The death of young Rewilding

**littlewid** Sun Jul 24, 2011 4:47 pm

This is one of the most upsetting and tragic stories I have read in a while. I cry quite easily over animals but this had me sick to the pit of my stomach, it has also enraged me so much. This poor horse was only 4 years old and he is now dead.
I am not and never have been a fan of horse racing. I do appreciate others have their views and also like it. So I do not want to start an arguement over whether it should be banned or not. What I do want is views on excessive whipping of horses like FD did to this poor horse and not even with the soft part of the whip. Also, to treat this poor horse like this once and then unbelievably let it try and race on with a broken leg is so inhuman. I do not believe it was the horses choice to continue to run with the pack and even if it was his first instinct to stay with the pack surely FD could have pulled him up.
This story is sickening and I am genuinely devastated and broken hearted for this poor young horse. In my mind it need never have happened, I believe there must have been an element of fear in this young horse.Also how was FD allowed to ride him again after his abismal behaviour.
RIP Rewilding Sad

http://www.animalaid.org.uk/h/n/NEWS/news_horse//2523//

littlewid-x-

**Doogs** Sun Jul 24, 2011 11:05 pm

Obviously as a horse racing fan I have to reply to this but I also don’t want to get into an argument about it

Firstly some facts about a horse racing whip. They weigh less than 160 grams, the same as a wheel pump attached to a mountain bike. It has a leather handle & the rules of racing state the whip must not exceed 70cm in length. The whip is heavily padded and features throughout a shock-absorbing material which helps to protect horses from injury or discomfort. The specification of modern-day whips has been set in place following on-going consultation with animal welfare groups, including the RSPCA.

These featherweight instruments are used for safety, correction and encouragement. A horse’s skin is a quarter of an inch thick in places, over twice that of a human. Horses are hardy animals; yes they have delicate areas, weak points, like any animal. Even the mighty elephant has a weak neck joint, their Achilles heel. But horses cannot be reasoned with; the very rules of racing dictate that a jockey is required to carry a whip. Jockeys cannot hit horses with their whip above shoulder height, they cannot use excessive force and they cannot whip horses who are either clearly winning or out of contention. If they do this means a punishment - being banned from riding. No riding means no income, no jockey wants that. The sight of a jockey excessively hitting a horse is not a pretty sight, I don’t like it myself but it is very seldom they actually really hurt a horse as a result of doing it. If they did they would be severely punished by the Racing Authorities.

Dettori did, rightly so, get a 9 day ban for excessive use of the whip on Rewilding from a race at Ascot in June. He missed a number of high profile races as a result of his ban, he deserved to.

What happened yesterday to Rewilding was both very sad and distressing. It is not often that horses break a leg in flat races (in horse racing it’s usually as a result of a fall in a jumps race) so it is always horrific when it does happen. I love horses so the sight of a stricken horse always has and always will upset me but it won’t stop me from watching and loving horse racing. Racehorses are very well looked after. They are fed, kept warm, exercised, have 1st class veterinary care at hand and are very much loved & cared for by staff at the stables. What about the thousands of horses in fields up and down the country who live out in all weathers with no protection from the elements, struggling for food, shelter, company you cannot say the same for them.

FD could not pull up Rewilding as he was thrown from the horse as a result of him stumbling. He had to be helped from the track and was arranging for x-rays today to his foot and knee. He also suffered whiplash injuries.

A horse’s instinct is to keep running. They are pack animals and Rewilding would have wanted to join the other horses ahead of him which is why he kept running. He was caught a short distance after the incident by trainer John Gosden whose horse had just won the race. Gosden chose to stay with Rewilding until the vet came instead of celebrating/joining his own winning jockey/ horse.

Gosden was quick to stress how little, if any, pain Rewilding felt in the short time between him sustaining his injury and being put down. The Clarehaven handler explained: "It was a clean break through the cannon-bone and it's as if he was anaesthetised and didn't feel any pain. "He was very calm and collected and we held him, but he had to be dealt with because the leg was completely gone.

"People watching must understand that I've seen horses do that galloping in a paddock and it can happen at any time without warning. "I was quickly out there when he pulled up by the winning post and held him and fed him some grass and he munched away. The horse was very well dealt with by the vet, it was a clean break and a quick end. "It's a freakish thing, he just put the leg down wrong."

What happened to Rewilding has made the news because the race was televised – what about all the horses in paddocks up and down the country who stumble and fall, breaking their legs, you don’t hear about them and I’m sure of the horses that it does happen to they would not be dealt as quickly, efficiently and caringly as Rewilding was.

Well that's my take on it !
Doogs

**littlewid** Mon Jul 25, 2011 6:08 pm

An arguement is not what I wanted either Doogs. I was extremely upset on reading what had happened to rewilding. I think apart from hearing he had broken his leg and kept running i'm sure it didn't say in the article that FD had been thrown from the horse, so I do accept he didn't keep riding the horse and accept your greater knowledge than mine of horses and that they would keep running with the pack.

I don't like the idea of whipping but may have to accept it is used sometimes for correction but I don't understand the idea of using it to encourage a horse to win a race. Maybe thats my simplistic view that a horse will either run well on the day or it won't. Maybe it's an odd way of looking at it but I view it as having my legs whipped in a race to make me run faster, I know I wouldn't like it.

One thing I couldn't understand is, if a Jockey has been pulled up for over use of a whip on a particular horse, how he is allowed to ride that horse again, I would have thought that privalege would have been taken away from him.

I have no doubt that race horses are looked after extremely well, I never questioned that and you are right, a lot of other horses do not have the care and attention that race horses get and that is also very sad.

I'm pleased rewilding was put out of his pain very quickly, that is a comfort to hear. I was not aware it was something that happens as freak accidents to more horses than we think.

Maybe the whole thing was sensationalised in the press but it is still very sad that a young horse has lost his life and FD obviously deserved his ban for over use of the whip.

I love horses but not racing but that is my personal thing, I don't knock others that do like it so I wasn't getting at anyone. It was an upsetting piece to read but you have cleared a few things up. Maybe I just wish that horses could run races like we do without the use of a whip. But you know me, I would wrap everything up in cotton wool if I could Embarassed

littlewid-x-

**Doogs** Mon Jul 25, 2011 10:18 pm

That's the problem with some articles LW, they give you all the bad facts about the incident but what they don't do is give you ALL the facts. No jockey would ever, ever keep riding a horse with a broken leg, they will always dismount the horse as soon as possible. Sometimes in a race a horse will be deemed to 'lose its action'. This is just the same as you or me if we're running & suddenly you feel your leg, knee, ankle etc sore so it makes you stop running like you would normally do. If this happens to a horse a Jockey will pull it up just incase there is something amiss with the horse, the horses welfare is paramount. Usually there is nothing wrong but better safe than sorry - no winning money for the jockey when he does this but the horse is ok & that's the main thing.

Whips are essential for safety in racing. Horses are very easily spooked, can veer to the side etc so a whip will help to correct the horse to run straight avoiding both the horse & jockey from being hurt. The mere sound of the whip cracking (not actually hitting the horse) is sometimes enough to encourage a horse to race & sometimes it looks as though jockeys are whipping the horse but infact they are not it's their momentum and movement of their arms that makes you think they are.

As I said before I do accept that the sight of a jockey hitting horse repeatedly is not a nice one and jockeys who do it should be punishment accordingly to deter them from doing it again in the future. In the heat of the moment in a big race sometimes it's hard not to try your guts out to win, 9/10 these are the occasions when a jockey will excessively use a whip, momentum takes over. They certainly never do it intentionally and they never do it to hurt a horse.

Many jockeys (including all the best ones) are 'stable jockeys' for certain trainers & owners, ie if a trainer/owner has a horse running the 'stable jockey' will ride it because he/she is attached to that stable/owner. Frankie Detorri is one of the best Flat Jockeys in the UK / World. He is stable jockey to horse owners Godolphin who have over 250 horses in training, he will ride the large majority of their horses. If there is more than one horse from Godolphin in a race Frankie will get to pick the horse he wants to ride as he's No.1. That is why Frankie was allowed to ride Rewilding again. He is the best jockey available to ride the best horse.

I love horses too LW and racing is my thing, I know you weren't getting at me just giving your opinion. I'm glad I was able to clear a few things up about an upsetting incident.

Doogs Horse

**littlewid** Wed Jul 27, 2011 5:48 pm

Thanks Doogs, it does clear a lot of things up and i'm glad I posted this so it could be discussed.......things aren't always as clear as we think they are, so i'm glad we've been able to talk about it.

littlewid-x- Hugs

**Doogs** Thu Jul 28, 2011 9:20 am

**Doogs** Tue Sep 27, 2011 9:45 pm

New whip rules being introduced in Horse Racing to the benefit of the horse :-

Jockeys will face stiffer penalties for use of the whip in new rules being introduced in two weeks' time following a 10-month review by the British Horseracing Authority.

Riders are being further restricted as to how many times they can use the whip in a race, as well as being handed out stiffer punishments for using it with excessive frequency.

Frequency guidelines have been removed and replaced by strict and easily understood limits on whip use.

The whip can only be used a maximum of seven times in a Flat race, and eight times in a jumps race (and only five times in the last furlong/after the last obstacle).

This is roughly half the amount of times a whip could be used previously before being in breach of the rules of racing.

Increased entry-point penalties are being implemented, with a five-day minimum suspension for not adhering to the frequency limits. The previous minimum penalty was a caution.

A jockey who incurs a whip ban of three days or more will forfeit his riding fee and prize-money percentage.

Penalties will increase for those who breach the rules on more than one occasion, and the second offence will be double that of a first offence.

The new guidelines and penalties will come into effect on Monday, October 10.

The BHA announced the changes on Tuesday morning after leading the review, compiled with input from recognised animal welfare bodies, including the RSPCA.

Use of the whip was the subject of much scrutiny when Jason Maguire was found to have struck Ballabriggs 17 times when winning the John Smith's Grand National at Aintree in April. Maguire was suspended five days.

Frankie Dettori was also banned nine days after he hit Rewilding 24 times inside the final two furlongs of the Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot.

An outright ban on using the whip during races had come under discussion during the review.

BHA RECOMMENDATIONS

Recommendation 1: Based on extensive consultation and the detailed research outlined in this report, that the use of the whip for safety and encouragement should continue, and that the term 'correction' is superfluous.

Recommendation 2: Under the current Rules and penalties the number of breaches of the whip Rules each year is unacceptable, and action should be taken by the Authority to achieve behavioural change amongst, and compliance by, jockeys.

Recommendation 3: Whilst current scientific evidence broadly supports the continued use of the whip in Racing - providing strict controls are enforced - further research is needed and the Authority should continue to support investigations in this field.

Recommendation 4: The Authority should continue to support research into the design of the whip and incorporate any future technological innovations into British Horseracing as appropriate if it is felt that equine welfare could be enhanced.

Recommendation 5: The Authority should widely publish the results of this Review and take other steps to try to maximise understanding of the use of the whip within Racing.

Recommendation 6: The Authority should commission future public opinion research in order to keep track of the views of the public regarding the use of the whip.

Recommendation 7: That any ambiguity within the penalty structure be removed by considering that use of the whip with the jockey's whip hand off the reins be considered as a hit regardless of how, where, or with what force the whip is used on the horse.

Recommendation 8: That the practice of issuing cautions for breaches of the whip Rules be discontinued. This is intended to bring about greater compliance with the Rules by jockeys.

Recommendation 9: That the entry point for all whip offences be increased significantly, together with increasing the additional component by which the Stewards arrive at what they believe to be the appropriate penalty for an offence.

Recommendation 10: That the current totting up procedure be discontinued for suspensions arising out of the breaches of the whip Rules, and that in its place the Stewards will consider a jockey's prior disciplinary record for whip offences within a rolling twelve month period in imposing incremental penalties for the current offence. This will lead to a jockey who is a repeat offender being referred to the Disciplinary Panel at a much earlier stage.

Recommendation 11: That the riding suspensions imposed on jockeys for breaching the whip Rules be effective on the days on which they are due to be served regardless of whether or not Group 1 or Grade 1 races are scheduled to be run.

Recommendation 12: Where a jockey is found to have contravened the Rules through their use of the whip during a race and such contravention results in a suspension of three days or more, before previous offences are taken into account, that jockey will forfeit any monies that they would otherwise have been entitled to under the Rules. This should apply not only to the jockey's share of the total prize fund, but also to the riding fee due for having ridden in the race.

Recommendation 13: In the case of the jockey being an apprentice jockey or conditional jockey whose employer is normally entitled to a share of the jockey's earnings, the employer shall also forfeit any monies payable from the jockey's earnings as they would have otherwise been entitled to under the Rules.

Recommendation 14: That a Rule be implemented to make it an offence for an owner to compensate, or instruct any other person to compensate, any jockey for any earnings forfeited as a result of breaching the whip Rules.

Recommendation 15: That the Authority should incorporate current understanding of animal welfare, behavioural and other science into jockey training to ensure whip use is acceptable and not counterproductive and also make greater use of remedial training for all jockeys, not just Amateurs, who are identified to have deficiencies in their riding, including the use of the whip.

Recommendation 16: That any Apprentice Jockey or Conditional Jockey, regardless of their experience, transferring permanently to Great Britain from an overseas Racing jurisdiction be required to undergo training at the Authority's approved training providers prior to being licensed by the Authority.

Recommendation 17: That any jockey who has been referred to, and found to be in breach by, the Disciplinary Panel for whip related offences on three occasions should be required to 'show cause' to the Authority as to why any application for a further licence ought be granted

Recommendation 18: That the Authority put in place a system which will enable it to identify visiting jockeys whose disciplinary record, when riding in Great Britain, is of such concern that consideration of extending the privilege to that jockey of riding in Great Britain should be withdrawn.

Recommendation 19: That the Authority, in conjunction with its accepted training providers, revisits the course content and structure delivered to Apprentice Jockeys, Conditional Jockeys, and Amateur Riders at each stage in their career to ensure proper consideration is given to providing the most effective training for jockeys in acceptable and correct use of the whip.

**littlewid** Tue Sep 27, 2011 10:45 pm

I know we had conversations over this Doogs when the case of Rewilding hit the news but I must say, I am very pleased that the rules for using a whip have been reviewed and that they have been made public. It is in my view much better for the horse and the rules do seem as though the Jockeys will have to adhere to them or accept the consequences.

Thank you for posting that Doogs.

littlewid-x-

**whitestarling** Tue Sep 27, 2011 10:54 pm

Anything that looks after the welfare of Animals is an improvment
WS

**Doogs** Thu Sep 29, 2011 1:14 pm

Agree - if it's to the animals benefit it can only be a good thing :)

I give you this quote that was on a trainer's website the other day that made me giggle Laughing

:

QUOTE OF THE DAY..When asked why jockeys need the whip, Morris said: "When you have got half a tonne of horse going at 40 miles per hour, you have to be able to steer and position it, and you need to have control. Horses have four big feet and big teeth, they would soon tell you if it was painful [using the whip]."

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