Harness whip rules

[Messenger]

The thing I cannot understand about the proposed change is - if they are having concerns about the safety aspect, why not make the rule that you can carry a whip but it is only for safety measures

[trish]

Seriously how the hell can hitting a horse make it safer����

[trish]

Jesus I thought guiding a horse was ALWAYS done from the front end . I have never seen anyone put a bridle on their arse!!!

[strong persuader]

Jesus I thought guiding a horse was ALWAYS done from the front end . I have never seen anyone put a bridle on their arse!!!

May have to put you up for post of the year for pointing out the obvious so succinctly

[Messenger]

They are both fantastic points by Trish

[Messenger]

Chairman's Update

http://www.harness.org.au/news-artic...?news_id=34779

I have emailed HRA's Andrew Kelly to ask why the whip cannot simply be carried and not used except in the event of whatever emergency drivers think that they are required for (and thus are rejecting safety tools proposed so far) but his reply did not answer the question

[Messenger]

There has been deathly silence on whips lately.
Just watching Maryborough and seeing drivers hit their horse as many as 20 times in the straight - it is not a good look

[Dot]

This was released today Kev on Whip use/rules

http://www.harness.org.au/media-room...?news_id=37518

[Messenger]

It has been a complete backdown from the supposed whip free racing.
The concerns about the drivers needing a control tool in an emergency were BS as Andrew Kelly never told addressed my email asking why drivers could not keep their whips but only use them if an emergency arose

On those rules a driver can hit a horse 20 times in the straight - not that I saw too many pauses in Nathan Jack's action to name one

[Messenger]

I would have thought Kerryn Manning a horse lover and yet once again she was fined for applying the whip too strongly to Micrometeor last Thursday
I don't think some drivers can control themselves in a belief that it could cost them a win
Have they ever stood back and had a look at what it looks like?
It is a pity Harness racing lost its courage after promising whip free racing

It would be more controversial to see stewards reverse a close decision like this particular race because of the whip action
- it couldn't happen in this race because 2nd placed driver Mark Pitt was also fined for using the whip too often

http://www.harness.org.au/racing/fie...ic#MXC12071807

http://www.harness.org.au/racing/ste...&fromstate=vic

I found 'Integrity Matters' in my email after writing this and it includes an update on whips including:

The HRV Stewards understand the widely held industry view that the whip is an important safety tool and we will be determined in our policing of these new whip rules to do our part to ensure the whip remains. However, it must be remembered that these new whip rules were only considered after the decision was originally made to ban the whip altogether in 2016 and I urge all drivers to commit to adhering to the new rules as this may be the last chance the industry will have to maintain use of the whip.

Well I must be plain stupid because nobody using the 'safety tool' argument has explained to me why drivers cannot carry a whip for safety BUT only use it for such emergencies