FLOG 'EM!

I switched to Tellytrack his afternoon whilst waiting for something more interesting to fire up on the sports channels.

My interest was piqued by Nips Nugget; simply because the owners have copied -as closely as is legally possible- the colours of well know National Hunt owner Trevor Hemmings.

Mr Hemmings colours are Emerald Gread and Yellow Quartered with White Sleeves whilst the owners of Nips Nugget have registered as Turquoise Green & Gold Quartered with White Sleeves etc. In the flesh they look absolutely identical.

But I digress. Having gotten my attention I watched the performance of Nips Nugget in the race. Without wishing to focus critical attention on jockey Roebuck in particular I am nevertheless wondering about the ride..................

Nips Nugget appeared to be well sweated up before the race. So if I was the jockey I would have been wondering whether the use of the whip in the latter stages of the race was likely to be productive or advised.

But right on cue at the 400 metre mark the whip was produced and administered with mechanical regularity from there right through to the finish. At the time of its production the horse was within a length or so of the leaders but clearly already flat out to keep up if its action was any kind of pointer. The jockey then switched the whip to his right hand and adminstered another two cracks. Not a particularly bright idea as this caused the horse to veer inwards - losing ground and requiring it to be straightened up again. So effectively putting paid to any faint chance it might have had.

No matter - the one two whack, one two whack was administered right through to the finish when the horse had no chance with the winner and was running on for fourth. Would this result have been any different under a vigorous hand ride?

Give me the Pierre Strydom approach any day. There are not an awful lot of horses who do not give of their best without this kind of unthinking, deep seated, habitual punishment. A sort of : If it's the 400 metre mark it must be whip time.

Having counted the total number of ( possibly pointless ) strokes administered I cannot help but reflect on the fact that this would probably have earned the jockey a holiday in the UK.

www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/horse-racing/17347139

Garrick, I agree on the whip use. I hate to see it used just for the sake of using it. It is an aid not a punishment for not going fast enough for the jockey.

Desperation for ..?????... or just plain 'animal......sorry,........ WHIP abuse....very difficult to make a decision. Please just do things right and don't hurt those beautiful creatures.

Here them (the HORSE) whisper to you

Manne Fortune was one who seemed to use the whip only rarely, and I really liked him for that. Where is he these days?

I suppose "The Persuader" is needed sometimes, but I do wonder why so often or so much. Classical conditioning comes into play, imho ... you know, ring a bell every time you give a dog food and eventually it will start to salivate as soon as the bell is rung. Let a horse get near the front and start whipping it, and it won't take it too long to learn not to go anywhere near the front.

I sometimes wonder if this isn't the reason why some good horses seem to "lose form" without obvious physical reasons. They are smart enough to realise that being in front will lead to pain, so it figures that its safer to stay in the pack ... just wondering ...

Interesting thought Mav, it reminds me of the horse that could hit a cricket ball and ended up playing for a top team, the horse started with 4 x 6, followed by 5 x 4 and the crowd were going crazy then a short ball and the captain shouted "run" and the horse turned and says to the captain " if I could run I would be at Turffontien and not the Wanderers"

Go look at Strydoms ride Saturday on Umfutho, the horse ducks outwards, Strydom then changes whip to his left hand and only showed the horse the whip, did not even use it....(tu)

gregbucks Wrote:

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> Go look at Strydoms ride Saturday on Umfutho, the
> horse ducks outwards, Strydom then changes whip to
> his left hand and only showed the horse the whip,
> did not even use it....(tu)

GB, that is the master's "trick", it's a deliberate movement enough to intimidate challenging rivals and, usually, not enough to end up in the boardroom

Are the whips in SA the same as Uk.The leather ended whips are not used.Its folded vinyl or lightweight foam cushioned.
The jockey club has to approve all whips.In the bad old days horses were marked badly.
During testing of these foam cushioned whips,Jim Crowley hit Greg Wood of the BHA 3 times on his hand the same he would
on one of his mounts and declared he scarcely felt a thing..

2cents Wrote:

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> gregbucks Wrote:
>

---

>

---

> > Go look at Strydoms ride Saturday on Umfutho,
> the
> > horse ducks outwards, Strydom then changes whip
> to
> > his left hand and only showed the horse the
> whip,
> > did not even use it....(tu)
>
> GB, that is the master's "trick", it's a
> deliberate movement enough to intimidate
> challenging rivals and, usually, not enough to end
> up in the boardroom


Must say I thought there would be an objection - was there a race review?

Just watched R8 from Kenilworth.....fast finishing Trizas must have had at least 7 whacks in the last 100 m or so(td)