Grand National 'winner'

[Priv]

If the horse can't feel being whipped why do they whip them?

Is there any evidence of this?

I find it hard to believe that any animal can't feel being whipped.

Apologies was a poor choice of wording, some horses don’t feel it. My horse certainly doesn’t feel it at all. It’s more for an audible signal than a physical one for him.

 

[ThatFragranceGuy]

Apologies was a poor choice of wording, some horses don’t feel it. My horse certainly doesn’t feel it at all. It’s more for an audible signal than a physical one for him.

Did he tell you that, did he?

 

[MolteniArcore]

This is interesting:

Horses and humans feel the same pain when whipped, study finds

Landmark research comes as Racing Victoria tables proposal to phase out the whip, saying rules on its use ‘no longer appropriate’

www.theguardian.com

I'm not here to judge people who whip animals but I find it pretty disturbing that whips are used in a 'sport' for human entertainment. And yes, I am a hypocrite as I watched the National.

My family have horses and I have friends who love horse racing so I can see all sides but personally I don't know why they just can't ban the whip. It seems daft to keep it. I'd also reduce the National field, maybe to 30 as it is obvious there are far too many horses trying to get over this steep fences.

 

[Priv]

Did he tell you that, did he?

I don’t use a whip anyway I don’t like them but there can be a need when training , but yes you can tell by their reaction some horses don’t like it, he literally doesn’t care, There are also lots of different types of whips, they changed the rules a few years back for eventing and they are much shorter now, so you don’t use the longer more brutal ones anymore.