any differences in their skin structure and nerve supply. </p>
<p>The results revealed no significant difference between humans and horses in the concentration of nerve endings in the outer, surface layer of skin.</p>
<h2>2. Horses’ skin is no thicker than humans’</h2>
<p>The new study also found no significant difference between humans and horses in the average thickness of this outer layer.</p>
<p>Horses need skin that is both robust and sensitive to touch, particularly from other horses or flying insects. The inner, base layer of skin in humans is significantly thinner than in horses, but this is not where the nerve endings lie.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/368826/original/file-20201111-13-9idum.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Cross-sections of horse and human skin." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/368826/original/file-20201111-13-9idum.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/368826/original/file-20201111-13-9idum.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=204&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/368826/original/file-20201111-13-9idum.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=204&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/368826/original/file-20201111-13-9idum.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=204&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/368826/original/file-20201111-13-9idum.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=256&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/368826/original/file-20201111-13-9idum.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=256&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/368826/original/file-20201111-13-9idum.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=256&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Microscopic cross-sections (400x magnification) of horse (left) and human skin. Images show the epidermis (top) and superficial dermis. Selected nerve endings are shown in red and marked with asterisks. Scale bars represent 20 micrometres.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Tong et al. 2020</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>3. Whip-free racing already exists</h2>
<p>Norway outlawed the whipping of racehorses in <a href="https://www.thoroughbreddailynews.com/a-whip-free-day-of-racing-in-norway/">1982</a>. In the United Kingdom, <a href="https://www.britishhorseracing.com/press_releases/hands-heels-apprentice-series/">“hands and heels” races for apprentice jockeys</a> have been part of the racing calendar since 1999. These events, in which the least experienced (and presumably most vulnerable) jockeys race without using the whip, is at complete odds with the industry’s contention that whips are essential for steering and safety. There are no reports from Norway or the UK of problems in the conduct of these races. </p>
<h2>4. There’s no evidence whips make racing safer…</h2>
<p>Whip use has been claimed to be essential for the safety of horses and jockeys. However, the impact of whip use on steering and safety had not been examined until a <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/11/1985">recent study</a> compared “whipping-free” races, in which whips are held but not used, with “whipping-permitted” races. </p>
<p>Races of these two types were meticulously matched for racecourse, distance, number of runners, and “going” (turf conditions on the day). A detailed examination of stewards’ post-race reports revealed no difference between the two race types in movement of horses across the track and interference with other runners, and therefore no evidence whipping improves safety. This adds to evidence from jumps racing that <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15253077/">whip use is associated with catastrophic falls</a>.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/research-shows-whipping-horses-doesnt-make-them-run-faster-straighter-or-safer-lets-cut-it-out-144405">Research shows whipping horses doesn't make them run faster, straighter or safer — let’s cut it out</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>5. …or fairer…</h2>
<p>The gambling industry has an interest in ensuring races are run with integrity, lest punters take their dollars elsewhere. Whip use is arguably the most visible sign that jockeys are indeed trying their hardest.</p>
<p>But the <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/11/1985">same study of stewards’ reports</a> revealed no difference between “whipping-free” and conventional races in terms of the number of incidents related to jockey behaviour, such as careless riding or jockeys “dropping their hands” (indicative of not pushing the horse to run on). </p>
<p>The key to a fair race is not encouraging jockeys to use the whip, but rather ensuring all jockeys are subject to the same rules.</p>
<h2>6. … or faster</h2>
<p>The received wisdom is that whipping any horse makes it more likely to win. However, studies have shown increased whip use does not significantly affect <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0015622">speed at the finishing line</a>, and the comparison study cited above <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/11/1985">found no difference in finishing times</a> between whipping-free and conventional races. </p>
<p>What’s more, in “hands and heels” races, the jockey’s centre of mass is likely to remain directly above the horse’s centre of mass for more of the time, compared with when the jockeys are whipping the horses. So, the biomechanics of whip-free racing are arguably better for equine performance.</p>
<h2>7. Whip rules are hard to police</h2>
<p>The most <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/7/1/4/html">prevalent breaches of the rules</a> around whip use involve forehand strikes on more than five occasions before the 100-metre mark (44%), and the jockey’s arm being raised above shoulder height (24%). <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0033398">Studies of high-speed footage</a> of 15 races revealed at least 28 rule breaches, involving nine horses, that were not recorded in stewards’ reports. </p>
<p>There are two reasons for this: the footage seen by racing stewards is filmed head-on, and is recorded at fewer frames per second than high-resolution video now provides. Head-on footage is preferred by stewards as it allows estimations of whip use on both sides of the horse, but it makes it harder to accurately police other aspects of whip use, such as the use of excessive force. </p>
<p>A <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/7/1/4/html">separate study</a> revealed more breaches are recorded at metropolitan than country or provincial racecourses, and by riders of horses that finished first, second, or third rather than in other positions. That said, horses that finished last were also worryingly vulnerable to whip-rule breaches.</p>
<iframe src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/xHpxS/1/" width="100%" height="442" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true"></iframe>
<p>What’s more, even <a href="https://horsesandpeople.com.au/whip-welts-on-melbourne-cup-winner/">legal whipping</a> is likely to cause significant pain, given the similarity of human and horse skin.</p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hzNo4WwUMmE?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Demonstration of the effect of a whip strike on human skin.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>8. The public supports a ban on whipping</h2>
<p>In a recent <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0192843">independent poll</a> of more than 1,500 Australian adults, 75% thought horses should not be hit with a whip in the normal course of a race. The survey also found men were more than twice as likely as women to support whipping racehorses. Even among respondents who attended races or gambled on them at least once a week, 30% disagreed with whipping. </p>
<h2>9. Whip-free racing still allows betting</h2>
<p>While the ethics of promoting gambling is a different debate entirely, <a href="https://www.thoroughbreddailynews.com/a-whip-free-day-of-racing-in-norway/">whip-free races</a> in Norway and the UK still allow people to bet. It may even be more attractive to sponsors seeking assurance their brand is only associated with ethical activities. </p>
<h2>10. Whipping tired animals in the name of sport is hard to justify</h2>
<p>Horses have evolved to run away from painful pressure on their hindquarters, given the most likely natural cause of such stimulation is contact from a predator. Repeatedly whipping tired horses in the closing stages of a race is likely to be distressing and cause suffering. The horse’s loss of agency as it undergoes repeated treatment of this sort is thought to lead to the state of “<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18569222/">learned helplessness</a>”, in which animals learn they can do nothing to end their distress. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/put-the-baking-soda-back-in-the-bottle-banned-sodium-bicarbonate-milkshakes-dont-make-racehorses-faster-148907">Put the baking soda back in the bottle: banned sodium bicarbonate 'milkshakes' don't make racehorses faster</a>
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<p>Racing must reckon with two key questions: does whipping actually work as intended, and is it an <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/248578101_Ethical_equitation_Applying_a_cost-benefit_approach">ethical way to treat a horse in the name of sport</a>?</p>
<p>If the answer to both of those is “no”, a third question arises: why are jockeys still doing it?</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/149271/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Professor Paul McGreevy is an Honorary Fellow of the International Society for Equitation Science and a life member of the RSPCA NSW. He has received funding from the Australian Research Council for research into the welfare of racing Thoroughbreds. He occasionally conducts research funded by the RSPCA Australia.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Bidda Jones is employed by RSPCA Australia as Chief Science and Strategy Officer. She is currently a member of the Thoroughbred Aftercare Welfare Working Group. </span></em></p>New research showing clear similarities between pain receptors in human and horses’ skin raises fresh questions about whether the widespread practice is ethical or even effective.Paul McGreevy, Professor of Animal Behaviour and Animal Welfare Science, University of SydneyBidda Jones, Honorary Associate in Animal Welfare, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1444052020-10-29T23:42:47Z2020-10-29T23:42:47ZResearch shows whipping horses doesn’t make them run faster, straighter or safer — let’s cut it out<p>The Melbourne Cup is upon us. This year will be different due to COVID-19 — but one thing we don’t expect to change is <a href="https://theconversation.com/horse-racing-must-change-or-the-court-of-public-opinion-will-bury-it-125637">concern about horses’ welfare</a>, which seems to resurface each year. </p>
<p>Just days before the Cup, Victoria’s parliament has heard allegations that unwanted thoroughbreds continue to be slaughtered in knackeries and abattoirs in New South Wales, The Guardian <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/29/nsw-stud-owned-by-gerry-harvey-among-those-accused-in-parliament-of-sending-racehorses-to-slaughter">reports</a>.</p>
<p>Billionaire executive chair of Harvey Norman Gerry Harvey reportedly apologised after one of his ex-racehorses was sent to a pet food factory for slaughter, despite the state’s racing industry announcing rules against this in 2017. It’s not the first time we’ve heard of such <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-18/slaughter-abuse-of-racehorses-undermines-industry-animal-welfare/11603834">gruesome</a> <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-10/queensland-new-rules-racehorse-welfare-over-cruelty/11950912">cases</a>.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/whos-responsible-for-the-slaughtered-ex-racehorses-and-what-can-be-done-125551">Who's responsible for the slaughtered ex-racehorses, and what can be done?</a>
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<p>Beyond this, there are persisting <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-11-01/people-who-wont-be-partying-on-melbourne-cup-day/7979074">concerns</a> about how racehorses have been ridden for more than a century. In particular, the use of the whip to “encourage” horses to run <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0015622">faster</a> and <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/241118388_Holding_the_whip_hand-a_note_on_the_distribution_of_jockeys'_whip_hand_preferences_in_Australian_Thoroughbred_racing">straighter</a> has been shown to potentially be both <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1558787813001007">painful</a> and <a href="https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.2746/0425164044868387">dangerous</a>. </p>
<p>For our research, <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/11/1985">published yesterday</a> in the journal Animals, we analysed more than 100 race reports to determine exactly how whip use influences the dynamics of a race. </p>
<p>We found whips make no difference to horse steering, jockey safety, or even a horse’s speed. Our study offers scientific findings that support Racing Victoria’s recently announced plan to gradually <a href="https://www.racingvictoria.com.au/news/2020-09-07/racing-victoria-calls-on-industry-to-progress-whip-reform">phase out whip use</a> until whips are only being used when absolutely necessary.</p>
<h2>Justifications from the racing industry</h2>
<p>Advocates of whip use, such as <a href="https://www.racingaustralia.horse/uploadimg/changestowhiprules.pdf">Racing Australia</a> and the <a href="https://www.britishhorseracing.com/regulation/the-whip/#:%7E:text=In%20British%20racing%20the%20use,of%20horses%20during%20a%20race.">British Horseracing Authority</a>, claim it’s necessary for horse and rider safety. They argue it facilitates the steering <a href="https://horseracingsense.com/why-jockeys-hit-horses-whipping-run-faster">necessary to reduce interference between horses on the course</a>. </p>
<p>Another justification given is that whipping makes horses run faster. This is considered fundamental to racing integrity. In a billion-dollar industry that relies on gambling, all parties — including punters, trainers, breeders and owners — want to know the horse they’ve backed will be given every opportunity to win.</p>
<p>For many racing aficionados, breaches of “<a href="https://www.racingvictoria.com.au/integrity/fair-racing-for-all">integrity</a>” and the thought of a horse not being fully “<a href="https://www.racingaustralia.horse/FreeServices/upcoming_rules_of_racing/RA%20Calendar%20Notice%20-%20Amendments%20to%20Australian%20Rules%20of%20Racing%20effective%201%20August%202018%20-%20135.pdf">ridden out</a>” on its merits is just as corrupt as the horse being doped, or a race being <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2004/mar/10/horseracing.kenoliver">fixed by some other means</a>. </p>
<h2>The growing importance of racehorse welfare</h2>
<p>But animal welfare is also important to racing integrity, according to the <a href="https://www.ifhaonline.org/default.asp?section=IABRW&area=2">International Federation of Horseracing Authorities</a> and <a href="https://www.nj.gov/oag/racing/rulemaking/Riding_Crop%20Proposal.pdf">other racing bodies</a>. </p>
<p><a href="https://qric.qld.gov.au/stewards-reports/">Racing stewards</a> are in the unenviable position of enforcing horse welfare during races, while also having to ensure whips are used to give each horse full opportunity to win. </p>
<p>For all official races in Australia, there are detailed regulations for the number and style of whip strikes allowed at the different points of a course. </p>
<p>Research over past decades has concentrated on jockeys’ accuracy, <a href="https://theconversation.com/when-the-pressure-is-on-some-riders-breach-the-whip-rules-in-horse-racing-71157">compliance with whip rules</a>, the link between whip use and <a href="https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.2746/0425164044868387">catastrophic falls that can injure or kill horses or jockeys</a> and simply whether or not whipping hurts.</p>
<p>But until now, few have stopped to ask whether whips actually <em>work</em>. That’s simply because there hasn’t been a way to scientifically test the culturally entrenched assumption they do. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/whips-hurt-horses-if-my-legs-anything-to-go-by-33470">Whips hurt horses – if my leg's anything to go by</a>
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</em>
</p>
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<h2>Racing without using the whip</h2>
<p>However, since 1999, a form of whipping-free racing has been conducted in Great Britain via the “hands and heels” racing <a href="https://www.britishhorseracing.com/regulation/racing-excellence-series/">series for apprentice jockeys</a>. In this form of racing, jockeys are permitted to carry whips but can’t use them unless under exceptional circumstances, such as trying to avert a collision.</p>
<p>After races, stewards produce an official report noting any unusual or unorthodox jockey behaviour (which may or may not have affected race placings), jockey infringements, horse movement on the course, interference between horses, and veterinary issues. </p>
<p>We analysed reports for 126 races involving a total of 1,178 starters (horses and jockeys). These included all 67 hands and heels “whipping-free” races in the period starting January 2017 and ending December 2019. For these, we were able to case-match 59 traditional “whipping-permitted” races. </p>
<p>Thus, we were able to compare the performance of racehorses under both “whipping-free” and “whipping-permitted” conditions in real racing environments, to figure out whether whipping makes horses easier to steer, safer to ride and/or more likely to win. </p>
<p>Our results indicated no significant differences between horse movement on the course, interference on the course, the frequency of incidents related to jockey behaviour, or average race finishing times. </p>
<p>Put simply, whip use had no impact on steering, safety or speed. Contrary to longstanding beliefs, whipping racehorses just doesn’t work. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/366611/original/file-20201030-17-yb5bo8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Horses racing on track." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/366611/original/file-20201030-17-yb5bo8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/366611/original/file-20201030-17-yb5bo8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/366611/original/file-20201030-17-yb5bo8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/366611/original/file-20201030-17-yb5bo8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/366611/original/file-20201030-17-yb5bo8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/366611/original/file-20201030-17-yb5bo8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/366611/original/file-20201030-17-yb5bo8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Melbourne cup has been running for more than 150 years, with the first official cup trophy awarded in 1865.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>The way forward</h2>
<p>Our findings reinforce the need for more support for whipping-free races. Importantly, they indicate whip use could potentially be banned without any adverse effect on horses, riders or racing integrity. </p>
<p>“Whipping-free” races are not the same as “whip-free” races. While some might argue for <a href="https://horseracingkills.com/campaigns/the-whip/">races with no whips at all</a>, an agreeable compromise would be to let jockeys carry whips, but only use them if their safety is jeopardised.</p>
<p>This approach has already been adopted in Norway, where whipping-free races have been <a href="https://www.thoroughbreddailynews.com/a-whip-free-day-of-racing-in-norway/">held for more than 30 years</a> with no apparent negative consequences. </p>
<p>Given evolving social values, we believe transitioning to a whipping-free approach is essential for the future of an industry that relies on a <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-horse-racing-in-australia-needs-a-social-licence-to-operate-79492">social licence to operate</a>.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/dressing-up-for-melbourne-cup-day-from-a-racehorse-point-of-view-104771">Dressing up for Melbourne Cup Day, from a racehorse point of view</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/144405/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kirrilly Thompson has previously received money from sources including World Animal Protection, the Australian Research Council and the Bushfire & Natural Hazards CRC. Kirrilly is the national participation manager at Pony Club Australia and the Vice Chair of the Horse Federation of SA.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dr Bethany Wilson has consulted for the RSPCA Australia on an ad hoc basis</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Professor Paul McGreevy is an Honorary Fellow of the International Society for Equitation Science and a life member of the RSPCA NSW. He has received funding from the Australian Research Council for research into the welfare of racing Thoroughbreds. He occasionally conducts research funded by the RSPCA Australia.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Phil McManus has received funding from the Australian Research Council for independent research, including into the thoroughbred breeding and racing industry. He is a member of The Greens. </span></em></p>As the Melbourne Cup approaches, new research shows whipping horses really doesn’t offer the benefits its proponents claim.Kirrilly Thompson, Adjunt Senior Research Fellow, University of South AustraliaBethany Wilson, Honorary Affiliate, University of SydneyPaul McGreevy, Professor of Animal Behaviour and Animal Welfare Science, University of SydneyPhil McManus, Professor of Urban and Environmental Geography: School of Geosciences, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1257382019-10-25T04:06:06Z2019-10-25T04:06:06ZIt’s not just about your feelings, OK? The best end for a racehorse might be the knackery<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/298669/original/file-20191025-124806-1gyicm0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=36%2C3%2C1995%2C1345&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Sometimes slaughtering an ex-racehorse humanely is the best option if a good home cannot be found.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Flickr</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>In the varied responses to the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/7.30/the-dark-side-of-the-horse-racing-industry/11614022">ABC’s report</a> into the fate of ex-racehorses, the consensus was that <a href="https://www.news.com.au/sport/sports-life/bruce-mcavaneys-emotional-plea-after-horse-slaughter-revelations/news-story/779e0c5a63c7d5b542506cd60eed67b8">something should be done</a>. Many have called for racehorse slaughter to be banned outright. </p>
<p>This reaction differed significantly from that to <a href="https://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/6358675/secret-camera-captures-damning-footage-at-picton-abattoir/">footage</a> of the mistreatment of livestock. Cattle and sheep are equally sentient as horses, yet exposés of livestock cruelty don’t lead to calls to ban their slaughter altogether. </p>
<p>And despite industry and government <a href="https://www.beefcentral.com/news/ferocious-parliamentary-debate-erupts-over-vegan-terrorists/">condemnation</a> of activists who obtain covert footage of livestock abuse, few people have criticised those who filmed horses being mistreated and killed.</p>
<p>These responses reveal a double standard, and suggest we care more about what racehorses mean to us than what’s necessarily best for the animal.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/298664/original/file-20191025-124764-yecem4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/298664/original/file-20191025-124764-yecem4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/298664/original/file-20191025-124764-yecem4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/298664/original/file-20191025-124764-yecem4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/298664/original/file-20191025-124764-yecem4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/298664/original/file-20191025-124764-yecem4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/298664/original/file-20191025-124764-yecem4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A race at Geelong Cup Day this month.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Michael Dodge/AAP</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>It’s about the horse, not us</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.racingnsw.com.au/wp-content/uploads/NSWRules20180801.pdf">Racing NSW’s rules</a> prohibit the sale of racehorses to abattoirs and knackeries. Following the ABC reports, <a href="https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/racing-industry-broken-hearted-as-abc-report-shows-brutal-slaughtering-of-horses/news-story/ed856822803c7945a04351adb04d1228">horse trainers</a>, <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/the-racing-industry-wants-us-to-forget-and-move-on-we-cannot-allow-it-20191024-p533vx.html">politicians</a> and <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/how-racehorse-only-money-went-from-the-nsw-tracks-to-a-queensland-abattoir-20191021-p532oi.html">others</a> said a legal ban should be enforced.</p>
<p>The assumption underpinning such arguments is that because racehorses provide a “service” to their owners, punters and the industry - including <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-18/slaughter-abuse-of-racehorses-undermines-industry-animal-welfare/11603834">winning substantial prize money</a> - we have a moral duty to protect them from slaughter.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/horse-racing-must-change-or-the-court-of-public-opinion-will-bury-it-125637">Horse racing must change, or the court of public opinion will bury it</a>
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</em>
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<p>This is a human-centred bias. It views racehorses through a prism of their value to us: what they mean to us and how they make us feel, rather than on what they mean to themselves as sentient creatures with their own needs and wants. </p>
<p>A truly horse-centred bias would prioritise finding homes that meet their mental and behavioural needs. This may involve allowing them to behave naturally without having to serve as competition or riding horses. It might also mean killing an ex-racehorse humanely if a good home cannot be found.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/298673/original/file-20191025-124772-1ubhran.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/298673/original/file-20191025-124772-1ubhran.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/298673/original/file-20191025-124772-1ubhran.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/298673/original/file-20191025-124772-1ubhran.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/298673/original/file-20191025-124772-1ubhran.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/298673/original/file-20191025-124772-1ubhran.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/298673/original/file-20191025-124772-1ubhran.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A jockey celebrates after riding a horse to victory at the Geelong Cup this month. Some have suggested that we owe a moral duty to prize-winning horses to keep them from being slaughtered.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Michael Dodge/AAP</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Not all racehorses will have a good retirement</h2>
<p>Just because a horse has been spared slaughter does not guarantee it will have a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00480169.2011.610283">good quality of life</a>. Inexperienced owners, inadequate diets, bad training practices, economic hardship and <a href="https://www.news.com.au/national/queensland/news/victims-of-the-drought-left-to-suffer-in-appalling-condition/news-story/">drought</a> can all lead to poor welfare outcomes for ex-racehorses. For example, research shows that <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/9/9/621">full-time stabling</a> prevents a horse from grazing and moving, which can lead to health issues.</p>
<p><a href="https://teamthoroughbred.com.au/">Industry actions</a> to increase re-homing rates are commendable - especially if efforts are made to ensure new owners have the appropriate skills and finances. But the sheer number of racehorses retiring each year and their longevity - 25 years or more - means it’s unlikely all thoroughbreds needing a home will find one, even on industry retirement properties. </p>
<p>Abattoirs and knackeries will probably always be dealing with unwanted racehorses. So it is crucial the transport and slaughter of horses is conducted according to best practice. </p>
<h2>Horse slaughter done humanely</h2>
<p>Horses are at risk of poor welfare during transport and processing. They are easily frightened and can bolt, buck, rear or freeze when scared. This can lead to injury in confined spaces at the abattoir, slippery concrete floors or transport vehicles.</p>
<p>Horses confined in small spaces with unfamiliar horses become highly stressed and aggressive, often leading to injury. Horses sent for slaughter may suffer from untreated injuries making them vulnerable to further welfare insults in transit or at the plant.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/298671/original/file-20191025-124780-zj027s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/298671/original/file-20191025-124780-zj027s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/298671/original/file-20191025-124780-zj027s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/298671/original/file-20191025-124780-zj027s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/298671/original/file-20191025-124780-zj027s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/298671/original/file-20191025-124780-zj027s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/298671/original/file-20191025-124780-zj027s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A stablehand tends to a horse ahead of Sydney’s Everest race this month. Horses stabled for long periods can develop health problems.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Dean Lewins/AAAP</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Transport is a significant stressor and <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.2042-3306.2010.00124.x">welfare risk</a>. Voluntary guidelines in the <a href="http://www.animalwelfarestandards.net.au/land-transport/">Land Transport of Animals</a> welfare standard should be mandatory. The code should be updated to ban group penning during long-distance transport and mandate partitions between horses as is <a href="http://animaltransportguides.eu/materials/">practised in the European Union</a>.</p>
<p>Rules should be enforced to ensure horses that are lame, injured, emaciated or heavily pregnant are not transported long distances. This would reduce the risk of horses arriving in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/oct/23/vet-queensland-horse-abattoir-nine-animal-welfare-reports">poor condition</a>, or dying en route as depicted in the ABC report. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-could-reduce-the-slaughter-of-racehorses-if-we-breed-them-for-longer-racing-careers-123760">We could reduce the slaughter of racehorses if we breed them for longer racing careers</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Real time monitoring via CCTV as <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/mandatory-cctv-in-all-slaughterhouses-under-new-animal-welfare-plans">now occurs</a> in the UK should be immediately implemented. </p>
<p>Welfare standards at all horse-slaughter facilities should be best-practice and <a href="https://www.publish.csiro.au/book/2975/">informed by science</a>. They should be enforced with the same vigour as food safety regulations, including random audits by independent inspectors. And the use of electric prods on horses should be banned. </p>
<p>Creating a culture of respect for animal welfare amongst abattoir workers can be challenging due to the <a href="https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/geojpovlp15&div=17&id=&page=">nature of the work</a>, which results in the normalisation of callous attitudes and animal mistreatment. Researchers have explored how to achieve worker compliance and <a href="http://www.publish.csiro.au/an/AN16800">attitude change</a> about animal welfare and their findings should inform training programs.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/298662/original/file-20191025-124796-1ja43lq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/298662/original/file-20191025-124796-1ja43lq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/298662/original/file-20191025-124796-1ja43lq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/298662/original/file-20191025-124796-1ja43lq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/298662/original/file-20191025-124796-1ja43lq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/298662/original/file-20191025-124796-1ja43lq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/298662/original/file-20191025-124796-1ja43lq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A horse at Moonee Valley Racecourse in Melbourne this month.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">VINCE CALIGIURI/AAP</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Where to now?</h2>
<p>Banning the slaughter of thoroughbreds could expose unwanted horses to prolonged neglect or mistreatment if their owners can’t keep or rehome them. It would also do nothing for the welfare of other horse breeds that could still legally be slaughtered.</p>
<p>If good homes can’t be found for all racehorses, it is up to society, which has given horse racing its <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-horse-racing-in-australia-needs-a-social-licence-to-operate-79492">social licence to operate</a>, to ensure they are given a good death.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/125738/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Cathrynne Henshall does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Our reaction to the horse-slaughter scandal show a double standard, and suggest we care more about what racehorses mean to us than what’s best for the animal.Cathrynne Henshall, PhD Candidate, School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1256372019-10-22T05:08:17Z2019-10-22T05:08:17ZHorse racing must change, or the court of public opinion will bury it<p>In the wake of a shocking ABC report on the dismal end of many racehorses’ lives in slaughterhouses, many Australians are questioning whether the horse racing industry can operate ethically. </p>
<p>Some people will never agree that animals should be used for human entertainment. Others argue horse racing is ethical and has been so for decades. However, As Hall of Fame thoroughbred trainer Lee Freedman <a href="https://twitter.com/freedman_lee/status/1184804303300485121">tweeted</a>, “If we don’t make real changes the court of public opinion will bury racing”.</p>
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<p>As long as racehorses are treated as commodities, it will make a cruel sort of sense to get rid of “surplus” animals as cheaply as possible. </p>
<p>Australian community standards demand we treat horses as more than objects. At an industry level, self-regulation has manifestly failed. It’s time we created a national registry to trace racehorses for their whole lives, including life beyond the racing industry.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-could-reduce-the-slaughter-of-racehorses-if-we-breed-them-for-longer-racing-careers-123760">We could reduce the slaughter of racehorses if we breed them for longer racing careers</a>
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<h2>How much is welfare worth?</h2>
<p>While, no doubt, investigations will begin into allegations of animal cruelty or rule-breaking in the Queensland abattoir filmed, the industry cannot hide behind claims this represents a few bad eggs. </p>
<p>Despite rules fromthe national body Racing Australia, and being a member of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA), Australia’s racing rules are largely administered on a state-by-state basis, and different jurisdictions may have additional welfare requirements. This makes introducing change and enforcing consistent, socially acceptable standards difficult.</p>
<p>The solutions must be systemic. There are feasible options to bring horse racing industries closer to evolving public expectations of horse welfare. The question is, are the industries willing to change?</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/is-your-horse-normal-now-theres-an-app-for-that-107000">Is your horse normal? Now there’s an app for that</a>
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<p>Horse welfare should be paramount. This means a “whole of life” approach. Reducing the number of horses bred annually is, in isolation, not the answer. In 2007, 18,255 thoroughbred foals were born in <a href="https://www.ifhaonline.org/default.asp?section=Resources&area=4">Australia</a>. In 2017 there were only 13,823 thoroughbred foals born. However, horses are still being sent to slaughterhouses.</p>
<p>Horse racing is a competitive industry. Some horses never win. Other horses will be injured or grow old. There will always be “too many” horses produced for racing and for the breeding part of the industry.</p>
<p>Owners and breeders need to plan for horses who one day may have little economic potential; they have as much right to welfare as any other creature.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/breeding-thoroughbreds-is-far-from-natural-in-the-race-for-a-winner-121087">Breeding Thoroughbreds is far from natural in the race for a winner</a>
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<h2>A true national registry</h2>
<p>Australia needs a national traceability register to track all racehorses, through and after their racing careers. All pregnancies should be recorded, and all foals registered and microchipped. This will limit the potential for unregistered horses to be killed. </p>
<p>No registered racehorse should be sold through a “mixed sale” with cattle and other animals. No registered racehorse should be sent to or accepted at an abattoir.</p>
<p>It should be a condition of sale that when a horse leaves the racing industry that it is purchased with a clause that permits follow-up inspection, regardless of state borders or whether the horse goes on to be a companion animal, show jumper, police mount, or any other situation. (This is <a href="https://theconversation.com/whos-responsible-for-the-slaughtered-ex-racehorses-and-what-can-be-done-125551">already the case</a> in NSW and the ACT.) Rules without enforcement are ineffectual. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/whos-responsible-for-the-slaughtered-ex-racehorses-and-what-can-be-done-125551">Who's responsible for the slaughtered ex-racehorses, and what can be done?</a>
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<p>This may seem onerous, but the thoroughbred industry already assiduously monitors the registration of horses <em>into</em> the industry. They check whether the foal came from registered thoroughbred parents, a natural conception (male and female copulating) and the foal being born from the womb of that same mare. </p>
<p>The industry should apply the same diligence to the end of career treatment of racehorses, and accept responsibility for humanely euthanising horses after <em>all</em> other options have been exhausted.</p>
<p>An ethical industry cannot operate by ignoring inconvenient truths. The ABC report exposed some of these truths. Now it is necessary to make real changes to align horse racing with evolving social expectations of animal welfare.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/125637/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Phil McManus has received funding from the Australian Research Council ARC) for thoroughbred-related research. He is a member of The Greens. </span></em></p>Racing industries put enormous effort into procuring the best young horses, but pay little attention to the fate of former (or simply unsuccessful) racers.Phil McManus, Professor of Urban and Environmental Geography: Head of School of Geosciences, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1237602019-10-21T19:00:56Z2019-10-21T19:00:56ZWe could reduce the slaughter of racehorses if we breed them for longer racing careers<p>The slaughter of horses bred for racing in Australia, as revealed in the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-18/slaughter-abuse-of-racehorses-undermines-industry-animal-welfare/11603834">ABC’s investigation</a>, highlights the challenge of what to do with racehorses when their careers are over.</p>
<p>The ABC has questioned the racing industry’s claim that fewer than 1% of horses retiring from racing each year end up at an abattoir or knackery.</p>
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<p>Once horses leave racing they are no longer under the industry’s control, and the fate of retired horses is not currently tracked. A <a href="https://kb.rspca.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Slaughter-of-horses-Doherty-%E2%80%93-RSPCA-Research-Report-June-2008.pdf">2008 study</a> of horses entering an abattoir reported that 40% were Thoroughbreds, the breed used in racing.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/whos-responsible-for-the-slaughtered-ex-racehorses-and-what-can-be-done-125551">Who's responsible for the slaughtered ex-racehorses, and what can be done?</a>
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<p>But there are things the industry can do to extend the life of a racehorse, and help find a suitable home once their racing career is over.</p>
<h2>Born to run</h2>
<p>Thoroughbred horses have been bred over centuries for speed and stamina. This allows them to do one thing better than any other members of their species: run.</p>
<p>Just as they can be bred for speed, they can also be bred for <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25758744" title="Heritability of racing durability traits in the Australian and Hong Kong Thoroughbred racing populations">racing durability</a> – the ability to withstand the rigours of training and racing.</p>
<p>If we come to value durability as much as other performance traits we can reward breeders who select for long racing careers alongside other attributes.</p>
<p>Valuing durability requires a shift from the current emphasis on finding the latest and greatest young horse each year for events such as the Golden Slipper (for two-year-olds), the Gold Coast Magic Millions (for two-year-olds), and The Oaks (for three-year-old fillies).</p>
<p>Australia is a leading producer of two-year-old racehorses, and there are rich rewards for the breeders of the next star of the track.</p>
<p>If the industry were to put the major prizes in place chiefly for the fastest eight-, nine- or ten-year olds, we could see a dramatic drop in <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.2042-3306.2012.00614.x" title="Profiling the careers of Thoroughbred horses racing in Australia between 2000 and 2010">wastage</a> – the term used to describe the attrition of Thoroughbreds from active racing. </p>
<p>Trainers would have an incentive to celebrate their most durable horses and avoid the career-threatening injuries that remove many young Thoroughbreds from racing early in their careers. Breeders would also be rewarded for breeding the champions that win as veterans. </p>
<h2>Racing veterans</h2>
<p>With more familiarity, many of these horses might attract a cult following and hero status, as we have seen with <a href="https://www.racing.com/horses/winx-2011">Winx</a> (who was still winning as a seven-year-old), <a href="https://www.racing.com/horses/takeover-target-1999">Takeover Target</a> (a nine-year-old), and <a href="https://www.racing.com/horses/fields-of-omagh-1997/">Fields of Omagh</a> (a nine-year-old).</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.flemington.com.au/melbournecupcarnival">Melbourne Cup</a> is a case in point. It presents the opportunity to see some perennial stars of the of the turf, some of whom have competed in multiple Melbourne Cup races over the years.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/dressing-up-for-melbourne-cup-day-from-a-racehorse-point-of-view-104771">Dressing up for Melbourne Cup Day, from a racehorse point of view</a>
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<p>For example, last year’s winner, <a href="https://7news.com.au/sport/horse-racing/cross-counter-back-to-defend-cup-crown-c-502929">Cross Counter</a> is back this year to try again as a five-year-old.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.racing.com/news/2014-02-12/weight-for-age-scale-explained">Weight-for-age</a> handicapping allows younger horses to compete with fully mature horses over various race distances and at different times of the year.</p>
<p>Australia’s premier weight-for-age race, the <a href="https://www.thevalley.com.au/cox-plate-carnival">Cox Plate</a>, has frequently been won by older horses, including <a href="https://www.news.com.au/sport/superracing/cox-plate-2018-winx-preparing-to-make-history/news-story/f105a2bed1aee727b6583c3061f7c37b">Winx for the past four years</a>. </p>
<h2>Beyond the race track</h2>
<p>The athleticism, sensitivity and versatility of Thoroughbreds makes them ideal horses for a variety of equestrian disciplines, for both pleasure and professional riders. </p>
<p>But most Thoroughbreds begin their lives with a singular focus on racing, and there are significant differences between the behaviours that make for a successful racehorse and those suitable for recreational riding. </p>
<p>For example, race jockeys usually mount their horse while it walks around. The short stirrups found on <a href="https://theconversation.com/dressing-up-for-melbourne-cup-day-from-a-racehorse-point-of-view-104771">racing gear</a> don’t allow mounting from the ground, and Thoroughbreds are unused to the feel of a rider’s leg against their side.</p>
<p>So one of the first skills a transitioning racehorse has to learn is to stand still while a rider mounts from the ground, in contrast to what it has known all of its ridden life.</p>
<h2>Rein control</h2>
<p>The cues used to control a racehorse differ widely from standard practices among recreational riders. Racehorses are often ridden with strong tension on reins which, when released, becomes a signal to accelerate.</p>
<p>In contrast, acceleration cues in recreational riding are given by a rider’s legs. One of the side effects of using strong rein tension is that horses learn to habituate to, or ignore, rein cues unless extremely strong pressures are applied.</p>
<p>This can make them unsafe to ride if they take fright, because a recreational rider may not be able to pull hard enough on the reins to get the horse to slow down. </p>
<p>Other problem behaviours can also arise as legacies of a racing career, including difficulty turning on circles, head-tossing, rearing, bucking, and overexcitement at shows or events. </p>
<h2>Retraining required</h2>
<p>These horses need to be retrained if they are to become safe riding horses. This can take at least four weeks and cost around A$1,000.</p>
<p>For the 2017-18 season, <a href="http://publishingservices.risa.com.au/otherpublications/Fact%20Book%202017-2018/62/">11,177 Thoroughbreds were registered</a>, which would lead to an estimated 5,000 geldings needing a new home outside the racing industry.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/breeding-thoroughbreds-is-far-from-natural-in-the-race-for-a-winner-121087">Breeding Thoroughbreds is far from natural in the race for a winner</a>
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<p>The industry would need to provide at least A$5 million per year for retraining the retired geldings alone, if they were all viable for non-racing equestrian careers.</p>
<p>Even after retraining, the behavioural legacies of their racing career can make some racehorses unsuitable for inexperienced or recreational riders, limiting their post-racing career options. ABC presenter Jonathan Green’s <a href="https://twitter.com/GreenJ/status/1185044497639428097">experience</a>, in the wake of the ABC’s revelations, is a telling example.</p>
<p>Still, we’ve highlighted just some of the options that could help reduce wastage in the industry and provide a better life for horses during and after racing.</p>
<p>Others include a proposed <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-04/horse-traceability-lacking-proves-deadly-for-riders-inquiry-told/11474610">National Horse Traceability Register</a> that would track a horse’s journey throughout its life.</p>
<p>This would provide a truer picture of the ultimate fate of Thoroughbreds – including just how many are actually suitable as equestrian or pony club mounts, and how many ultimately have no other value than as food for humans or pets.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/123760/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Professor Paul McGreevy is an Honorary Fellow of the International Society for Equitation Science and a life member of the RSPCA NSW. He has received funding from the Australian Research Council for research into the welfare of racing Thoroughbreds. He consults to the RSPCA Australia.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dr Bidda Jones is employed by RSPCA Australia as the Chief Science and Strategy Officer (and currently acting CEO). She is a member of RSPCA NSW, the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare and the International Society for Applied Ethology.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Cathrynne Henshall does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Race horses should be bred for both speed and durability so owners have an incentive to keep them racing fit and away from the abattoirs.Paul McGreevy, Professor of Animal Behaviour and Animal Welfare Science, University of SydneyBidda Jones, Honorary Associate in Animal Welfare, University of SydneyCathrynne Henshall, PhD Candidate, School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1255512019-10-20T19:07:21Z2019-10-20T19:07:21ZWho’s responsible for the slaughtered ex-racehorses, and what can be done?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/297795/original/file-20191020-56234-g2ryid.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Animal activists stage a protest during Caulfield Cup day at Caulfield Race Course in Melbourne, following shocking hidden-camera footage revealing the slaughtering of former racehorses.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">AAP Image/James Ross</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>This weekend saw <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/protests-and-punters-at-caulfield-cup-horses-for-courses-20191019-p5328z.html">protests at Caulfield racecourse</a>, following a shocking report last week on the ABC’s <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-17/racehorses-sent-slaughterhouses-contravention-racing-rules/11611688">7:30 program</a> on the fate of thousands of racehorses in Australia. </p>
<p>It is a confronting wake-up call for an industry already struggling to maintain its <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-horse-racing-in-australia-needs-a-social-licence-to-operate-79492">social license to operate</a>. </p>
<p>Dozens of horses were recorded killed at a Queensland abattoir during a single week, some in distressing circumstances. Appalling footage has prompted many to ask how horses that have earned so much money for their breeders and owners end up being slaughtered at abattoirs or knackeries – and why there are so many horses facing this fate.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-horse-racing-in-australia-needs-a-social-licence-to-operate-79492">Why horse-racing in Australia needs a social licence to operate</a>
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<p>The core problems here are enforcement of existing rules, the sheer volume of horses being retired from racing and the difficulty of tracing these horses to ensure proper treatment.</p>
<h2>Enforcing existing rules</h2>
<p>While there are rules in place to protect retiring racehorses, these rules are obviously neither being met nor enforced. This is a huge problem that needs to be addressed immediately.</p>
<p>There are no mandatory welfare standards for racehorses and so legal protection is
limited to the minimal requirements under state based animal welfare legislation. The industry is largely self-governed through state-based racing authorities. </p>
<p>The Australian Racing Board manages horse racing in Australia with each state’s racing authority agreeing to follow, and enforce, the <a href="https://www.racingaustralia.horse/uploadimg/Australian_rules_of_Racing/Australian_Rules_of_Racing_01_June_2019.pdf">Australian Rules of Racing</a>. These rules state that during their racing careers, horses are not to be euthanised or destroyed unless a vet surgeon has certified in writing that this is necessary on welfare or safety grounds, or otherwise under extreme circumstances and with subsequent vet confirmation.</p>
<p>Different jurisdictions may have different rules for post-career welfare. New South Wales, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory all require owners or trainers notify their relevant authority when a horse is retired. </p>
<p>Queensland’s racing authority has no specific rules around retiring horses. However the <a href="https://qric.qld.gov.au/about-us/">Queensland Racing Integrity Commission</a>, an independent body created in 2016, has <a href="https://qric.qld.gov.au/veterinary-services-animal-welfare/thoroughbred/rehoming/">guidelines for rehoming</a> retired racehorses that say:</p>
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<p>For owners, it is your responsibility to provide for the continued welfare of your horse after retirement.</p>
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<p>In <a href="https://www.racingnsw.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Rule-of-Racing.pdf">New South Wales</a> and the <a href="https://thoroughbredpark.com.au/pdf/act-local-rules-2018.pdf">Australian Capital Territory</a>, regulations also require the seller supply the new owner’s details and indicate the new location meets basic welfare standards – and that horses <em>not</em> be sent to an abattoir, either directly or indirectly.</p>
<p>Under these rules, horse managers and owners are responsible for finding homes for these horses. Such homes may include breeding purposes, equestrian, working, pleasure or companion horse situations, or other options approved by an authority.</p>
<p>In the absence of a coherent national policy for retiring racehorses, it’s not immediately clear which rules are being broken by whom – although the Queensland abattoir in the 7.30 Report received many horses from other states, including NSW. However, it is apparent something is going terribly wrong.</p>
<h2>There are more retiring horses than suitable homes</h2>
<p>The next problem relates to the sheer number of horses that need homes after racing careers, and the number of suitable homes available. While we don’t have exact numbers, the RSPCA estimates some <a href="https://kb.rspca.org.au/knowledge-base/what-happens-to-horses-that-leave-the-racing-industry/">8,500 racehorses</a> retire in Australia each year. </p>
<p>Racing NSW established an <a href="https://teamthoroughbred.com.au/our-purpose/">Equine Welfare Fund</a> in 2016, which receives 1% of all prize money from Thoroughbred races in NSW, as well as public donations. They <a href="https://teamthoroughbred.com.au">suggest</a> owners wanting to re-home horses advertise the animals online, on sites such as Gumtree and Horsezone. They also advise setting a minimum price of at least $500, to “reduce interest from knackeries and abattoirs”.</p>
<p>Racing Victoria also has a <a href="https://www.racingvictoria.com.au/the-horse/equine-welfare">welfare fund</a> that receives 1% of prize money in that state. </p>
<p>The problem is that horses are large, potentially dangerous animals and require expert – and expensive – handling and care. When horses are bought by people who lack the expertise, facilities or financial support required for careful re-training the outcome for the horse is poor, and usually results in the torturous journey through the sale yards to the slaughterhouse.</p>
<p>A big risk to welfare is the perceived zero value of the post-racing Thoroughbred. These horses are treated very differently when they are making money.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/297793/original/file-20191020-56234-17jitjj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/297793/original/file-20191020-56234-17jitjj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/297793/original/file-20191020-56234-17jitjj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/297793/original/file-20191020-56234-17jitjj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/297793/original/file-20191020-56234-17jitjj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/297793/original/file-20191020-56234-17jitjj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/297793/original/file-20191020-56234-17jitjj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/297793/original/file-20191020-56234-17jitjj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">The entrance to Luddenham Pet Meat in the western suburbs of Sydney, on October 18, 2019.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">AAP Image/Dean Lewins</span></span>
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<h2>Tracing the horses</h2>
<p>One obvious and immediate solution is more funding to better enforce existing regulations. This could involve cracking down on owners who move horses across state borders to avoid stringent regulations, for example.</p>
<p>But another problem is following up with horses to check their post-racing welfare. If a former racehorse is sold in good faith to a new owner who does not realise the level of care or expense in retraining their new animal to be a riding companion, there is currently no way to ensure the horse is sold on to a more suitable owner. </p>
<p>Advocates are already arguing for a <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-04/horse-traceability-lacking-proves-deadly-for-riders-inquiry-told/11474610">National Horse Traceability Register</a> to prevent beginner riders ending up with potentially dangerous horses. The benefits of a national traceability register include improvements in animal welfare and biosecurity, as well as transparency and integrity in horse trade. </p>
<p>Last week, researchers at the University of Sydney (including one of us) launched a program and app called the <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-your-horse-normal-now-theres-an-app-for-that-107000">Equine Behavior Assessment and Research Questionnaire</a> (E-BARQ). E- BARQ is set up so racehorse breeders and owners around the world can enter data on their horses from birth, and owners and trainers of racehorses can submit results on the same horse on a six-monthly basis. </p>
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<a href="https://theconversation.com/is-your-horse-normal-now-theres-an-app-for-that-107000">Is your horse normal? Now there’s an app for that</a>
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<p>E-BARQ will provide rich data to researchers, breeders, owners and trainers on how these horses are adapting to their new environments. We expect it will confirm that measures to assure retiring racehorses’ future welfare need to be implemented at the beginning of their careers, not the end.</p>
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<p><em>Correction: the article originally stated 800 horses were estimated to retire from thoroughbred racing each year, instead of over 8,000.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/125551/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kate Fenner's PhD project is the development of the free E-BARQ app.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michelle Lenore Hyde does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>An investigation by ABC journalists has revealed hundreds of former racehorses are slaughtered after retiring.Kate Fenner, PhD Candidate (Equine Training and Welfare), University of SydneyMichelle Lenore Hyde, Senior Lecturer Animal Sciences, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1229332019-09-09T20:01:33Z2019-09-09T20:01:33ZIn Ride Like a Girl, Rachel Griffiths feminises the traditionally male hero’s journey - and warms hearts<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/291462/original/file-20190909-109952-dout9x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=4%2C6%2C911%2C652&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Teresa Palmer, centre, as Michelle Payne in Ride Like a Girl.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Transmission Films</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>Review: Ride Like a Girl</em></p>
<p>Award-winning actor Rachel Griffiths takes the reins on a large cast and crew to direct and co-produce this timely biopic. We focus on a rambunctious, country family with finely drawn brother-sister and father-daughter subplots. </p>
<p>The luminous Teresa Palmer (Hacksaw Ridge, Berlin Syndrome, A Discovery of Witches) stars as Michelle Payne, first victorious female Melbourne Cup jockey. Sam Neil plays her stubborn dad Paddy, patriarch of Victoria’s Payne racing family.</p>
<p>Michelle’s loyal brother is played by real-life “best strapper in Australia” Stevie Payne, who outshines the large professional cast playing himself. </p>
<p>Griffiths successfully adapts to her first role as director and maintains tight rein on her crew. Showing knowledge and experience of Hollywood narrative techniques, she calls the shots with confidence. The story blends classic Hollywood storytelling with Australian feelgood family fare. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/291440/original/file-20190909-175686-6v3vr1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/291440/original/file-20190909-175686-6v3vr1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/291440/original/file-20190909-175686-6v3vr1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/291440/original/file-20190909-175686-6v3vr1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/291440/original/file-20190909-175686-6v3vr1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/291440/original/file-20190909-175686-6v3vr1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=473&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/291440/original/file-20190909-175686-6v3vr1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=473&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/291440/original/file-20190909-175686-6v3vr1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=473&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Paddy Payne, Michelle Payne, Stevie Payne and Rachel Griffiths arrive at the world premiere of Ride Like A Girl in Melbourne on Sunday.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Scott Barbour/AAp</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Kids will love this movie. It’s about farmyards; single dads; a wedding; a funeral; horses - falling off them and getting back on - all leading to a fast climax and a no-nonsense denouement that will please most audiences. Sound predictable? Maybe. </p>
<p>But this is the stuff parents have been waiting for. A fascinating rite-of-passage for a gutsy heroine; all the pageantry of the sport of kings, with a gorgeous local cast playing the real-life Payne family of champions. Griffiths makes sure our hearts warm as two outsiders, Michelle and brother Stevie, overcome all odds to achieve their international Melbourne Cup victory. </p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gLn7UOw-tF8?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Trailer for Ride Like a Girl.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>A hundred to one odds</h2>
<p>So what does it take for a young woman to train for and win the Melbourne Cup at odds of a hundred to one? Michelle Payne lives with nine siblings (eight of them jockeys) on her dad’s horse farm near Ballarat, genteel capital of the old gold-mining district. </p>
<p>We first meet a feisty five-year-old who’s besting her siblings at back yard races. Dad helps her understand the racetrack and memorise the data on all prior Melbourne Cup jockeys. So horsey is she that Michelle sleeps in the stable and skips class at the country Catholic school where a comical nun (Magda Szubanski) first admonishes and then supports the girl’s ambition. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/291461/original/file-20190909-109943-db3ppz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/291461/original/file-20190909-109943-db3ppz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/291461/original/file-20190909-109943-db3ppz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/291461/original/file-20190909-109943-db3ppz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/291461/original/file-20190909-109943-db3ppz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/291461/original/file-20190909-109943-db3ppz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/291461/original/file-20190909-109943-db3ppz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/291461/original/file-20190909-109943-db3ppz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Magda Szubanski as Sister Dominique, a nun on Payne’s side.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Transmission films</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>We meet Michelle again at 15 as she plans her racing victories with brother Stevie who plays himself, a young man with Down Syndrome, treated as a “blessing” by his family. </p>
<p>Audiences will be hooked by Stevie’s bubbly humour and his natural rapport with both horses and the camera. There is no challenge to himself or his sister that can disrupt their magic circle. The Cup will one day be theirs! </p>
<p>We follow teen apprentice Michelle as she runs to the city and waits patiently on the outskirts of the Caulfield racing establishment. She’s up before dawn, training and getting to know characters at the track; pushing to earn her place as a pro jockey in their world. Her relentless energy drives the action through the trials of paternal conflict and a disastrous fall that threatens her life. </p>
<p>The special on-track race cameras reveal strife, spills and scuffles but do not dwell on suffering or conflict. The camera stays on Michelle’s persistent hard work and will to succeed. </p>
<p>A jockey’s life is depicted as extreme sport. The wiry Michelle is in ceaseless physical training: crunches and pushups; vitamins for breakfast. We melt in our seats as she wraps herself in plastic bags to sweat off the last kilo before race day. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/291442/original/file-20190909-175686-1x9iu4z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/291442/original/file-20190909-175686-1x9iu4z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/291442/original/file-20190909-175686-1x9iu4z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/291442/original/file-20190909-175686-1x9iu4z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/291442/original/file-20190909-175686-1x9iu4z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/291442/original/file-20190909-175686-1x9iu4z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/291442/original/file-20190909-175686-1x9iu4z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/291442/original/file-20190909-175686-1x9iu4z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Michelle Payne rides Think Champagne at Cranbourne Racecourse in August.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Vince Caligiuri/AAP</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>There is no sex, no guns, no drugs and no violence in this story. But there’s plenty of drama. Michelle rides on despite doctors’ warning that another fall could kill her. Her confrontations with officials show her steely but careful determination to sustain her place in the ranks. </p>
<h2>Patient diplomacy</h2>
<p>Palmer shows us Michelle’s patient diplomacy. She does not whinge when given a tiny changing room at the track. She’s scornfully unafraid when a trainer makes a lewd proposal. Perhaps as a result of her dealings with grumpy dad, she persuades resistant officials and horse owners that she’s worthy of a Cup ride. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/291445/original/file-20190909-109935-1q3qrf4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=8%2C19%2C964%2C529&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/291445/original/file-20190909-109935-1q3qrf4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=8%2C19%2C964%2C529&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/291445/original/file-20190909-109935-1q3qrf4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/291445/original/file-20190909-109935-1q3qrf4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/291445/original/file-20190909-109935-1q3qrf4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/291445/original/file-20190909-109935-1q3qrf4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/291445/original/file-20190909-109935-1q3qrf4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/291445/original/file-20190909-109935-1q3qrf4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Teresa Palmer and Sam Neil in Ride Like a Girl.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Lachlan Moore</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Her cool head and superior horsemanship allow her to quietly and discretely upturn tradition. This softly-softly approach makes Michelle a feminine heroine with a tactful approach to sexual politics. By the final act, the racing fraternity support her every step of the way. </p>
<p>Ride Like a Girl is a feminised form of Joseph Campbell’s classic hero’s journey. We empathise with the passionate ambition of an heroic girl, pure of heart, with both maidenly and warrior traits. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/are-you-monomythic-joseph-campbell-and-the-heros-journey-27074">Are you monomythic? Joseph Campbell and the hero's journey</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>In one parody of a traditional romance scene, Michelle breathlessly confesses, “Dad, I’ve found ‘The One.’” He asks, “how many legs does this Prince of yours have?” </p>
<p>True to the maiden heroines of legend, Michelle’s first love is for animals, in this case her steed, the Prince of Penzance whom she rides to victory with tender encouragements.</p>
<p>In utterly classic form, our heroine tries, falls, dares again and wins. She shares the rewards with a brother who, like her, is vulnerable but determined. This story is indeed made sweeter knowing it is all true.</p>
<p><em>Ride Like a Girl will be released in Australian cinemas on 26th September.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/122933/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lisa Dethridge does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>This is a film about farmyards; single dads; a wedding; a funeral; horses - falling off them and getting back on - all leading to a fast climax and a no-nonsense denouement.Lisa Dethridge, Coordinator Masters of Media Professional Research; Game Design Research, RMIT UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1228462019-09-05T18:50:26Z2019-09-05T18:50:26ZRiding (and winning) like a girl: female jockeys are more prevalent, but still treated as outsiders<p>This month, the biopic of jockey Michelle Payne’s life, <a href="https://www.transmissionfilms.com.au/films/ride-like-a-girl">Ride Like A Girl</a>, will be released. </p>
<p>In 2015, Payne made Australian sport history by riding Prince Of Penzance to victory in the Melbourne Cup at 100-1 odds. She was the first female jockey in the Cup’s 155-year history to win the prestigious race. </p>
<p>Payne’s success is part of a surge in the numbers of female jockeys in Australia. But while women are more visible in the silks, there is nonetheless a persistent sexist culture that is proving hard to stamp out. Australia lags behind other racing nations in making meaningful changes for women.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XaJhEeAtCnU?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
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<h2>A sport steeped in masculine history</h2>
<p>In its long history, horse racing has been dominated by men – they have been the jockeys, the strappers, the trainers and the administrators. It wasn’t <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/sport/racing/women-jockeys-riding-through-glass-ceiling-20141109-11jcor.html">until 1979 that female jockeys</a> were finally granted licences to compete against men in professional races.</p>
<p>In recent years, the gender imbalance has started to turn around. There is little doubt that Payne’s historic win spurred the continued rise in female jockey numbers – and, in turn, the rising number of women winning races. </p>
<p>These days, <a href="http://www.motherpedia.com.au/article/the-rise-and-rise-of-female-jockeys-in-australia">about 30% of Australian jockeys</a> are women. Women <a href="http://www.motherpedia.com.au/article/the-rise-and-rise-of-female-jockeys-in-australia">now dominate</a> regional meets, most notably in Western Australia. </p>
<p>In Victoria, female apprentice jockeys outnumber men. As a result, women’s <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/sport/racing/slowly-female-jockeys-making-mark-horses-20180324-p4z61b.html">riding opportunities</a> are steadily increasing.</p>
<p>But it remains a dangerous sport, <a href="https://www.news.com.au/sport/sports-life/second-jockey-dead-in-two-days-after-race-fall-in-darwin-on-saturday/news-story/1e4323a530048b39e6f7db63edb89aaf">as highlighted</a> by the recent deaths of two female jockeys. In fact, nine of the past ten jockey deaths in Australia have been women, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/am/female-jockey-deaths-raise-questions-over-safety/11469636">raising questions about safety</a>.</p>
<p>While these statistics may cause people to hypothesise a link between gender and jockey falls, research remains scarce. Australian racing officials <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/two-falls-two-female-jockeys-two-deaths-that-raise-questions-about-racing-in-australia/ar-AAGHZoi?li=BBU4PL8">are warning</a> that conclusions should not be drawn too early, especially about any gender-based implications. </p>
<p>In addition, the masculinist culture within the sport remains hard to shift. That seems to extend to racegoers too: despite impressive performances on the turf, punters show <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167268115000062">significant bias against female jockeys</a>. </p>
<p>However, this assumption is mistaken, with female jockey performances <a href="https://www.paulickreport.com/news/the-biz/girl-power-british-study-finds-female-jockeys-equal-male-counterparts/">often equal</a> to those of men. </p>
<p>Following her victory, Payne had a visible platform from which to call out racing’s sexist culture. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/nov/03/get-stuffed-how-michelle-payne-and-family-beat-odds-to-win-melbourne-cup">She said</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>It’s such a chauvinistic sport, a lot of the owners wanted to kick me off. Everyone else can get stuffed [who] think women aren’t good enough. I believe that we [women] sort of don’t get enough of a go and hopefully this [her Cup win] will help.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>A man’s world</h2>
<p><a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1012690218812153">Recent research highlights</a> the sport’s persistent gender inequities, which are often played out in inappropriate comments about female jockeys’ physical appearance, or unwanted sexual advances. While women and men finally <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/sport/racing/sport-thought-racing-leads-way-with-equal-play-and-pay-but-lags-at-big-races-20190419-p51fng.html">competing against each other equally</a> and for equal pay is cause for celebration, women’s earning potential is often restricted because they tend to ride inferior horses in lower-class races. As American jockey Erica Murray <a href="https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/sports/Women-Jockeys-Missing-From-Triple-Crown-2018-Horse-Racing-484690951.html">put it</a>: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>To survive, you have to keep your mouth shut.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>For many years, the few jobs for women in horse racing have been in “caring” roles such as stablehands. While women have made some gains as trainers, group 1 racing opportunities remain largely dominated by men. </p>
<p>In 2018, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/aug/08/women-jockeys-shergar-cup">three of the top six riders</a> in Australia were women. Despite competing and succeeding at this level, few other women made up the top 50.</p>
<p>Some female jockeys attribute disparities of this kind to the <a href="https://theface.com/life/why-women-jockeys-are-riding-high">difficulties women can face</a> getting a ride. <a href="https://www.bbc.com/sport/horse-racing/42870971">Some trainers refuse</a> to use women as riders.</p>
<p>Jockeys need to be strong but slight. But while women’s smaller size might be a natural advantage, within racing circles <a href="https://scholar.google.com.au/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=Exaggerated+Femininity+and+Tortured+Masculinity%3A+Embodying+Gender+in+the+Horseracing+Industry&btnG=">they are often considered</a> weaker and so less able to withstand the physicality of race riding.</p>
<h2>Where to from here?</h2>
<p>Australian racing may be able to learn something from the French example. To create a level playing field, racehorses are given different weights. Put simply, better-performing horses are required to carry heavier loads. In 2017, the French allowed a horse with a female rider to carry two kilograms less weight than those with male jockeys. This year, Japan’s Racing Association followed suit. </p>
<p>Since this measure was implemented, the number of female starters in flat racing in France has doubled, with a <a href="https://www.bbc.com/sport/horse-racing/42870971">165% increase</a> in the number of wins by women. </p>
<p>While similar measures <a href="https://www.bbc.com/sport/horse-racing/34801738">may eventually be adopted</a> in Australia, some female jockeys remain cautious. When asked if she would go to France to take advantage of the rule, Melbourne-based rider <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/sport/racing/sport-thought-racing-leads-way-with-equal-play-and-pay-but-lags-at-big-races-20190419-p51fng.html">Linda Meech said</a>: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>You are joking. We can compete with the men without any need for that sort of advantage. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Those opposed to such a measure argue it might entrench the belief that women are somehow less capable than their male counterparts and require an advantage. <a href="https://www.rte.ie/sport/racing/2017/0206/850465-turf-club-weight-allowance/">For others</a>, it is anti-competitive and discriminates against men.</p>
<p>Others in the industry argue that cash incentives might increase female jockey numbers. Some UK commentators go as far as to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/sep/09/karen-wiltshire-financial-incentives-female-jockeys-hayley-turner-horse-racing-tips">call for</a> quota systems as a way to fast-track women.</p>
<p>Cultural change takes time. If the sport had more women not just riding in group 1 races but also becoming trainers and rising through the administration ranks, its entrenched sexist culture would start to change. </p>
<p></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/122846/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michelle O'Shea does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>More and more Australian jockeys are female, but the sport’s entrenched masculinist culture is proving hard to change.Michelle O'Shea, Lecturer Sport Management, Western Sydney UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1210872019-07-31T20:05:21Z2019-07-31T20:05:21ZBreeding Thoroughbreds is far from natural in the race for a winner<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/286223/original/file-20190730-186824-8ylm33.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=303%2C90%2C2034%2C1263&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Not all Thoroughbreds mate in the natural way.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock/Svetlana Ryazantseva</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Happy birthday to each and every Australian Thoroughbred racehorse, as today (August 1) is considered their official “horse birthday” in the southern hemisphere, no matter what date they were actually born. (The “horse birthday” date is January 1 for Thoroughbreds in the northern hemisphere.)</p>
<p>The annual Thoroughbred breeding season starts on September 1, and timing is crucial because foals born early in the season have an advantage when that official birth date rolls around the following year. The more mature they are at the start of the two-year-old racing season, the better they will cope with the demands of the sport. </p>
<p>But there is quite a process involved in producing a Thoroughbred foal, and it requires a range of departures from natural horse reproduction.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-success-of-winx-shows-the-value-of-symmetry-in-race-horses-115148">The success of Winx shows the value of symmetry in race horses</a>
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<p>Last year it was estimated <a href="https://www.breednet.com.au/news/4272/Australian-Foal-Numbers-on-the-Rise">more than 14,000 foals were born</a> in Australian stud farms. To match that this year, it’s about to get extremely busy at those farms around the country. </p>
<h2>Preparing the mare</h2>
<p>If the mare has recently raced, she will be “let down”. This involves her gaining weight and developing a normal <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/estrus">oestrus (reproductive) cycle</a>, which can be disrupted by the demands of racing.</p>
<p>The mare is housed during the winter months under artificial lighting that mimics the increasing day length of spring. This tricks her body into <a href="https://aaep.org/horsehealth/regulating-estrus">cycling much earlier</a> in the year than would otherwise be the case.</p>
<p>Before mating (called covering), the mare’s oestrus cycle will be monitored by observing her behaviour and performing a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Afesk07_mcE">rectal ultrasound examination</a>. This allows the veterinarian to view her ovaries and determine how close she is to ovulation. Ovulation can be manipulated by the administration of hormones.</p>
<p>Mares generally have a 21-day cycle, during which seven days are spent in active oestrus, when the mare will accept a stallion, followed by a period of dioestrus during which she is unreceptive. </p>
<p>In the wild, the mare usually initiates mating by approaching the stallion and performing a range of courtship behaviours before allowing him to cover her multiple times a day during her receptive period.</p>
<figure>
<img src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/static_files/files/677/Horse_Hello.gif?1564537749" width="100%">
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<span class="caption">In the wild, there is a courtship between a mare and a stallion before she allows him to cover her.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Paul McGreevy/Wes Mountain/The Conversation</span></span>
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<p>But at the stud, the aim is to achieve conception on the first covering. This saves time and money for mare owners and the stud. </p>
<p>Most Thoroughbred studs rely on a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tgBmKOGC9c">“teaser” stallion</a> to perform courtship behaviour and elicit telltale signs of oestrus in mares. Teasers are usually ponies, who are too small to physically mate with the mares. </p>
<p>Mares who aren’t ready to breed may respond aggressively, so it’s the teaser’s job to take the heat instead of the stud’s valuable stallions, who may command <a href="https://www.thoroughbredracing.com/articles/worlds-ten-most-expensive-stallions-2018/">service fees in the hundreds of thousands of dollars</a>.</p>
<h2>Restraints</h2>
<p>When the mare is ready to be mated, she will be brought to the covering shed. Her perineal area (that includes the vulva) will be washed and her tail will be bandaged or shaved to protect the stallion’s penis from injury should it get caught in the hairs during mating.</p>
<p>To prevent injury to the stallion and to facilitate an efficient covering, the mare will be fitted with equipment designed to restrict her behaviour during mating.</p>
<p>To minimise kicking, she may be fitted with breeding hobbles or boots that limit the movement of her hind legs. A breeding cape protects her neck from bites during copulation.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/286352/original/file-20190731-186824-1umy3rk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/286352/original/file-20190731-186824-1umy3rk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/286352/original/file-20190731-186824-1umy3rk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/286352/original/file-20190731-186824-1umy3rk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/286352/original/file-20190731-186824-1umy3rk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/286352/original/file-20190731-186824-1umy3rk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/286352/original/file-20190731-186824-1umy3rk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/286352/original/file-20190731-186824-1umy3rk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Wes Mountain/The Conversation</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
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<p>A device known as a twitch may be used as an additional form of restraint. This is a loop of string or rope that is twisted tightly around the upper lip, causing a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1558787816302416" title="Twitching in veterinary procedures: How does this technique subdue horses?">temporary reduction in heart rate</a> and the release of <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0737080606810154" title="Preliminary studies on the use of plasma β-endorphin in horses as an indicator of stress and pain">endorphins</a> that induce calmness in the mare. </p>
<h2>Preparing the stallion</h2>
<p>Popular Thoroughbred stallions may cover three mares per day, seven days a week during the season, which runs from September 1 to December 31 each year.</p>
<p>Unlike in the wild, most domestic stallions lead solitary lives in stables or small paddocks due to concern about injuries and aggressive behaviour. Recent evidence shows that <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0054688" title="Pattern of Social Interactions after Group Integration: A Possibility to Keep Stallions in Group">stallions can safely live in groups when not breeding mares</a>. </p>
<p>The stallion will be fitted with a bridle to enhance control. Experienced stallions may <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/51256982_Reproductive_behavior_of_the_stallion" title="Reproductive behavior of the stallion">develop an erection when they see or smell the bridle</a> due to forming an association between the appearance of the bridle and covering mares soon afterwards. </p>
<h2>Let’s get mating</h2>
<p>Left to themselves, the stallion takes time to investigate the mare with a range of pre-copulatory behaviours, such as licking or nipping her perineal region, face and flanks and inhaling the scent of her urine.</p>
<p>But in the stud environment, <a href="https://youtu.be/e81u8LAJVdA">stallions are trained to mount mares on command</a> with minimal interaction with the mare beforehand.</p>
<p>Stallions do vary in their libido and mating quirks. Some will be known as “slow breeders” who will mount a mare only after extended periods of pre-copulatory behaviour. Others will mount within minutes of entering the barn.</p>
<p>With hundreds of mares to cover on the big farms, extensive training is given to novice stallions to ensure the job is done as efficiently as possible. </p>
<p>Immediately before mating, an attendant may hold up one of the mare’s front legs to further immobilise her while the stallion mounts. Once the stallion is firmly inside the mare, the foreleg will be released to allow her to take the weight of the stallion.</p>
<p>The restraint of the mare ensures she is unable to reject the stallion’s advances. An attendant may guide the stallion’s penis into the mare and if the stallion has a particularly large penis, a <a href="https://www.pinkstons.com/breeding-roll-straight/">breeding roll</a> (a tube of foam) will be placed between the mare’s hindquarters and the stallion’s penis to reduce the depth of his thrusting. </p>
<h2>A few weeks later</h2>
<p>About a fortnight after covering, the mare will be undergo an ultrasound examination to determine whether she is pregnant, and to see if she is carrying twins. If the mare conceives twins she is highly likely to lose the pregnancy.</p>
<p>Very few twin pregnancies go to term, and those that do often result in foals that are poor racing prospects.</p>
<p>If twins are discovered, the veterinarian <a href="https://thehorse.com/13893/the-trouble-with-twins-5/">destroys one of them</a>. This allows the surviving embryo to go to term, but unfortunately this also allows the genes for twinning through to the next generation. </p>
<p>A mare’s pregnancy lasts around 11 months, and as she enters the final days she will be brought into the foaling paddocks or, if the weather is inclement, specially designed foaling stables. There she will be observed for 24 hours a day until she foals.</p>
<p>Foaling assistants will intervene if the mare experiences difficulties during foaling and can assist by repositioning the foal’s legs or pulling the foal out manually. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWn-gGgLOOc">Foaling staff also provide immediate postnatal care to the foal.</a></p>
<p>This contrasts with what happens the wild, where mares separate themselves from their herd to foal alone.</p>
<p>Should a mare be unable to care for her foal, nurse mares may be used to rear her foal. Nurse mares can be hired from specialist providers or are maintained at the stud.</p>
<p>The nurse mare’s own foal will be removed and replaced with the Thoroughbred foal which she will <a href="https://ker.com/equinews/nurse-mares-provide-crucial-service-breeding-farms/">raise as her own</a>.</p>
<p>There is no official data on the number or fate of nurse mare foals, or the average age at which they are removed. Orphan foals <a href="https://ker.com/equinews/raising-orphan-foal/">can be difficult and costly to hand-rear</a> and may be prone to <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/8/3/41">health and behavioural issues later in life</a>. </p>
<p>Health issues can arise if the orphan foal has difficulty adapting to the abrupt change in diet (from mare milk to milk replacer). Behavioural issues can arise due to <a href="https://thehorse.com/111758/orphan-foal-behavior/">the lack of socialisation with other horses during the hand-rearing period</a>. </p>
<p>The use of hormones to induce lactation in nurse mares <a href="https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jvms/74/8/74_12-0035/_article">without the need for them to be pregnant</a> or give birth to a foal shows promise as a means of reducing the production of surplus foals from <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/237457740_Induction_of_Lactation_and_Adoption_of_Foals_by_Non-Parturient_Mares">nurse mares</a>.</p>
<p>About a month after giving birth, the mare will be mated again to produce next year’s foal.</p>
<h2>Who gets to race?</h2>
<p>Not every foal makes it to the racetrack.</p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/dressing-up-for-melbourne-cup-day-from-a-racehorse-point-of-view-104771">Dressing up for Melbourne Cup Day, from a racehorse point of view</a>
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<p>Some will experience career-ending injuries as youngsters (before they enter training), and many more will be deemed too slow or suffer injuries during pre-race training as young adult horses. </p>
<p>Some of the female horses who don’t race will end up as broodmares themselves, depending on the quality of their pedigree. </p>
<p>But the <a href="http://internationalracehorseaftercare.com/Resources/The%20Epidemiology%20of%20thoroughbreds%20entering%20and%20leaving%20the%20Victorian%20Racing%20Industry.pdf">65% of Thoroughbred foals that do make it to the track</a> are the end result of a complex and highly choreographed breeding system designed with one goal in mind: to maximise the chance of producing a winner.</p>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/121087/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Professor Paul McGreevy is an Honorary Fellow of the International Society for Equitation Science and a life member of the RSPCA NSW. He has received funding from the Australian Research Council for research into the welfare of racing Thoroughbreds. He consults to the RSPCA Australia.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Cathrynne Henshall does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Today’s the official birthday of all race horses in Australia which means the breeding season is just a month away. It’s about to get very busy for stallions and mares on the stud farms.Cathrynne Henshall, PhD Candidate, School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt UniversityPaul McGreevy, Professor of Animal Behaviour and Animal Welfare Science, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1163382019-05-03T10:43:27Z2019-05-03T10:43:27ZThe Kentucky Derby has a secret Latino history<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/272301/original/file-20190502-103045-1o46zor.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Derby frontrunner Game Winner comes from a bloodline of Latin American racehorse excellence.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Gonzalo Anteliz Jr.</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>This <a href="https://www.britannica.com/sports/Triple-Crown-American-horse-racing">Triple Crown season</a>, which opens on May 4 with the <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/general/news/2019-kentucky-derby-odds-best-predictions-expert-who-has-hit-9-derby-oaks-doubles-makes-picks/">Kentucky Derby</a>, horses with Latin American bloodlines are among the top favorites. </p>
<p>Two 2019 derby contenders – Vekoma and <a href="http://www.espn.com/horse-racing/story/_/id/26437800/the-one-track-mind-kentucky-derby-contender-game-winner">Game Winner</a> – are half brothers and the offspring of <a href="https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/225596/the-rise-of-candy-ride">Candy Ride</a>, one of Argentina’s most famous thoroughbreds. Now retired, Candy Ride shares his winning genes freely – well, for a <a href="http://www.thoroughbreddailynews.com/taking-stock-candy-ride-and-his-north-american-success/">stud fee of US$80,000</a> – at Lane’s End Farm in Kentucky.</p>
<p>That two top Derby contenders have their roots in Latin America is no surprise for those who study, as <a href="https://sc.edu/study/colleges_schools/artsandsciences/history/our_people/kuenzli_gabrielle.php">I do</a>, the history of the sport. Many past Kentucky Derby champions hailed from the region – as have their trainers, owners and jockeys. </p>
<h2>Cañonero II and the 1971 Kentucky Derby</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.usracing.com/news/features/canonero-ii-adventure-part-2">The 1971 Kentucky Derby</a> belonged to Venezuela’s Cañonero II, although few predicted it. </p>
<p>Announcers regularly referred to Cañonero – a 3-year-old colt with a crooked right foreleg – as the “mystery horse.” In early May 1971, the odds of him winning were long: 500-1. Few in Louisville, the mecca of American horse racing, took the Venezuelan team seriously.</p>
<p>“They say we are clowns,” said Cañonero’s Caracas-based trainer, <a href="https://www.si.com/vault/1971/05/31/611567/what-a-fiesta-we-will-have">Juan Arias, as Derby Day approached</a>. “They say we are Indians because my horse gallops slowly, sometimes without a saddle.” </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/272292/original/file-20190502-103078-nszqye.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/272292/original/file-20190502-103078-nszqye.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/272292/original/file-20190502-103078-nszqye.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=457&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/272292/original/file-20190502-103078-nszqye.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=457&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/272292/original/file-20190502-103078-nszqye.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=457&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/272292/original/file-20190502-103078-nszqye.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=574&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/272292/original/file-20190502-103078-nszqye.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=574&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/272292/original/file-20190502-103078-nszqye.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=574&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Cañonero II, left, with jockey Gustavo Avila, winning the Kentucky Derby on May 1, 1971.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Associated-Press-Sports-Kentucky-United-States-/be84ced460e5da11af9f0014c2589dfb/2/0">AP Photo</a></span>
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<p><a href="http://cs.bloodhorse.com/blogs/horse-racing-steve-haskin/archive/2008/11/19/Viva-Canonero_2100_.aspx">The trip from Caracas to Kentucky</a> was a harrowing one. Cañonero flew to Miami a week before the Derby, where he waited for 12 hours on the plane in the Florida heat while his paperwork cleared. Then he was quarantined for four days before traveling by trailer to Louisville. </p>
<p>The 1,000-pound Cañonero II dropped 70 pounds in the process, but Arias wasn’t worried. </p>
<p>“Just relax, go eat, and we’ll wait for tomorrow,” Arias would say if Cañonero was not eager to train. Within a week, the horse had gained back his confidence – and 50 of his 70 lost pounds.</p>
<p>On Derby Day, a lanky <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canonero_II">Cañonero II</a> and jockey Gustavo Avila overtook 19 horses to win by three-and-three-quarters lengths, just ahead of his American competitor <a href="https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/164085/travers-flashback-the-strange-saga-of-jim-french">Jim French</a> – a 3-year-old so rigorously trained, many thought him indefatigable.</p>
<p>Nobody could believe it – except the Venezuelan team who had nurtured Cañonero from a scrawny, worm-infected colt to a global phenomenon. </p>
<p>“<a href="http://cs.bloodhorse.com/blogs/horse-racing-steve-haskin/archive/2008/11/19/Viva-Canonero_2100_.aspx">Most American trainers train for speed</a>,” explained Arias, in Spanish, prior to the 1971 Derby. “I train Cañonero to be a star.”</p>
<p>Arias, Cañonero’s owner Pedro Baptista and groom Juan Quintero then set their sights on the Preakness, the second race of the Triple Crown. Cañonero <a href="https://www.horseracingnation.com/race/1971_Preakness_Stakes">won there</a>, too, breaking a speed record set in 1955.</p>
<p>Cañonero and his team, now immensely popular, turned to the <a href="https://www.belmontstakes.com">Belmont Stakes</a>, in Elmont, New York – the final race of the Triple Crown. But fatigue and a bacterial infection in his hoof had weakened Cañonero. He finished fifth. </p>
<p>Though he didn’t win the Triple Crown, Cañonero’s dramatic victories and underdog story brought about a resurgence of interest in the sport of horse racing, according to equine journalist <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Greatest-Kentucky-Upsets-Blood-Horse-Publications/dp/1581501560">Steve Haskin</a>. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Greatest-Kentucky-Upsets-Blood-Horse-Publications/dp/1581501560">Attendance</a> for the 1971 Belmont Stakes surged to 82,694, far surpassing the previous year’s record turnout of 67,961. </p>
<p>Among Cañonero’s fans were <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Greatest-Kentucky-Upsets-Blood-Horse-Publications/dp/1581501560">many Latinos</a>, drawn to Elmont by the prospect of seeing a Venezuelan team win this quintessentially American race. </p>
<p>Some 2,000 Venezuelans attended the final race of the 1971 Triple Crown series, Haskin reported, wearing T-shirts emblazoned with “Viva Cañonero!” New York’s Puerto Rican community also turned out to support Cañonero in droves. </p>
<h2>Latin American horse racing</h2>
<p>Cañonero’s wins were a symbol of pride for Latinos and the Latin American horse racing community.</p>
<p>Historically, the vast majority of professional jockeys have <a href="https://www.paulickreport.com/news/people/immigrant-niche-explaining-prominence-hispanic-jockeys-america/">come from Latin America</a> – trained in the jockey schools which opened in the 1950s and 1960s in Panama, <a href="https://medium.com/@viewpr/puerto-ricos-horse-racing-lovestory-af1c537b9f05">Puerto Rico</a> and Mexico City. In the 2015 Kentucky Derby, 61% of the jockeys were Latino. </p>
<p>In contrast, relatively few horses who compete in the U.S. were trained abroad.</p>
<p>Cañonero II earned his place at the Derby training against stiff competition at La Rinconada racetrack in Venezuela. His trainer, Arias, grew up poor in Caracas and fell in love with horses. There, he <a href="https://www.si.com/vault/1971/05/31/611567/what-a-fiesta-we-will-have">forged his own style of raising and communicating with horses</a> that was different from the more regimented style of the United States. </p>
<p>“I can learn from American trainers,” Arias <a href="https://www.si.com/vault/1971/05/31/611567/what-a-fiesta-we-will-have">told Vault magazine</a> after Cañonero won the Preakness. “But I can also teach them some things.”</p>
<p>Latin America has a long tradition of professional equestrianism. </p>
<p>The day after the Kentucky Derby, Puerto Rico holds the Puerto Rican Derby, run at the Camarero racetrack in Canóvanas. Each December, nine Latin American countries aim to compete in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cl%C3%A1sico_del_Caribe">Caribbean Derby</a>, a premier race founded in 1966. </p>
<p>Just four jockeys have won both the Kentucky Derby and the Caribbean Derby. One of them is Gustavo Avila, Cañonero’s jockey.</p>
<h2>Bold Forbes and the 1976 Kentucky Derby</h2>
<p>In 1976 another Latin American star – the Cuban-trained and Puerto Rican-owned Bold Forbes won <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1976/05/02/archives/bold-forties-31-captures-kentucky-derby-by-a-length-honest.html">the Kentucky Derby</a> and another Triple Crown race, the <a href="https://www.si.com/vault/1976/06/14/614901/putting-the-beans-on-the-fire">Belmont Stakes</a>.</p>
<p>Like Cañonero II, Bold Forbes was an unlikely champion. During a dinner for trainers prior to the derby, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1976/05/02/archives/bold-forties-31-captures-kentucky-derby-by-a-length-honest.html">reported in 1976</a>, an “undiplomatic questioner” insulted the black horse for his small stature – just 15.2 hands high – saying he looked like a filly. </p>
<p>“When you put a saddle on him, he kinda grows,” said Larry Barrera, the son of Bold Forbes’ Cuban trainer, Laz Barrera.</p>
<p>Barrera’s confidence was rightly placed. Bold Forbes ran the first half of the Kentucky Derby <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1976/05/02/archives/bold-forties-31-captures-kentucky-derby-by-a-length-honest.html">faster than any past Derby winner</a>. His photo finish victory against favorite Honest Pleasure had the crowd of 115,000 roaring.</p>
<p>Throughout the week leading up to the Derby, Latinos went to visit Bold Forbes at the barn in Churchill Downs. </p>
<p>“Latins feel deeply for this horse,” Barrera <a href="https://www.si.com/vault/1976/05/10/616346/the-look-of-eagles">told Vault magazine</a>. “He is little … but when Cordero is on him he looks like the biggest horse in the world to Latin people.”</p>
<p>Puerto Rican jockey Angel Cordero, then 33 years old, called the horse “<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1976/05/02/archives/bold-forties-31-captures-kentucky-derby-by-a-length-honest.html">my Puerto Rican Rolls-Royce</a>.”</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/272295/original/file-20190502-103063-1atxzjq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/272295/original/file-20190502-103063-1atxzjq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=404&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/272295/original/file-20190502-103063-1atxzjq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=404&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/272295/original/file-20190502-103063-1atxzjq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=404&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/272295/original/file-20190502-103063-1atxzjq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=508&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/272295/original/file-20190502-103063-1atxzjq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=508&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/272295/original/file-20190502-103063-1atxzjq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=508&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Bold Forbes, with Angel Cordero standing in the stirrups, outstripped far better-known horses to win the 1976 Kentucky Derby.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Associated-Press-Sports-Kentucky-United-States-/d3e0290b02e5da11af9f0014c2589dfb/2/0">AP Photo</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Bold Forbes was the first horse to win big for Barrera, but not his last. The Cuban trainer went on to win countless races, including, in 1978, all three legs of the Triple Crown. He is the only trainer nominated to the <a href="http://www.espn.com/horse-racing/triplecrown2011/news/story?id=6305336">Racing Hall of Fame</a> in Cuba, Mexico and the United States.</p>
<p>Barrera saw the victories of Bold Forbes as a triumph for Latinos. </p>
<p>“I saw the big crowd and heard the Puerto Rican people screaming when Bold Forbes won the Belmont,” he told reporters. “Bold Forbes has a heart as big as all heaven. </p>
<p>"And God, I have found out, is Latin.”</p>
<h2>Derby 2019</h2>
<p>Latin America could see another Derby win this year.</p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/272302/original/file-20190502-103045-16jhkqb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/272302/original/file-20190502-103045-16jhkqb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/272302/original/file-20190502-103045-16jhkqb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=595&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/272302/original/file-20190502-103045-16jhkqb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=595&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/272302/original/file-20190502-103045-16jhkqb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=595&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/272302/original/file-20190502-103045-16jhkqb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=747&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/272302/original/file-20190502-103045-16jhkqb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=747&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/272302/original/file-20190502-103045-16jhkqb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=747&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Vekoma, left, is half-brother to Derby frontrunner Game Winner.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Gonzalo Anteliz Jr.</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>With the favorite, owner Rick Porter’s Omaha Beach, suddenly out of the race due to illness, experts and fans are now backing <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/general/news/2019-kentucky-derby-odds-best-predictions-expert-who-has-hit-9-derby-oaks-doubles-reveals-picks/">Game Winner</a>, the offspring of that venerable Argentinean runner <a href="https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/225596/the-rise-of-candy-ride">Candy Ride</a>, with 4-1 odds.</p>
<p>Candy Ride’s other offspring in the race, Vekoma, has worse odds: 15-1. </p>
<p>But Derby history shows that talented horses can defy expectations.</p>
<p>“This horse is so special that even if he didn’t love the distance, he could still win,” Vekoma’s trainer, George Weaver, <a href="https://shop.bloodhorse.com/products/bloodhorse-april-13-2019-print">told Blood Horse Magazine on April 13</a>. </p>
<p>“Good horses … do what they’re not supposed to do. And this is a really smart horse who will give everything he’s got.”</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/116338/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>E. Gabrielle Kuenzli does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Many immigrants come to the United States chasing the ‘American dream.’ So do immigrant racehorses, who literally carry the hopes of their trainers and riders on their backs.E. Gabrielle Kuenzli, Associate Professor, History Department, University of South CarolinaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1151482019-04-11T20:11:07Z2019-04-11T20:11:07ZThe success of Winx shows the value of symmetry in race horses<p>As Australia prepares to <a href="https://www.news.com.au/sport/superracing/queens-elizabeth-stakes-2019-winx-prepares-for-final-race-of-her-career/news-story/e7632c4c6d90fb980a60f35b73b98303">farewell the beloved racehorse Winx</a> in her final race this weekend, it’s interesting to look at the factors that contributed to her incredible success.</p>
<p>This magnificent mare’s extraordinary career reflects her impeccable genetics, rearing, training, strategic rest periods, and race riding. Optimal heart, lung and muscle function also play a part.</p>
<p>But what about something we refer to as her “economy of locomotion” during high-speed galloping? This is the energy cost of travelling a particular distance. </p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/vets-can-do-more-to-reduce-the-suffering-of-flat-faced-dog-breeds-110702">Vets can do more to reduce the suffering of flat-faced dog breeds</a>
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<p>This can be compromised during a race, both by behavioural factors such as “pulling” due to overexcitement, and by any bias in the horse towards one side over the other, known as structural asymmetry.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0xBGLMHufCo?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">David Evans on Winx.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>We don’t know whether Winx has perfect structural symmetry. But her trainer and regular riders would have a strong sense of the mare’s balance during track work and races.</p>
<h2>A matter of left and right</h2>
<p><a href="https://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/arthropods_04">Bilateral symmetry</a> in animals refers to the balance of structures, such that they are mirror images along the body’s midline. </p>
<p>Asymmetry is a disruption of the left-right balance that may be associated with factors such as abnormal anatomy, chronic lameness, or laterality (a preference to use one side of the body rather than the other). </p>
<p>In horses, there is now evidence from laterality studies of differences in and between populations due to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168159104002916" title="Motor and sensory laterality in thoroughbred horses">age, training, handling, breeding</a>, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168159104002631" title="Idiosyncratic motor laterality in the horse">sex</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25108052" title="Is the left forelimb preference indicative of a stressful situation in horses?">arousal</a> and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20636782" title="Lateralised motor behaviour leads to increased unevenness in front feet and asymmetry in athletic performance in young mature Warmblood horses">anatomical proportions, such a ratio of head length to leg length</a>.</p>
<h2>Racecourses vary from state to state</h2>
<p>Horse racing in Australia is rarely done only in a straight line. In New South Wales and Queensland, for example, horses race in a clockwise direction, whereas in Victoria they race anticlockwise.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.racing.com/horses/winx/stats">Winx has raced and won</a> mostly in NSW but has also won four Cox Plates (Victoria), so clearly she can cope with both track directions. </p>
<p>For many others, race direction can matter and may risk injury to a horse.</p>
<p>On bends, it is common for horses to use the left leading leg when galloping in an anticlockwise direction, and <em>vice versa</em>. But, because of asymmetry, many horses have a preferred leading leg. So, depending on the state, the bends favour some horses more than others. </p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/268756/original/file-20190411-44814-2peq6c.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/268756/original/file-20190411-44814-2peq6c.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/268756/original/file-20190411-44814-2peq6c.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/268756/original/file-20190411-44814-2peq6c.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/268756/original/file-20190411-44814-2peq6c.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=947&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/268756/original/file-20190411-44814-2peq6c.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=947&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/268756/original/file-20190411-44814-2peq6c.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=947&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Wes Mountain/The Conversation</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
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<hr>
<p>The direction of racing predicts which limbs are vulnerable to injury. </p>
<p>Irrespective of course direction, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0737080606815728">one study</a> found 72% of musculoskeletal injuries occur to the leading leg. Major sites on a racetrack of injury were:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>on the straights (30.77% of injuries involved the leading leg)</p></li>
<li><p>coming out of a turn (55.31% of injuries were to the leading leg)</p></li>
<li><p>passing a turn (62.5% of injuries corresponded with the leading leg)</p></li>
</ul>
<p>This implies that more strain is put on the leading leg during turns. </p>
<p>Therefore, horses racing on their weaker side, in a direction counter to their preferred leading leg, may be at increased risk of injury. </p>
<hr>
<figure> <img src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/static_files/files/556/Winx.gif" width="100%"><figcaption> The transfer of weight in a gallop in motion.</figcaption></figure>
<hr>
<h2>Asymmetry is normal in horses</h2>
<p>Sizeable anatomical asymmetries can affect <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.2042-3306.1985.tb02501.x" title="Retrospective study of hindquarter asymmetry in Standardbred Trotters and its correlation with performance">a horse’s race performance</a> and, beyond a certain point, can lead to lameness. </p>
<p>Thoroughbreds have been shown to have longer <a href="https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/4c75/add7151755e02b0779822a1ac55bdacabad3.pdf" title="Third metacarpal bone length and skeletal asymmetry in the Thoroughbred racehorse">right than left</a> third metacarpal bones (the long bone in the front leg between the knee) and pastern (the joint immediately above the hoof). This could theoretically lead to advantages when racing on anticlockwise courses, and disadvantages on clockwise courses.</p>
<p>From the moment a foal first rises to her feet, she will tend to use one side of the body more than the other. Any innate bias can become consolidated as the foal grows.</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/268494/original/file-20190410-2909-1e7up41.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/268494/original/file-20190410-2909-1e7up41.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=449&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/268494/original/file-20190410-2909-1e7up41.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=449&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/268494/original/file-20190410-2909-1e7up41.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=449&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/268494/original/file-20190410-2909-1e7up41.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=564&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/268494/original/file-20190410-2909-1e7up41.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=564&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/268494/original/file-20190410-2909-1e7up41.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=564&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Horses at pasture spend up to 16 hours per day grazing, an activity that forces them to stand with one foreleg ahead of the other, many lock in a preference for advancing the left or right foreleg.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Paul McGreevy</span></span>
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</figure>
<p>When she goes into exercise training, the asymmetry persists, and may show in the horse’s behaviour.</p>
<h2>Checking a horse’s movement</h2>
<p>Side biases in the movement behaviour in the horse include the ease with which they flex their necks to the left or the right and, perhaps most importantly, their preferred leading leg in the canter and gallop.</p>
<p>Last year we published a <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/comments?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0198545" title="The laterality of the gallop gait in Thoroughbred racehorses">study</a> on more than 2,000 thoroughbred racehorses that established, for each horse, the lead-leg preference of the initial stride into gallop from the starting stalls. </p>
<p>Almost half (48.74%) of the horses started races in a direction counter to the optimal gallop leading leg and so would have to change leading leg to optimise their performance and safety on bends.</p>
<p>This increases the risk of errors on landing and therefore injuries. Injuries to horses also bring the risk of injury or even death for jockeys. Perhaps, when we have the right data, we will be able to confirm that Winx makes very few of these changes.</p>
<h2>Let the tech detect the movement</h2>
<p>Much recent research in horse biomechanics has used on-board accelerometry technology that can measure their movement while exercising freely in their natural environments at speeds near those in competition.</p>
<p>Studies have focused on gait characteristics – the way a horse moves – in normal and obviously lame horses and in other clinical conditions. It’s shown to be useful for <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26518143" title="Comparison of a standalone consumer grade smartphone with a specialist inertial measurement unit for quantification of movement symmetry in the trotting horse">accurate and sensitive detection of gait abnormality</a>.</p>
<p>One study using accelerometry on 222 riding horses perceived as “healthy” by their owners found that <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/316465770_Head_and_pelvic_movement_asymmetries_at_trot_in_riding_horses_in_training_and_perceived_as_free_from_lameness_by_the_owner">73% showed movement abnormalities</a> during straight-line trotting.</p>
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<em>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-horse-racing-in-australia-needs-a-social-licence-to-operate-79492">Why horse-racing in Australia needs a social licence to operate</a>
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<p>Further studies using this technology should improve the welfare of performance horses and their riders if it can identify any gait abnormalities due to laterality, lameness, and other clinical problems. </p>
<p>Gait analysis will also reveal the attributes of horses that can safely and optimally race in both clockwise and anticlockwise directions, as Winx has shown. </p>
<p>So here’s hoping Winx can go out with another victory in her final race, at a <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/sport/racing/randwick-sold-out-for-winx-farewell-20190410-p51cw4.html">sold-out event</a> at Randwick (it’s a clockwise track and she’s had <a href="https://www.racenet.com.au/horse/winx">plenty of wins there</a>).</p>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/115148/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Professor Paul McGreevy is an Honorary Fellow of the International Society for Equitation Science and a life member of the RSPCA NSW. He has received funding from the Australian Research Council for research into the welfare of racing Thoroughbreds. He consults to the RSPCA Australia.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>David Evans receives funding from Australian Research Council, and the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation. He has received research consultancy income from RSPCA Australia.</span></em></p>It’s the last race for Winx this weekend and she’s been an incredible race horse. But what makes a good race horse?Paul McGreevy, Professor of Animal Behaviour and Animal Welfare Science, University of SydneyDavid Evans, Adjunct Associate Professor in Equine Exercise Science, Charles Sturt UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1111762019-02-05T06:08:10Z2019-02-05T06:08:10ZThe shocking use of ‘jiggers’ in horse racing<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/257171/original/file-20190205-86236-1id8r5l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Violence towards animals can never be condoned, whether in horse racing or to animals in general.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock/gabriel</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Trainer Darren Weir will not contest three charges for alleged possession of electronic devices used to give shocks to horses, <a href="https://www.racingvictoria.com.au/news/2019-02-05/rv-stewards-report---darren-weir-and-jarrod-mclean-show-cause">according to a statement</a> released by Racing Victoria earlier today.</p>
<p>The statement says assistant trainer Jarrod McLean will contest a charge for allegedly possessing a similar electric shocking device.</p>
<p>The charges against both are to be heard on a date to be fixed by the Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-horse-racing-in-australia-needs-a-social-licence-to-operate-79492">Why horse-racing in Australia needs a social licence to operate</a>
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<p>They stem from January raids at Victorian properties when Victoria Police <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-31/racing-nsw-issues-show-cause-notice-to-darren-weir-over-jiggers/10765798">seized four electric devices</a>, known as “jiggers”.</p>
<p>But this latest issue highlights inconsistencies in our attitudes to the use of aversive devices on animals in general.</p>
<p>Racing Victoria’s chief executive Giles Thompson <a href="https://www.racing.com/news/2019-02-05/news-thompson-we-acted-swiftly-decisively">said today</a> the incident was a “bruising for the reputation of the industry”.</p>
<p>One of Australia’s most respected equine veterinary surgeons said previously that such “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/feb/01/alleged-use-of-cruel-medieval-devices-threaten-future-of-victorian-racing-says-horse-vet">cruel, medieval measures</a>” threatened the future of Victorian racing. Meanwhile trainers <a href="https://www.racing.com/news/2019-02-02/news-trainers-outraged-by-jigger-slur">were said to be outraged</a> at allegations that every trainer would have a jigger in their stable.</p>
<p>We agree that any violence towards animals can never be condoned.</p>
<p>That said, whipping is still allowed in Australian thoroughbred racing, despite a recent poll showing three-quarters of those quizzed <a href="https://theconversation.com/poll-says-most-people-support-a-ban-on-whips-in-australian-horse-racing-91917">were against its use</a>.</p>
<h2>Training horses to respond to unusual cues</h2>
<p>Jiggers refer to illegal battery-powered shock devices. They were commonly used in Australian horse racing until the quality of stewards’ surveillance improved with the introduction of video recording. </p>
<p>Nowadays, those inclined to apply them must rely on illegal training prior to a race. This involves classical (<a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/Pavlovian-conditioning">Pavlovian</a>) conditioning designed to ensure that a horse anticipates the delivery of a shock following some kind of stimulus that can be applied during a race.</p>
<p>Most anecdotal accounts describe jiggers as being applied to the horse’s neck. The horse feels the pressure of the device before it discharges its electric shock, a pressure similar to that of the butt of a jockey’s whip.</p>
<p>This is critical, because the jockey must be able to apply a similar cue in the same anatomical area of a horse on race day. Through classical conditioning, the pressure cue means that the horse will anticipate a shock when it feels the butt of the whip during the race.</p>
<p>Additional associative learning is involved when an item of equipment that the horse wears is linked to the application of the shocks. </p>
<p>For example, if blinkers are fitted whenever jigger conditioning is carried out, when the horse races with the blinkers (a change that must be approved by the stewards and declared to punters), it associates the equipment with the shocks it received in training.</p>
<p>In learning theory, stimuli like the blinkers are known as occasion setters, ones that increase the strength of a conditioned reaction.</p>
<p>Races are recorded so that stewards can spot tell-tale signs of rule-breaking such as the butt of the whip being pressed against a horse’s neck. That said, filming from just one side of the course is almost universal, so that up to 50% of the jockeys’ interactions with their horses may go unrecorded.</p>
<h2>Electricity in animal training</h2>
<p>Jiggers are just one of a number of what are called electric pulse training aids (EPTAs) – devices that apply an electric current to the skin of an animal.</p>
<p>The number of these devices used in Australia is not known. They are illegal in <a href="https://kb.rspca.org.au/is-the-use-of-electronic-dog-collars-legal_279.html">South Australia and the ACT</a>, whereas in New South Wales they are permitted for containment of dogs by invisible boundaries.</p>
<p>The UK’s Companion Animal Welfare Council (CAWC) <a href="http://eprints.lincoln.ac.uk/14640/1/CAWC%20ecollar%20report.pdf">produced a report</a> on these devices in 2012 in which it said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>It has been suggested that there are currently around 350,000 EPTAs in the UK, although the number in active use is unknown. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>The report concluded there were “sound animal welfare-based arguments both for and against the use of EPTAs in theory”, but there was also a substantial lack of relevant research to inform the conclusions of those from either side of the debate.</p>
<p>A subsequent <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0102722">study published in 2014</a> found dogs that had been shocked with remote-controlled devices were more tense, yawned more often, and engaged in less environmental interaction than dogs trained without shocks.</p>
<p>The devices are to be <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-45320038">banned in England</a> with steps already taken to ban them in <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-14181927">Wales</a> and <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-42807728">Scotland</a>.</p>
<p>No research to date has compared the effects of EPTAs with other aversive devices – for example, the use of choke chains that are a far more common instrument of abuse in dogs.</p>
<p>The CAWC report identified an inconsistency in attitudes towards the use of shock, in that electric fences to contain livestock are generally accepted.</p>
<p>It’s worth noting that Australia is leading the world in the development of GPS-triggered <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2016-12-08/gps-cattle-collars-for.../8102912">electric shock collars to contain cattle</a> on broadacre properties.</p>
<h2>What about the whip?</h2>
<p>The aversiveness of jiggers relative to strikes from padded whips will depend on the voltage discharged, not to mention the wetness (and therefore conductivity) of the haircoat of a horse.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/poll-says-most-people-support-a-ban-on-whips-in-australian-horse-racing-91917">Poll says most people support a ban on whips in Australian horse racing</a>
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<hr>
<p>So there is no such thing as a standard jigger zap, just as there is no such thing as a <a href="http://agris.fao.org/agris-search/search.do?recordID=US201500081037">standard whip strike</a>. And while there are some limits on the number of whip strikes that can be inflicted on a horse during a race, there are none for whipping at home in training. </p>
<p>It may one day be shown that random events of violent force from whips on tired horses are worse than random shocks to fresh horses during track work.</p>
<p>The industry may then regret the current outcry on jiggers, unless it has by then accepted that the whipping of tired horses is just as bad for the image of racing.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/111176/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Professor Paul McGreevy is an Honorary Fellow of the International Society for Equitation Science and a life member of the RSPCA NSW. He has received funding from the Australian Research Council for research into the welfare of racing Thoroughbreds. He consults to the RSPCA Australia.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Robert Boakes does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The outcry over allegations that electronic devices may have been used in Australian racehorse training highlights inconsistencies in our attitudes to the use of such devices on animals in general.Paul McGreevy, Professor of Animal Behaviour and Animal Welfare Science, University of SydneyRobert Boakes, Emeritus professor, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1047712018-11-04T19:22:20Z2018-11-04T19:22:20ZDressing up for Melbourne Cup Day, from a racehorse point of view<p>Melbourne Cup is upon us and racegoers will dress in their finest, with <a href="https://www.flemington.com.au/fotf">prizes awarded</a> for the smartest fashions on the field. </p>
<p>Just like the punters, the equine stars of the track may also be wearing a range of gear in the hope of gaining a winning edge.</p>
<p>Racing Australia’s <a href="https://www.racingvictoria.com.au/integrity/approved-horse-gear">list of approved gear</a> covers more than 100 items that can be used in horse racing.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-horse-racing-in-australia-needs-a-social-licence-to-operate-79492">Why horse-racing in Australia needs a social licence to operate</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>We’d like to help you identify what any racehorse you see may be wearing, and to distinguish between winkers and blinkers, nose rolls and nose bands, ear plugs and ear muffs. </p>
<p>So, let’s take a look at some of these items available in thoroughbred racing.</p>
<h2>From blinkers to bandages</h2>
<p><strong>Blinkers</strong>, <strong>visors</strong> and <strong>winkers</strong> are cups or padding attached to the head to limit a horse’s vision in various ways. With their extraordinary wraparound vision, horses can normally see across <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10505953">320 degrees</a> without moving their heads. </p>
<p>The use of this type of equipment is thought to minimise distractions from other horses in the race, enabling the horse to focus on running rather than on other runners (or indeed the crowd).</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/243604/original/file-20181102-83641-dcxljv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/243604/original/file-20181102-83641-dcxljv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=662&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/243604/original/file-20181102-83641-dcxljv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=662&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/243604/original/file-20181102-83641-dcxljv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=662&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/243604/original/file-20181102-83641-dcxljv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=832&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/243604/original/file-20181102-83641-dcxljv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=832&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/243604/original/file-20181102-83641-dcxljv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=832&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Wes Mountain/The Conversation</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p><strong>Pacifiers</strong> are mesh cups sewn onto a fabric bonnet to protect the eyes from debris kicked up by other runners, something that is believed to cause some horses to slow down.</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/242907/original/file-20181030-76413-1j24ex8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/242907/original/file-20181030-76413-1j24ex8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=311&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/242907/original/file-20181030-76413-1j24ex8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=311&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/242907/original/file-20181030-76413-1j24ex8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=311&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/242907/original/file-20181030-76413-1j24ex8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=391&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/242907/original/file-20181030-76413-1j24ex8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=391&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/242907/original/file-20181030-76413-1j24ex8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=391&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Wes Mountain/The Conversation</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p><strong>Ear muffs</strong> are sock-like and encase the whole ear. They are worn in the mounting yard and throughout the race, reducing the effect of the noise from race crowds which can frighten some horses. Ear muffs can be used in combination with blinkers, pacifiers and winkers.</p>
<p><strong>Ear plugs</strong>, which are inserted into the ear, must be removed once the horse enters the barrier.</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/242909/original/file-20181030-76396-tgh70.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/242909/original/file-20181030-76396-tgh70.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=508&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/242909/original/file-20181030-76396-tgh70.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=508&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/242909/original/file-20181030-76396-tgh70.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=508&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/242909/original/file-20181030-76396-tgh70.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=638&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/242909/original/file-20181030-76396-tgh70.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=638&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/242909/original/file-20181030-76396-tgh70.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=638&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Wes Mountain/The Conversation</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>A <strong>nose roll</strong> is a thick sheepskin sausage that is used to stop horses being distracted by objects in their immediate foreground such as shadows.</p>
<p><strong>Nose bands</strong> are straps added to the bridle and encircle the upper and lower jaws. They can be used to prevent horses from opening their mouths, giving the jockey greater control.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/over-20-of-australian-horses-race-with-their-tongues-tied-to-their-lower-jaw-99584">Over 20% of Australian horses race with their tongues tied to their lower jaw</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p><strong>Tongue-ties</strong> involve looping a piece of elastic band, strap or nylon stocking around the tongue and securing it to the lower jaw. They are also thought to improve control as well as prevent displacement of the soft palate that can interfere with airflow to the lungs. A metal or rubber version called a tongue clip can also be used. </p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/243602/original/file-20181102-83629-aig7iy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/243602/original/file-20181102-83629-aig7iy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=865&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/243602/original/file-20181102-83629-aig7iy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=865&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/243602/original/file-20181102-83629-aig7iy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=865&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/243602/original/file-20181102-83629-aig7iy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1088&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/243602/original/file-20181102-83629-aig7iy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1088&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/243602/original/file-20181102-83629-aig7iy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1088&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Wes Mountain/The Conversation</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>Germany has <a href="https://www.racingpost.com/news/tongue-ties-outlawed-in-germany-over-welfare-concerns/333502">banned tongue-ties</a> in racing and they are banned in most other horse sports around the globe.</p>
<p>RSPCA Australia <a href="https://www.rspca.org.au/media-centre/news/2018/rspca-demands-action-end-widespread-tongue-tie-use-horse-racing">is keen for tongue-ties to be banned</a> in Australian racing due to concerns including the tightness with which they are applied.</p>
<p><strong>Boots</strong> and <strong>bandages</strong> are used to prevent injuries to the legs, notably self-inflicted injuries in horses that can accidentally strike one of their legs with another, and also to protect recent skin wounds.</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/243590/original/file-20181101-83661-95mcgv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/243590/original/file-20181101-83661-95mcgv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=297&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/243590/original/file-20181101-83661-95mcgv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=297&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/243590/original/file-20181101-83661-95mcgv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=297&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/243590/original/file-20181101-83661-95mcgv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=373&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/243590/original/file-20181101-83661-95mcgv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=373&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/243590/original/file-20181101-83661-95mcgv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=373&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Wes Mountain/The Conversation</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<h2>The bit</h2>
<p>More than 60 different designs of <strong>bit</strong> are permitted in racing. The main purpose of a bit is to apply discomfort on the tongue and lower jaw of the horse to motivate it to change its speed or direction.</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/243601/original/file-20181102-83629-1np51zx.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/243601/original/file-20181102-83629-1np51zx.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=586&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/243601/original/file-20181102-83629-1np51zx.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=586&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/243601/original/file-20181102-83629-1np51zx.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=586&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/243601/original/file-20181102-83629-1np51zx.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=736&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/243601/original/file-20181102-83629-1np51zx.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=736&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/243601/original/file-20181102-83629-1np51zx.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=736&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Wes Mountain/The Conversation</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>Many of the bits on the approved list are simple, ancient designs, whereas others are complex pieces of engineering with flanges, clips and jaw-encircling structures. </p>
<p>These are intended to address specific behavioural problems such as lugging (veering to one side) or over-galloping (galloping with a high head position while straining at the bit).</p>
<p>Relatively little is known about how bits function inside a horse’s mouth but <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0737080685800502">radiographic studies back in the 1980s on live horses</a> have shown that many bits do not work as believed.</p>
<h2>The tail chain</h2>
<p>The <strong>tail chain</strong> is a short length of metal chain secured to the top of the tail by a rubber band and then hangs between a horse’s buttocks. </p>
<p>Anecdotally, it is believed to dissuade the horse from taking air into its rectum as it gallops, thereby preventing abdominal pain and associated poor performance.</p>
<p>However, given the anatomy of the horse’s gastro-intestinal tract, it seems unlikely that such air intake could affect performance in this way, or alternatively that a tail chain could reduce any such effect.</p>
<p>It is possible that the chain hitting the soft tissues of the perineal area may motivate the horse to gallop harder, which could be seen as performance-enhancing.</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/243142/original/file-20181031-76387-1jbrsqw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/243142/original/file-20181031-76387-1jbrsqw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=456&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/243142/original/file-20181031-76387-1jbrsqw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=456&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/243142/original/file-20181031-76387-1jbrsqw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=456&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/243142/original/file-20181031-76387-1jbrsqw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=574&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/243142/original/file-20181031-76387-1jbrsqw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=574&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/243142/original/file-20181031-76387-1jbrsqw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=574&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Wes Mountain/The Conversation</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<h2>Does the gear make a difference?</h2>
<p>A fascinating study of the behaviour and apparatus that horses wear when racing <a href="https://www.appliedanimalbehaviour.com/article/S0168-1591(96)01162-8/abstract">revealed associations</a> with horse performance on the day. It showed poor performance was associated with boots, bandages, jaw-encircling nose bands, nose rolls, and pacifiers. </p>
<p>But this study was published in 1997 and since then there has been little published independent research on the use of any racing gear and its effect on racehorse performance.</p>
<p>The potential for gear to affect performance is fundamental to the integrity of racing. The rules of racing state that permission to use any piece of approved gear other than basic snaffle bits has to be given by the stewards before the horse starts the race.</p>
<p>Once permission has been given, the horse must continue to race in that gear unless the stewards grant permission for it to be changed. Form guides and starters lists detail gear changes to enable punters to assess the potential effect on the horse’s performance.</p>
<p>Understandably, trainers will swear by particular items of gear for horses with certain tendencies, especially if that item was worn on the day of a horse’s best performance, even though there is no relevant empirical evidence.</p>
<h2>More research needed</h2>
<p>The scientific community has only recently begun to put ancient and modern theories on horse handling and training to the test in a bid to identify which techniques and devices work and why.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-hendra-vaccine-has-no-effect-on-racehorse-performance-90231">The Hendra vaccine has no effect on racehorse performance</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>This discipline of <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1090023306002000">equitation science</a> is disclosing in research (involving one of us, Paul) <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0198545">how many horses are asymmetrical when racing</a>. </p>
<p>An example of asymmetry is when a horse preferentially gallops with either the right or left leg leading. This has implications for the direction of the track which, for example, is <a href="http://www.horseracing.com.au/racecourses/">clockwise in New South Wales and anticlockwise in Victoria</a>.</p>
<p>Other research (also involving Paul) has looked at <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0015622">whether whips actually work on tired horses</a> and <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/6/3/15">how we can maximise our safety when working with horses</a>.</p>
<p>Given time and the right level of funding, equitation scientists will use evidence from the years of racing records to show what works best and what doesn’t. Until then, we must trust trainers to prioritise their horses’ welfare when making selections from the register of approved gear.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/104771/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Professor Paul McGreevy is an Honorary Fellow of the International Society for Equitation Science and a life member of the RSPCA NSW. He has received funding from the Australian Research Council for research into the welfare of racing Thoroughbreds. He consults on a voluntary basis to the RSPCA Australia.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Cathrynne Henshall does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>It’s not only fans that dress up on Melbourne Cup Day. There is plenty of gear racehorses can wear, from blinkers to nose bands, ear plugs and even a tail chain. But do they do any good?Paul McGreevy, Professor of Animal Behaviour and Animal Welfare Science, University of SydneyCathrynne Henshall, PhD Candidate, School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1040992018-10-29T10:37:59Z2018-10-29T10:37:59ZCan Seabiscuit’s DNA explain his elite racing ability?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/242559/original/file-20181026-7044-1b62eh1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Eighty years ago, Seabiscuit trounced Triple Crown winner War Admiral. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Associated-Press-Sports-Maryland-United-States-/8bc6921beee6da11af9f0014c2589dfb/2/0">AP Photo </a></span></figcaption></figure><p><a href="http://www.americanclassicpedigrees.com/seabiscuit.html">Seabiscuit</a> was not an impressive-looking horse. He was considered quite lazy, preferring to eat and sleep in his stall rather than exercise. He’d been written off by most of the racing industry after losing his first 17 races. But Seabiscuit eventually became one of the most beloved thoroughbred champions of all time – voted 1938 Horse of the Year after winning <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2013/nov/01/seabiscuit-war-admiral-horse-race-1938-pimlico">his legendary match race</a> as an underdog against Triple Crown winner War Admiral in 1938.</p>
<p><a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=SZ6ySPUAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">As a molecular physiologist</a>, the concept of understanding how specific gene variants can affect performance, whether in athletics, learning or even how an organism develops, has always intrigued me. Thoroughbred racing seemed a promising arena to study this idea, since successful racehorses need not only elite physical attributes, but also the mental makeup of a champion, sometimes referred to as the “will to win.”</p>
<p>At the <a href="https://www.binghamton.edu/harpur/ieg/index.html">Institute for Equine Genomics</a> here at Binghamton University, we try to better understand the genetic components associated with breeding success in thoroughbreds and other horse breeds. We are also interested in finding gene variants that could help horses before and after their racing careers. We’ve successfully run tests for horse farms across the U.S. and in South Africa and New Zealand to assist with breeding decisions and help them identify early which horses were probably not suited for the track.</p>
<p>A few years back, Jacqueline Cooper from the <a href="http://www.seabiscuitheritage.org">Seabiscuit Heritage Foundation</a> got in touch. She wanted to genetically test a fifth-generation descendant of Seabiscuit, named Bronze Sea, for breeding purposes. Jacqueline asked if any genetic information about Seabiscuit could be obtained from sequencing Bronze Sea. But since Seabiscuit was so far back in the pedigree, our lab really couldn’t be sure which of Bronze Sea’s genes came from his famous great-great-great grandsire. It would only work if comparison tissue from Seabiscuit still existed – an unlikely proposition since he died in 1947 and is buried in an undisclosed grave at Ridgewood Ranch in Northern California.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/242560/original/file-20181026-7062-l50sfm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/242560/original/file-20181026-7062-l50sfm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/242560/original/file-20181026-7062-l50sfm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=374&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/242560/original/file-20181026-7062-l50sfm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=374&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/242560/original/file-20181026-7062-l50sfm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=374&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/242560/original/file-20181026-7062-l50sfm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=470&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/242560/original/file-20181026-7062-l50sfm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=470&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/242560/original/file-20181026-7062-l50sfm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=470&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Seabiscuit as a retired 7-year-old, with some of his offspring at Ridgewood Ranch in California.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Associated-Press-Sports-California-United-State-/ad6ebd302ee4da11af9f0014c2589dfb/1/0">AP Photo</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>During a group phone call between me, Jacqueline and Michael Howard, the great-grandson of Seabiscuit’s owner, he mentioned that Seabiscuit’s hooves had been removed and preserved after the champion died. Now this piqued my interest; my lab group has had great success extracting reasonably intact DNA from ancient bone samples.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/242341/original/file-20181025-71011-1y5nf0a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/242341/original/file-20181025-71011-1y5nf0a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/242341/original/file-20181025-71011-1y5nf0a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/242341/original/file-20181025-71011-1y5nf0a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/242341/original/file-20181025-71011-1y5nf0a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/242341/original/file-20181025-71011-1y5nf0a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/242341/original/file-20181025-71011-1y5nf0a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/242341/original/file-20181025-71011-1y5nf0a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">One of Seabiscuit’s silvered hooves. The lower portion is the hoof wall, while the top and middle sections are silver.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Jacqueline Cooper</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>It turned out that Seabiscuit’s silvered hooves – think of a baby’s booties coated in metal – were on display at the California Thoroughbred Foundation. Although not common practice today, historically it was customary to remove the hooves of a champion racehorse as a keepsake prior to burial. The silvered hooves often served as decorative mementos, sometimes even being used to hold cigarettes and matches.</p>
<p>When our lab received two of Seabiscuit’s hooves, though, the most noticeable thing about them was how deteriorated they were. A great portion of each hoof had pulled away from the silver shoe. The best word to describe them was ragged. And the hollowed out top was so deep into each hoof, we were afraid the bones had been completely removed from the samples during the silvering process. We decided to push forward and see what we could find.</p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/242353/original/file-20181025-71029-1uvo07l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/242353/original/file-20181025-71029-1uvo07l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/242353/original/file-20181025-71029-1uvo07l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=807&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/242353/original/file-20181025-71029-1uvo07l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=807&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/242353/original/file-20181025-71029-1uvo07l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=807&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/242353/original/file-20181025-71029-1uvo07l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1014&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/242353/original/file-20181025-71029-1uvo07l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1014&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/242353/original/file-20181025-71029-1uvo07l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1014&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Kate DeRosa extracts what she can from the bottom of the hoof.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Steven Tammariello</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Ph.D. student <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kate_Derosa2">Kate DeRosa</a>, with assistance from <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=AQXtjD0AAAAJ&hl=en&oi=sra">Andy Merriwether</a>, who directs the Ancient DNA and Forensic Laboratory on campus, drilled into the hooves, hoping to find what’s called the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffin_bone">coffin bone</a>, the bottom-most bone <a href="http://triplebarhoofcare.com/what-is-barefoot-hoof-care/equine-hoof-anatomy/">inside of an equine hoof capsule</a>. As Kate drilled, the resulting powder turned from dark brown, signifying it was a non-bone substance, to white, suggesting the coffin bones were indeed still there.</p>
<p>Our team went on to extract DNA from the powdered bone. The <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-differences-between-mitochondrial-and-nuclear-DNA">nuclear DNA</a> was somewhat degraded, which didn’t surprise us given the age of the samples and the harsh chemical treatment the hooves had been exposed to during the silvering process. The mitochondrial DNA, though, was intact. We used it to verify the maternal lineage of the samples and confirm that the hooves were indeed from Seabiscuit.</p>
<p>Although the nuclear DNA from the hoof sample was not intact, Kate was still able to partially sequence specific genes associated with optimal racing distance in thoroughbreds. We found that Seabiscuit had gene variants that are often found in horses that are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2164-11-552">good distance runners</a>. Interestingly, though, underlying this were variants in minor racing genes that are usually <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2052.2010.02126.x">found in sprinting horses</a>.</p>
<p>This somewhat rare genetic combination of stamina and speed seems to be reflected in the champion’s race record, as he won races from as short as 5 furlongs (sprint) to as long as 1¼ miles (distance). Further, horses of today that we’ve identified with this genotype tend to be late bloomers, winning their first race almost three months later, on average, than horses with a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/age.12622">genotype associated with precocity</a>. Sounds like Seabiscuit’s race record: He didn’t become a true racing star until his 4-year-old racing season.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/242342/original/file-20181025-71032-13m10ns.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/242342/original/file-20181025-71032-13m10ns.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/242342/original/file-20181025-71032-13m10ns.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/242342/original/file-20181025-71032-13m10ns.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/242342/original/file-20181025-71032-13m10ns.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/242342/original/file-20181025-71032-13m10ns.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/242342/original/file-20181025-71032-13m10ns.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/242342/original/file-20181025-71032-13m10ns.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The bottom of Seabiscuit’s silvered hoof, pre-drilling. The two drill sites were on either side of the point of the triangular ‘frog,’ which is analogous to a person’s fingertip.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Jacqueline Cooper</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Our lab will continue to examine Seabiscuit’s genome, focusing on genes linked to other physical attributes, as well as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s00335-005-0021-3">genes that control temperament traits</a> such as aggression, curiosity and trainability. Perhaps Seabiscuit had variants in these behavioral genes that gave him the incredible desire to win despite his less-than-ideal physical attributes. </p>
<p>Through this study, the collaborating partners hope to get an idea of what genetic components made Seabiscuit the great racehorse that he was. We know that racing thoroughbreds in the early 20th century looked quite different than today’s horses, so it will be interesting to see if Seabiscuit’s DNA is noticeably different than that of his modern counterparts. For now, the prospect of cloning Seabiscuit is not possible, due to the insufficient quantity and poor quality of the nuclear DNA we could recover.</p>
<hr>
<p><em>This article has been updated to correct the name of Seabiscuit’s descendant, Bronze Sea.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/104099/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Steven Tammariello does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The US went crazy for Seabiscuit when he won his famous 1938 match race against War Admiral. Now researchers are investigating the thoroughbred’s DNA to see what made him such an unlikely success.Steven Tammariello, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences and Director of the Institute for Equine Genomics, Binghamton University, State University of New YorkLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/995842018-07-09T11:29:50Z2018-07-09T11:29:50ZOver 20% of Australian horses race with their tongues tied to their lower jaw<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/226669/original/file-20180709-122259-1lq3eso.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Tongue-ties are used to tie horses' tongues to their lower jaw.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Horses & People Magazine</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The widespread use of tongue-ties in horse racing in Australia has recently <a href="https://www.horsesandpeople.com.au/article/tongue-ties-trying-see-the-whole-picture#.W0L0VtgzaOE">come under fire</a>. </p>
<p>Proponents of the tongue-tie – a strap that immobilises a horse’s tongue – argue that it <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24117933">prevents breathing issues</a> during races, increasing performance and improves the rider’s control of the horse.</p>
<p>But there are limited data to show that tongue-ties improve racing speeds overall, and there’s mounting evidence that they can cause stress and injury. Tongue-ties are banned in most non-racing equestrian sports in Australia, and Germany recently <a href="https://www.racingpost.com/news/tongue-ties-outlawed-in-germany-over-welfare-concerns/333502">banned them altogether</a>.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-horse-racing-in-australia-needs-a-social-licence-to-operate-79492">Why horse-racing in Australia needs a social licence to operate</a>
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<h2>What is a tongue-tie?</h2>
<p>A tongue-tie is a strap that immobilises a horse’s tongue by attaching it to the lower jaw (and sometimes to the bit in the horse’s mouth). The straps may be fashioned from nylon stockings, elastic bands or leather.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/226746/original/file-20180709-122268-g6ha2r.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/226746/original/file-20180709-122268-g6ha2r.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=1026&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/226746/original/file-20180709-122268-g6ha2r.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=1026&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/226746/original/file-20180709-122268-g6ha2r.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=1026&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/226746/original/file-20180709-122268-g6ha2r.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1289&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/226746/original/file-20180709-122268-g6ha2r.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1289&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/226746/original/file-20180709-122268-g6ha2r.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1289&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Author provided/The Conversation</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
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<p>Tongue-ties date back to the 18th century. Early reports suggest that they were used to prevent abnormal noise and airway obstruction, caused by the horse pulling back its tongue and forcing its soft palate backwards. In lay terms, many refer to the horse that does this as having “swallowed its tongue” or “choked down”.</p>
<p>In recent years, endoscopy has confirmed that displacement of the soft palate during exercise can obstruct a horses’ airway and limit oxygenation, reducing athletic performance. </p>
<p>Exactly how tongue-ties prevent this is unclear, but it is believed that tying the tongue forward <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24117933">may prevent retraction of the tongue</a> and larynx and help to stabilise the upper airway. </p>
<p>However it’s <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.2746/042516409X434134">far from certain</a> the tongue-ties are effective. A <a href="http://www.ivis.org/proceedings/ecvs/2016/toc.asp">recent study</a> found they did not prevent displacement in over 70% of affected horses. </p>
<p>Furthermore, there are <a href="https://doi-org.proxy.library.adelaide.edu.au/10.1111/eve.12432">many causes of respiratory noise in horses</a>, and there is no rationale for the use of a tongue-tie for these other conditions.</p>
<p>As well as potentially preventing upper airway obstruction, tongue-ties may stop horses from getting their tongue over the bit, <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/evj.32_12612">increasing the rider’s control</a>.</p>
<h2>How common are they?</h2>
<p>Tongue-ties are banned in most non-racing sports by the international governing body of equestrian sports, <a href="https://inside.fei.org/">Federation Equestre Internationale</a>, so are not seen in events like show-jumping, dressage and eventing. (In Australia tongue-ties <a href="http://www.australianpolo.com.au/News/Articles/27-Feb-2018/2018-Rules-of-Polo">may be used in polo</a>, but only under veterinary advice and for a maximum of 10 minutes.)</p>
<p>In both Thoroughbred and harness racing, their use is <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12405729">widespread</a>. Horses racing with tongue-ties are specified on the race-card, so the scale of their use can be estimated from these data. </p>
<p>Research presented at the 2017 World Equine Airways Symposium revealed that Australian Thoroughbred racehorses <a href="http://www.ivis.org/proceedings/WEAS/2017/weas2017.pdf">wear tongue-ties in over 20% of all race starts</a> </p>
<p>This can be compared to the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19734559">5% of starters</a> reported to wear a tongue-tie in the UK. </p>
<p>Data from <a href="http://www.ivis.org/proceedings/WEAS/2017/weas2017.pdf">all Thoroughbred races in Australia between 2009 and 2013</a> show that 72% of trainers used a tongue-tie on at least one horse over the 5-year period. Similarly, a survey of 535 Standardbred trainers found that <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/evj.32_12612">85% used tongue-ties</a> on one or more horses during training or racing.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/poll-says-most-people-support-a-ban-on-whips-in-australian-horse-racing-91917">Poll says most people support a ban on whips in Australian horse racing</a>
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<h2>Why do tongue-ties matter?</h2>
<p>Using relentless pressure to modify a horse’s behaviour is against the <a href="https://equitationscience.com/equitation/position-statement-on-aversive-stimuli-in-horse-training">principles of ethical training</a>. </p>
<p>In a recent <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/evj.32_12612">survey</a>, 23% of Australian Standardbred trainers reported problems associated with tongue-ties, including lacerations, bruising and swelling of the tongue, difficulty swallowing, and behaviour indicating stress. </p>
<p>Another <a href="https://thehorse.com/156602/tongue-ties-could-cause-stress-for-horses">Australian study</a> investigated horses’ responses to 20 minutes of tongue-tie application at rest in comparison to a sham treatment. (During the sham treatment the horses’ tongues were manipulated for 30 seconds to simulate the placement of a tongue-tie.)</p>
<p>Compared to the sham treatment, there was more head-tossing, backwards ear position and gaping during tongue-tie application. Horses with previous experience of tongue-ties showed more head-tossing and mouth-gaping, suggesting that horses did not simply get used to the intervention.</p>
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<p>Video recorded for demonstration purposes by <em>Horses & People</em> Magazine.</p>
<p>During the recovery phase, lip-licking was more frequent after tongue-tie application than after sham treatment, suggesting that after their tongues are restrained horses are highly motivated to move them. Salivary cortisol concentrations increased after tongue-tie application, indicating a physiological stress response.</p>
<p>These potential problems prompted a recent international equine welfare workshop on <a href="http://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/8/3/41">various common veterinary and management practises</a> to score tongue-ties as having a “profound transient impact”. </p>
<p>The industry needs to address two separate issues. Firstly, if tongue-ties are being used to address upper airway obstruction then a veterinary diagnosis should be required. There are many causes of breathing noise that are unrelated to palatal issues, and which would not be helped by a tongue-tie. </p>
<p>Secondly, there is the issue of control. If one argues that tongue-ties are needed for safety because they stop the tongue travelling over the bit, then theoretically one is obliged to use them for all horses – since all horses have the capacity to adopt this evasion.</p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/improving-safety-in-horse-racing-its-all-in-the-data-48896">Improving safety in horse racing: it's all in the data</a>
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<p>We need better research to understand exactly how tongue-ties help or harm horses. Given that other equestrian sports are conducted without tongue-ties, many would argue that racing should be as well.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/99584/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Samantha Franklin has received funding from Racing Victoria and AgriFutures Australia for unrelated research into cardiac abnormalities in racehorses.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>
Professor Paul McGreevy is an Honorary Fellow of the International Society for Equitation Science and a life member of the RSPCA NSW. He has received funding from the Australian Research Council for research into the welfare of racing Thoroughbreds. He consults to the RSPCA Australia</span></em></p>Tongue-ties are used in Australian horse racing but are banned in most other horse sports.Samantha Franklin, Associate Professor in Veterinary Physiology, University of AdelaidePaul McGreevy, Professor of Animal Behaviour and Animal Welfare Science, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/952842018-05-05T12:29:09Z2018-05-05T12:29:09ZTouch forms the foundation of the powerful human-horse relationship<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/217788/original/file-20180504-166906-ozq1sy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The unique bond between humans and horses is explored in the film 'Lean on Pete.' </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5215250de4b0850760f744ce/5215312ee4b0850760f7736b/5a88a077652deaeaabb730b5/1518903443278/scott-patrick-green-photography-lean-on-pete-0031.jpg?format=750w">A24 Films</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Two recent films, “<a href="https://a24films.com/films/lean-on-pete">Lean on Pete</a>” and “<a href="http://sonyclassics.com/therider/">The Rider</a>,” explore the transformative quality of human-horse relationships. Both films center on young men: One deals with the trauma of poverty and loneliness, the other struggles to rebuild his life after a horrific brain injury. For each, salvation is found in the relationships they form with their equine companions. </p>
<p>Transformation and redemption are common themes in films and books about humans and horses. Some might dismiss them as corny tropes, but there’s truth to the deep bonds humans and horses are able to form. </p>
<p>The contours of this relationship – and what enables this connection – have been the subject of <a href="https://www.animalsandsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/brandt.pdf">my research</a>. It is nothing short of miraculous that two species with such thoroughly different orientations to the world – one predator, the other prey – come together in partnership, with trust and a unique form of communication playing important roles.</p>
<h2>From co-worker to companion</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/13/books/review/the-horse-by-wendy-williams.html">The history of horses and humans</a> dates back centuries. It is impossible to know exactly when their paths first crossed, but the earliest domestication of horses <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/265425122_Domestication_and_early_history_of_the_horse">is widely thought to have occurred in the regions of Ukraine and Kazakhstan</a>. </p>
<p>Traditionally, the horse has been used as a worker, a form of transportation and in combat. But with the invention of the combustion engine and the modernization of agriculture in the 19th century, jobs for horses began to dwindle. </p>
<p>By the mid-20th century, <a href="https://jhupbooks.press.jhu.edu/content/valuing-animals.">the horse’s utilitarian value had decreased</a>. However, the popularity of both horse riding and horse racing grew. Horses also started to increasingly <a href="https://www.patagonia.com/blog/2018/03/beasts-of-being/">be valued as companions</a>. </p>
<p>Our relationship with horses is distinct from our relationships with cats and dogs; horses sit at the intersection of being wild and domesticated and don’t <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Pets/Fudge/p/book/9781315710303">fit easily into the category of pet</a>. Perhaps this has to do with their large size, which creates an element of danger. There are <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A99660-1995Jun1.html">countless examples</a> of a lack of understanding between horses and humans leading to serious injuries or death.</p>
<p>For this reason, being able to effectively communicate with horses plays a crucial role in the relationship.</p>
<h2>A language of touch</h2>
<p><a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1357034X01007004001">Research has shown</a> that horses and humans have developed a unique way to communicate with one another, a kind of third language, neither fully human nor fully equine. What linguists <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18470815">call</a> an “embodied language system” seems to have developed – a way of communicating that’s reliant on touch, emotional connection and becoming attuned to physical movements. </p>
<p>It doesn’t involve humans trying to imitate the way horses interact with one another. Nor does it simply mean using the threat of fear or violence to bend horses to our will. Instead, it’s <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/290956952_Intelligent_bodies_Embodied_subjectivity_human-horse_communication">a symbiotic and dynamic process</a> that recognizes horses as sensitive, decision-making beings. </p>
<p>While many have physical contact with their dogs and cats in order to play with them, express affection and groom them, people don’t ride their dogs or cats. Nor do they ask them to perform complicated physical and mental tasks while astride their backs. </p>
<p>Doing so involves a melding of both bodies, with humans and horses developing a high level of bodily control and sensitivity. It’s an empathetic physical dialogue, with the goal of having two bodies operate as a single unit. </p>
<p>But synchronicity between humans and horses doesn’t come easy. <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1525/si.2000.23.1.47">It can take years to achieve</a>. Starting at <a href="https://eclectic-horseman.com/pyramid-of-training-for-the-everyday-horseman-part-1/">the most rudimentary level of communication</a> – through a system of applying pressure to parts of the horse’s body – it builds slowly. Only after <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/235500204_Toward_a_Privileging_of_the_Nonverbal_Communication_Corporeal_Synchrony_and_Transcendence_in_Humans_and_Horses">countless hours of working together</a> do humans and horses attune their bodies to each other.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/217802/original/file-20180504-166910-1sx0f3c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/217802/original/file-20180504-166910-1sx0f3c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=363&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/217802/original/file-20180504-166910-1sx0f3c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=363&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/217802/original/file-20180504-166910-1sx0f3c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=363&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/217802/original/file-20180504-166910-1sx0f3c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=456&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/217802/original/file-20180504-166910-1sx0f3c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=456&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/217802/original/file-20180504-166910-1sx0f3c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=456&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Horse trainer Martin Tata kisses his horse Milonga at a ranch in San Antonio de Areco, Argentina.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Argentina-Horse-Whisperer/92eafb4497fa40e3b7feffeb1e121dea/58/0">AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko</a></span>
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<p>Horse experts often say the best horse-rider pairs are the ones that can make it look effortless, as if there are no visual signs of communication taking place. This sense of complete synchronicity is the holy grail for horse riders. From <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1612197X.2014.956327?journalCode=rijs20">horse racing</a> and <a href="https://www.academia.edu/749596/EQUINE_BEATS_UNIQUE_RHYTHMS_AND_FLOATING_HARMONY_OF_HORSES_AND_THEIR_RIDERS">dressage</a> <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/316449223_Meeting_points_choreographies_of_horses_and_humans">to the more mundane daily interactions</a> with horses, “<a href="https://eclectic-horseman.com/mercantile/equestrian-books/philosophical/think-harmony-with-horses-by-ray-hunt/">harmony</a>” is the ultimate goal.</p>
<p>There is a kind of intimacy created through this sort of embodied communication. Working to know an animal without being able to speak involves making yourself vulnerable and <a href="https://www.berghahnjournals.com/view/journals/cja/35/2/cja350208.xml?pdfVersion=true">exposing yourself</a> to doubt, self-criticism and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4598694/">physical danger</a>. </p>
<p>When it comes to creativity, analysis and self-reflection, people tend to give a lot of weight to words and thoughts. Horses can help humans develop a different kind of knowledge, one rooted in the body. </p>
<p>In the process, it helps humans learn about themselves: a big reason why the relationship is such good fodder for character development in films.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/95284/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Keri Brandt Off does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Humans and horses have developed a unique interspecies language based on physical contact.Keri Brandt Off, Professor of Sociology and Gender and Sexuality Studies, Fort Lewis CollegeLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/959052018-05-03T10:40:50Z2018-05-03T10:40:50ZFrom the Middle East to the Kentucky Derby, the mint julep has always been about staying cool<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/217292/original/file-20180502-153873-1m55fq9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A woman shares a mint julep with her husband before the running of the 2013 Kentucky Derby.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/AP10ThingsToSee-Kentucky-Derby-Horse-Racing/0d68645b2ee644bfba1daa8b173436f1/8/0">David Goldman/AP Photo</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The Kentucky Derby is about more than horses and hats. It’s also where one of the South’s favorite cocktails – the mint julep – takes center stage. </p>
<p>Since the 1930s, the drink – a mix of mint, syrup, bourbon, water and crushed ice – has been the traditional cocktail of the Kentucky Derby. At this year’s Derby, organizers plan to serve around 120,000 mint juleps, <a href="https://www.kentuckyderby.com/uploads/wysiwyg/assets/uploads/Mint_Juleps__2017_.pdf">which will require</a> 10,000 bottles of bourbon, 1,000 pounds of fresh mint and 60,000 pounds of ice.</p>
<p>Like gin and Jägermeister, the julep started as a medicine. Since medieval times, mint <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/book/9780857090393">had been prescribed for stomach ailments</a>; it soothes the lining of the digestive tract and stimulates the production of bile, an essential digestive fluid. Though <a href="https://newspaperarchive.com/chicago-south-end-reporter-jun-08-1978-p-42/">some say</a> the drink was invented by enslaved people working the cotton fields outside of Vicksburg, Mississippi, the version of the julep we know today <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/01/19/463583428/from-candy-to-juleps-persians-left-imprint-on-many-edible-delights">probably originated</a> in Persia, where people mixed syrup with mint or rose water. </p>
<p>The mint julep has been a Southern tradition since at least the early 19th century. The first mention of the drink in the U.S. comes from Englishman John Davis’ book “Travels of Four Years and a Half in the United States: 1798-1802.” In it <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=7HEFAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=Travels+of+Four+Years+and+a+Half+in+the+United+States:+1798-1802.&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj-8KSggeXaAhWXn4MKHbHwDY0Q6AEIKTAA#v=onepage&q=julep&f=false">Davis describes the julep</a> as “a dram of spirituous liquor that has mint steeped in it” consumed by Virginians as a morning eye-opener.</p>
<p>Early recipes for juleps used various kinds of liquor. Brandy and cognac were popular bases in Europe, as was gin. But as juleps became more closely associated with the Kentucky Derby, bourbon – <a href="http://thehill.com/capital-living/food-and-drink/23026-the-history-of-bourbon-a-happy-accident">America’s native whiskey</a> – became the alcoholic mixer of choice.</p>
<p>Juleps are traditionally served in silver cups. <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2014/05/the-history-of-the-mint-julep/361659/">The most likely reason</a> is that the metal cups “frost up” from the ice. In the oppressive heat of the pre-air-conditioned South, gripping a cool cup made the drink that much more refreshing. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/217311/original/file-20180502-153900-1h8t3pg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/217311/original/file-20180502-153900-1h8t3pg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/217311/original/file-20180502-153900-1h8t3pg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/217311/original/file-20180502-153900-1h8t3pg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/217311/original/file-20180502-153900-1h8t3pg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/217311/original/file-20180502-153900-1h8t3pg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/217311/original/file-20180502-153900-1h8t3pg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">The cup is almost as important as the drink.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ec/Mint_julep_at_Revel_in_New_Orleans.jpg/1024px-Mint_julep_at_Revel_in_New_Orleans.jpg">Jami430</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
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<p>In the 19th-century South, silver julep cups were a popular gift for baby christenings, weddings and graduations, and many middle-class Southern households probably had a set of julep cups.</p>
<p>In <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=tbwcAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA243&lpg=PA243&dq=%22Take+a+silver+cup+--+always+a+silver+cup.+Fill+it+with+ice+pulverized+to+the+fineness+of+snow.+Bruise+one+tender+little+leaf+of+mint+and+stick+it+in+the+ice.+Then+dissolve+a+spoonful+of+sugar+in+about+three-quarters+of+a+Kentucky+drink+of+good+whisky+and+let+the+fluid+filter+through+the+ice+to+the+bottom+of+the+cup.%22&source=bl&ots=Ua8trk8-Og&sig=knprasuHg3H-qVdUmTT7MFbm7tk&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiLz-7ppefaAhVGhOAKHenuDM0Q6AEIOTAC#v=onepage&q=%22Take%20a%20silver%20cup%20--%20always%20a%20silver%20cup.%20Fill%20it%20with%20ice%20pulverized%20to%20the%20fineness%20of%20snow.%20Bruise%20one%20tender%20little%20leaf%20of%20mint%20and%20stick%20it%20in%20the%20ice.%20Then%20dissolve%20a%20spoonful%20of%20sugar%20in%20about%20three-quarters%20of%20a%20Kentucky%20drink%20of%20good%20whisky%20and%20let%20the%20fluid%20filter%20through%20the%20ice%20to%20the%20bottom%20of%20the%20cup.%22&f=false">a 1908 edition</a> of Fuel Magazine, a Lexington, Kentucky, native named Samuel Judson Roberts explained the importance of the cup. </p>
<p>“Take a silver cup – always a silver cup. Fill it with ice pulverized to the fineness of snow.” Once the drink is mixed, “shake the cup slowly until a coating of a thick white frost forms on the outside. Trim with mint and hand to an appreciative gentleman.”</p>
<p>Today you don’t have to be a gentleman to enjoy the drink. But as you cheer on your favorite horse, you can enjoy it all the same.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/95905/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jeffrey Miller does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>‘Take a silver cup – always a silver cup’ and ‘fill it with ice pulverized to the fineness of snow,’ a Kentucky man explained in 1908.Jeffrey Miller, Associate Professor, Hospitality Management, Colorado State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/919172018-02-21T17:23:33Z2018-02-21T17:23:33ZPoll says most people support a ban on whips in Australian horse racing<p>Three-quarters of Australians quizzed in a poll said they do not support the whipping of horses in racing, a study <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0192843">published today in PLOS ONE</a> shows. </p>
<p>Most of those identified as racing enthusiasts said they would continue to attend or gamble on racing if the whip was banned. Only one in eight of those racing fans said they would no longer watch or bet if the rules did not allow a horse to be whipped for purposes other than jockey safety.</p>
<p>The study used anonymised data from a recent independent survey commissioned, but not administered, <a href="https://www.rspca.org.au/media-centre/news/2017/will-we-watch-and-wager-winx-without-whip-research-says-yes">by RSPCA Australia</a>. It explored the level of support for the whipping of racehorses, and the proportion of racing enthusiasts who would stop gambling if horses were not whipped.</p>
<p>Of the 1,533 respondents from across the country, only 25% (113 women and 271 men) supported the whipping of racehorses. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-horse-racing-in-australia-needs-a-social-licence-to-operate-79492">Why horse-racing in Australia needs a social licence to operate</a>
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<p>The more frequently respondents attended races or gambled on them, the more likely they were to agree that horses should be hit with a whip during the normal course of a race. This probably reflects a belief that whipped horses are more likely to win races, although this is <a href="http://www.j-evs.com/article/S0737-0806(88)80016-9/abstract">contrary to scientific</a> <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0015622">studies</a>.</p>
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<p>So the poll looked at the 843 people who were identified in the sample as racing enthusiasts – those who attended or bet on horseracing at least “once or twice a year”. </p>
<p>Only 13% (44 women and 63 men) of those identified as racing enthusiasts in the sample said they would stop watching races and betting on them if whipping were banned.</p>
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<p>What’s interesting when digging into the data is that these “no” respondents were particularly common in the lowest income bracket (defined as those earning less than A$20,000 a year). The rate of “no” responses in this bracket was significantly higher than among those earning over A$150,000 a year.</p>
<h2>Growing concern for animal welfare</h2>
<p>The use of animals is being questioned in every context, from <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/business/consumer-affairs/australia-is-the-thirdfastest-growing-vegan-market-in-the-world-20160601-gp972u.html">eating meat</a> to the testing of <a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-will-finally-ban-cosmetic-testing-on-animals-78768">cosmetics</a>. It is clear that societal values and consumer preferences are changing.</p>
<p>These changes extend to the use of animals in sport, recreation and display. There is growing concern about modifying animal behaviour or pushing animals to their physical limits with techniques that cause pain.</p>
<p>Horseracing is a prime example because, even though it depends largely on traditional practices, it is increasingly the focus of <a href="http://kb.rspca.org.au/What-are-the-animal-welfare-issues-associated-with-Thoroughbred-racing-in-Australia_631.html">various welfare</a> <a href="http://www.news.com.au/national/are-opponents-of-melbourne-cup-funhating-whingers-or-worried-animal-activists-with-a-point/news-story/3472d55efbc4f481220a819a5458a9be">concerns</a>. This includes the physical dangers to horses, notably in jumps racing and steeplechasing and, more broadly, the use of the whip.</p>
<p>Whipping tired horses in races, as one of us (Paul) has argued before, is <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/4201890.htm">the most widely televised form of violence to animals</a>.</p>
<p>Ironically, if a racehorse was whipped outside the racetrack, the person whipping it would face charges under animal cruelty legislation that outlaws any unnecessary, unjustifiable or unreasonable action that causes harm or injury. They <a href="https://theconversation.com/cup-week-leaves-racing-law-looking-like-a-prize-winning-ass-33934">could face significant fines or imprisonment</a>.</p>
<h2>In defence of the whip</h2>
<p>Historically, one of the main defences for whip use in thoroughbred racing was <a href="http://www.britishhorseracing.com/whip-review/WhipReview.pdf">the belief that it makes horses run faster</a>.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-harness-racing-leads-the-world-in-banning-the-whip-on-horses-69472">Australia's harness racing leads the world in banning the whip on horses</a>
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<p>But there is no evidence that the placing of horses in races is influenced by whip use. That’s because most horses are whipped at the end of the race and, on balance, are generally too fatigued to offer more than they already are.</p>
<p>Increasingly, whip use is justified as an aid to steering and thus a means of improving jockey safety. But counter-evidence associates <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15253077">whip use with falls</a>, which clearly <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29031324">compromise jockey safety</a>.</p>
<p>One response to concerns about whipping has been the use of padded whips. But there is growing evidence that padded whips do not spare horses because the <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/related?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0033398">unpadded section of these whips hits the horse more often than not</a>, and that the <a href="http://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/7/1/4">rules surrounding whip use are not easily policed</a>.</p>
<p>Indeed, Norway adopted whip-free racing in 1982, not because whipping was considered a bad look for the racing industry back then, but because national legislation included whipping as a form of cruelty.</p>
<h2>Whip way to go</h2>
<p>Regardless of age, household income, and involvement with horse-racing, men in the current study were more likely than women to support horses being whipped.
Of the 731 men who answered the poll, 37% agreed with whipping a horse, while only 14% of the 802 women polled agreed with using the whip.</p>
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<p>Racing administrators and the industry at large may find these new findings helpful as they consider the needs of their primary stakeholders and deliberate over the merits of continuing the practice of whipping tired horses in the name of sport.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-hendra-vaccine-has-no-effect-on-racehorse-performance-90231">The Hendra vaccine has no effect on racehorse performance</a>
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<p>At the very least, eroding support for and growing concerns about the practice merit further monitoring of public opinion. </p>
<p>One obvious question, and one that wasn’t answered by this study, is to what extent whipping deters potential punters (men or women), and whether its absence might increase the appeal of racing.</p>
<p>More generally, as sponsorship dollars are more keenly contested, it may be that boards of directors become less inclined to associate their brands with a practice that is ethically questionable, scientifically unsupported, lacks majority support, and has become a bad look.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/91917/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span> Professor Paul McGreevy is an Honorary Fellow of the International Society for Equitation Science and a life member of the RSPCA NSW. He has received funding from the Australian Research Council for research into the welfare of racing Thoroughbreds. He consults to the RSPCA Australia.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Anne Fawcett works for the University of Sydney and in private veterinary practice, and is a PhD candidate at the University of Sydney in Animal Welfare and Ethics. </span></em></p>Banning the whip in Australian horse racing would only deter a minority of race enthusiasts from gambling or watching any events.Paul McGreevy, Professor of Animal Behaviour and Animal Welfare Science, University of SydneyAnne Quain, Lecturer, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.