The padded racing whip, also known as the ‘humane whip’ or ‘shock-absorbing’ whip, was designed in the UK by James Mahon in the early 1990s (Patent GB2281186A).

According to the patent documentation, the aim of the design was “to fulfill the purpose for which a whip is necessary when racing, but which will not cause excessive and unacceptable pain and damage to the horse”. The key aspect of the design of this whip is the shock-absorbing layer between the inner spine and outer sleeve. This provides a cushioning layer between the horse’s body and the hard inner spine of the whip. The claim is that such a whip “will cause less pain and less damage to the body being struck” compared to a conventional whip. The claim is also made that the impact results in a “stinging sensation rather than the pain and bruising action of conventional whips”, however there is no evidence  to substantiate this.

In a 1994 study of the potential of whips to injure horses, the impact of whips was assessed using a modified ballistics model which measured the indentations made by whips in plasticine under controlled conditions. Padded whips were consistently rated
as having a smaller damage potential than conventional whips tested, but all whips resulted in indentations. There have been no reported scientific studies of the impact of whips directly on horses.

In the original patent, the whip design did not include an un-padded shaft. This is present in the padded whips in current use and extends for approximately 20cm from the end of the padded section of the whip.