Mark Johnston has slammed racing’s governors for bringing in whip rules saying “no organisation has done more harm to the public perception of the use of the riding crop in racing than the BHA” and their predecessors.
Britain’s winning-most trainer claimed the latest changes had little to do with horse welfare and were being driven by a need to manage public perception of the sport.
“Every time we ban and/or penalise a jockey for his use of the crop, the public perceive, quite understandably, that a horse has been abused and its welfare has been compromised,” he said in his latest ‘Bletherings’ blog post.
