Letter: It is time to take the whip away

It is time to take the whip away

Sir: In the last-ditch of the defenders of cruelty to animals, along with the fox hunters and sitting-duck shooters, are those who like to whip racehorses.

They - the trainers, jockeys, owners - by their advocacy of whipping show contempt for the animals from which their livings are made. And, no matter what action is taken to keep whipping within what are considered to be "bounds", the present ethos of horse-racing is whip-based. Mr Dettori says "leave the matter to the professionals who can judge whether a horse needs one or a hundred" blows. He is backed by the majority of horsey people. They are given sneaky support by TV sports programmes.

But their vested interests should not smokescreen the loathing many more citizens (including racegoers) feel when seeing some game, exhausted horse having pain inflicted on it for the sake of human greed. Surely if NO jockey carried a whip we would see true courage and stamina from rider and horse.

Jim Brunton,

Edinburgh