The RSPCA is opposed to the use of traditional contact whips due to their potential for inflicting pain and injury. We advocate the licensing of all competitive horse events with a compulsory code of practice that would exclude the use of performance enhancing devices such as the traditional contact whip.

Traditional contact whips may cause direct mental and physical harm to racehorses. Physical injuries to racehorses caused by traditional contact whips are well-documented and include severe eye lesions resulting from blunt trauma to the eye from whip contact and skin lesions such as weals, welts, cuts and bruises.

In addition, race horses may be over-exerted through the use of traditional contact whips. Overexerting a racehorse can lead to physical problems or exacerbate pre-existing medical conditions in some racehorses. These problems may include exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage; exertional rhabdomyolysis (tying up) which involves muscle cell death and the associated severe muscle pain/cramping and other types of musculoskeletal problems, among others.

Scientific studies also indicate that there may be a relationship between whip use and race accidents. A recent study found that the risk of falling was significantly associated with whip use and race progress in hurdle and steeplechase racing. Horses which were being whipped and progressing through the race were at greater than 7 times the risk of falling compared to horses which were not being whipped and which had no change in position or lost position through the field. The study concluded that whip use was a potential risk factor for horse falls and recommended intervention trials (e.g. with whip-free or restricted whip use races) to confirm the findings. Should the findings be confirmed this may lead to modifications which could reduce the frequency of horse falls thus leading to improved equine welfare.

The introduction of “padded” shock-absorbing whips for races has been endorsed by some animal welfare organisations overseas as they appear to reduce the physical impact of the whip on the horse. See below for more information on padded whips.