At the end of January 2022, the Swedish horse racing authority Svesk Galopp announced that new regulations on the use of whips in horse racing will come into force with the start of the new season: From April 2022, whips may no longer be used in gallop races to ‘encourage’ the horses and drive to maximum performance.
The whips may continue to be carried, but only used to ward off dangerous situations.

Exemplary decision by the Swedish Equestrian Authority in horse racing

In Sweden, the use of the whip has been discussed for years.
In the past, the regulations were gradually changed.
For example, foam-padded sticks were introduced a few years ago.
Now the use of whips in horse races is to be banned altogether.

The Swedish authority writes: “Using the whip in horse racing is just not going to be a thing in 2022.”
(Helena Gärtner, Project Manager at the Scandinavian Racing Regulations Committee).

Previously, Swedish rules allowed the whip to be used three times in most races.
However, the use of the whip in show jumping and gallop races was not allowed for two-year-old horses.

In trotting races, such “aids” contrary to animal welfare may still be used: According to this, it is permitted to “maneuver” and “correct” the horses with the whips up to 400 meters from the finish line, as long as the animal is not put under excessive pressure.

The decision of the Swedish authorities to ban the use of whips in horse racing is a big step in the right direction and long overdue not only for Swedes.
Germany and many other countries must also take this step and speak out against the suffering of horses in so-called “equestrian sport”.
Horses deserve a life free of exploitation and violence – regardless of state borders and horse racing variants.

Not only the use of animal cruelty “aids” should be forbidden, but a general ban on exploitative equestrian sport is required.

Horse racing: exploitation and violence for profit

The multi-million dollar equestrian industry is based on the systematic exploitation of horses.
The animals are often sent to the starting line in horse races at a much too young age of two to three years.

Horses can be growing up to the age of seven – high-intensity training and the stress of competition then often lead to serious injuries, examples being irreparable damage to tendons and bones.

The use/use of horses that are too young, whose physique is still soft and not suitable for the strains of “modern” training in “equestrian sport”, and the enormous psychological stress on the animals ensure that many horses after only a few years of everyday exploitation and also die early or are killed due to physical and psychological damage.

Horses are prey animals that are often violently driven to maximum performance during races and forced to take risks that they would never be willing to take voluntarily.
When the sensitive animals fall during a race, they are usually seriously injured or even fatal.

In the industry, bleeding from the lungs, ruptured aorta and gastric ulcers are accepted for profit reasons: the psychological stress promotes gastric ulcers, and bloody nostrils can be observed in many animals after the race as a sign of bleeding in the lungs.

Cases are becoming known again and again in which riders have doped the horses: the animals are often given medication so that they can withstand the stress at all.

As soon as the animals no longer perform as expected, they are “sorted out”.
What then happens to them remains mostly unknown.

– Never attend equestrian events such as horse races.
– Please sign our petition and ask the federal government to finally ban the dangerous races.

https://www.peta.de/themen/pferderennen-petition/

https://www.peta.de/neuigkeiten/schweden-peitschen-pferderennen/

And I mean…Every lash, no matter how strong, is associated with pain. They cause the horses to literally run for their lives in pain and fear.
None of the animals would voluntarily achieve this unnatural peak performance.
In addition to the physical pain, the whip produces something akin to psychological terror.

It is unknown how many horses are injured during training.

“Training” includes cutting nerves (neurectomy) on the legs of jumping horses, inserting pointed objects into leg bandages, using electrical aids, or active, passive, and chemical parallel bars. This includes hitting the horse’s legs with wooden or iron bars.

If an injured horse stays alive, such injuries usually mean the end of a career in racing, that’s for sure.
The animals are then either used for breeding or sold.
If they are not (anymore) registered for racing or breeding, the association will not pursue the horses.
It is therefore unclear how many racehorses survive with consequential damage – or whether they are also euthanized.

This “industry” (horse “sport”) is just a part of the whole animal cruelty industries!
It’s about the abuse of animals as sports and fun equipment.

The horse is and will always be a device in the racing industry.
If the device is broken, it’s gone, it costs money and that’s what it’s all about.
As long as there are people paying for it, there will never be an end.

Not only whips and other tortures in horse racing but in principle this brutal, unscrupulous system – horse racing – should be banned

My best regards to all, Venus