As thoroughbreds race down the stretch, jockeys (as instructed by trainers) whip the horses mercilessly. Sadly, this abuse is standard practice in the U.S., since trainers, owners, and jockeys are all driven by the desire to make money, leaving the horses to suffer terribly.

In an era where beating animals is considered cruelty in every other arena, the whipping of horses is still a familiar sight in Australian racing. Despite changes to the whip rules in 2009, jockeys can use the whip as many times as they like in the last 100 meters – the most frenzied and desperate stage of a race – which means that horses can be struck as many as 13 times in a row, just as they are reaching the limits of their endurance.

Striking the horse in the abdomen, also referred to as the flank, is likely to be more painful to the horse than a strike on the hindquarters because there is little muscle in this area to absorb the impact of the whip. The flank also extends to the stifle joint and is extremely sensitive and vulnerable to injury. For this reason, strikes to the flank are prohibited under international racing rules –

At a 2008 race, the horse named Appeal to the City suffered hemorrhaging around her eye when jockey Jeremy Rose “engaged in extreme misuse of the whip.” There are few penalties for extreme whipping in the U.S., even though jockeys in other countries face severe penalties for hurting horses in this way. One U.K. jockey was banned from racing for five days for excessive use of a whip after his horse-required oxygen after a race.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, (P E T A), has long called for a ban on whips, and there are signs that the industry is bowing to the pressure. In 2009, following persistent pressure from P E T A, several prominent tracks, including Churchill Downs, replaced hard leather whips with softer air-cushioned whips. While