The effect of whip use on stride parameters and the racehorse

Article by Rhi Lee-Jones

Katie Walker, a recent graduate of the Thoroughbred and Horseracing Industries MBA, presented her research project findings regarding the effect of the whip at the 2022 Horseracing Industry Conference. The project explored how sectional time/stride data could be used to analyse the impact of the whip in the closing stages of races. The project, supported by the HBLB, made use of the data provided by Total Performance Data to determine what insights could be gained regarding both the performance and health of equine athletes. The use of the whip is a prevalent topic in British horse racing, with the British Horseracing Authority’s Whip Consultation Report released in July 2022 recommending research into “the effects of the whip, using any relevant scientific advances to inform policy.”

For this study, data was collected from two match sets: hands and heels races and whip permitted races. Both sets were drawn from races post-2017, when stride data became available; and a limiting factor must be noted regarding the small quantity of hands and heels races, and therefore, data available.

Stride length and stride frequency in the final three furlongs of each race were extracted, controlling for trip, ground, number of runners, quality of horse and racecourse as far as possible. No significant difference in stride frequency was found; however, a small but significant difference in stride length was found, with horses in whip permitted races having marginally longer strides. This was recorded as follows. 3f – 2f = 0.09m, 2f – 1f = 0.12m and 1f to finish = 0.05m. However, the reasons that trainers run horses in hands and heels races may lead to selection bias, which makes further analysis necessary.

This analysis was performed with both sets of data. In the final three furlongs, it was found that the stride length of whip permitted horses decreased by 0.4m (5.7%), whereas hands and heels horses’ stride length decreased by 0.36m (5.2%). 

Horses placed 1st, 2nd and 3rd in all races were then subtracted to find the stride length declines in the final three furlongs, hence disregarding the horses out of contention. Data showed a similar pattern of a reduced decrease in stride length for horses in hands and heels races. Hence as the table below shows, horses in races with the whip permitted show a larger decrease than hands and heels-ridden horses—a surprising finding.

No firm conclusions can be made here due to the limitations of the data, but it raises the question of the impact of the whip. The use of stride parameters per second, as opposed to averages over a furlong, and adding whip counts, could produce studies where hands and heels races are not required for analysis. This would allow for a larger data set and more detailed analysis. 

Sensors on the whip could count both the strikes and the force to give an enhanced picture of how the horse is responding and performing, bringing into focus how jockey training would also be influential on these factors. Cardiac monitoring is advised for this deeper analysis to monitor for signs of distress in the horse. Interference between participants is a major safety concern during the running of a race and could be monitored with use of this data and guide future rule reviews. In short, funding for this analysis could be revolutionary in a range of welfare and integrity concerns.