Whip is easy to defend but using it on beaten horses is indefensible

When I was riding, the whip was at times a major topic in this column. Since the subject was raised in the Racing Post by Tom Kerr last week it has been in the spotlight once again. I now want to add a few of my own thoughts – and they may surprise you.

The modern whip is crafted so as not to hurt a horse. I'm therefore not one of those squeamish people who worries about seeing a horse being given a belt in the closing stages of a race. However, that only applies if the horse being hit is in contention at the time and is clearly responding to the whip.

What I cannot abide seeing is a horse being slapped when nowhere near the front of a race and plainly without a realistic chance of getting in the money.