Backhand Use Only As Horse Racing Whip Changed Enforced

Horse racing whip rules will change this autumn, with jockeys riding in British horse races only permitted to use their whips in the backhand position (see image below), plus they will also face disqualification for whip overuse. These new whip changes were discussed in this week’s overdue review of the current whip rules for horse racing in Britain. The reasoning behind the move to a backhand-only style is intended to minimalise the excessive force being when jockeys need to use the whip – with a the backhand grip having a much shorter reach and grip, which will mean less force inflicted on a horse. This whip review was first proposed in 2018 following the well documented Cheltenham Festival amount of equine deaths that year and also the high-profile whip bans over that 12 month period. W...