And so it goes, angst on both sides of the issue until the solution is determined to lie somewhere in the middle. It is a fairly legitimate concern in the 21st century. Fact: Drivers should not be flailing away as does occur every night, particularly at the smaller tracks racing the cheaper types. Hard to watch, needs to be addressed. Fact: The top drivers rely more on finesse. Rarely is the "sword" drawn in earnest, but it does happen. The authority lies in the hands of those policing the racing to deal with abusive whipping and they should be more industrious in the enforcement of those rules. Penalties should be significant and progressive. Perhaps the whip itself could be redefined to be less abusive. They were once made of rawhide (ouch) and evolved into the modern polywhatever.
There is really no reason to strike the horse any time before the 7/8's pole and those strikes need to be in the fair zone on the horse. Rarely, very rarely, does a particularly vigorous beating propel the horse forward. The worst offenses are those imposed on the tired, poor, huddled masses at the cheap tracks that just want to get back to their stalls and lie down until next week, an issue for another time.
