Why do we need research papers to prove that whipping hurts?

This is another – What is wrong with humans? post.

I must be a bit ‘anti-human’ lately, as I seem to pen a few of these!

Ive been trying to draft a ‘position statement’ on the use of whips in racing –

I keep getting stuck.

I can be a bit blunt at times (ok often!) - I keep wanting to just write

“Whipping horses so humans can win more money is wrong”

and leave it at that.

I mean, what else do I need to say?

Isn’t that enough?

Do I REALLY need more justification? Whipping animals is wrong.

Doing so for human financial gain is wrongER.

Worse. Despicable. Abhorrent. What other adjectives can I use?

Why do we need research papers (we have them) to prove that whips cause pain?

Do we not know this?

It seems that the people related to the racing industry see things differently.

It apparently doesn’t cause pain? In whose world that is I am not sure!

Claims of ‘in the excitement of the race they don’t feel it’

‘Horses are bigger than people so don’t feel it as much?’

‘Horses have thicker skin than people so don’t feel it as much’

Blah. No Words.

Basic common sense here? We have all seen a horse twitch their skin when a fly lands on it? Even racehorses – who knew? Yet they don’t feel whips? Really?

Does whipping harder give you an edge? If everyone in the race stopped whipping,

NO-ONE would have a whipping advantage. More basic common sense?

We now have research papers whose findings posit that whipped horses don’t run faster – Even if it did make them go faster, it is still whipping a sentient being with perfectly working skin nerve endings, so a human CAN WIN MORE MONEY. And again, if they all stopped whipping there is no advantage

This is the first 4 lines in wikipaedia when I entered ‘whip’

A whip is a blunt melee weapon or implement used in a striking motion to create sound or pain. Whips can be used for flagellation against humans or animals to exert control or strength through pain compliance or fear of pain,

(oh no – now they will claim they whip because of the sound)

Pain

Why do we need research to tell us that whips cause pain?

Greed. Human greed. Or glory.

Sad

Written by Vicki Conroy for PPGA Equine subcommittee