LettersHong Kong Jockey Club must ensure animal welfare with a clearer whip rule
- Readers discuss equine welfare in Hong Kong, a teaching moment from a whale’s death, government action on the matter, and the city’s new toll system
Some have raised concerns about proceeding with the races in the Hong Kong summer, and wondered if racehorses are getting sufficient rest. However, these concerns are just the tip of the iceberg; the animals are also not very well protected under the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s current whipping policy.
For example, Australia began tightening whip use rules in 2010. France, Germany, Ireland, South Africa and the United Kingdom limit jockeys to between five and 12 strikes per race, while Norway and Sweden have largely banned whip use.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong does not stipulate the number of strikes allowed per race. Instead, a rule states: “The Stewards may punish a jockey if in their opinion he has used his whip in an excessive, improper, unnecessary or inappropriate manner.”