This is unique in the world of galloping: Swiss riders forbid themselves from being hit by the whip

It is a revolution in horse riding. “We don’t want to beat the horses anymore!” is the clear motto in the Swiss gallop sport, which is now imposing a ban on itself. Hitting the horse to drive it along? In the future it will no longer be available on the major Swiss racing circuits such as Dielsdorf ZH, Avenches VD or on snow on the White Turf in St. Moritz GR.

The general meeting of the Gallop Switzerland Association decided on Saturday in Aarau to ban whips. Of course not only for the big races, but throughout Switzerland. Anyone who lashes out will be severely punished in the future with fines, withholding of profits and, above all, with a license suspension of at least 30 days.

It is unique in the world that horse owners, riders and trainers decide to take this radical step. For example, the whip ban in Norway was dictated by the state, while in Sweden it was dictated by the association from 2022 onwards. But there, without questioning those involved. “It was important to us that such a far-reaching decision was supported by the majority,” Nicole Seiler, board member of Galopp Switzerland, told Blick.

The allowed number of strokes had already been reduced to three

Of course, this driving revolution did not come out of nowhere. It was 2016 when an association member submitted a corresponding application for the first time. There is not yet a majority, but the tenor is at least sufficient for the establishment of a working group. From 2017, the number of strokes allowed will be reduced from five to three, including huge fines for exceeding the limit. The pandemic then delayed the renewed approach to a full ban. From 2021 onwards, an increasingly broad reconsideration was noticeable within the scene, says Seiler. Now there was a clear majority in support. “The time was right for it,” says the board member.

How big will the change be for the jockeys? You may still carry the whip with you, but only for touching the shoulder for correction. Racing in Switzerland takes some getting used to, especially for jockeys from abroad – even though it was no longer standard to actually use all three strokes available.

The whip has defined the image of the sport for centuries

For animal welfare reasons, whips designed not to hurt horses have long been standard. However, they “chop” loudly. At Gallop Switzerland the beating of the whip is now abolished, which still gave the impression that the animals were being beaten quite severely.

Whether a horse gallops faster when beaten is a matter of debate anyway. But the use of the whip shapes the image of the sport and is a centuries-old tradition. For example, the famous ‘Royal Ascot’ in England was first held in 1711 and is still under the patronage of the British Royal Family. family today. In certain Asian countries, there are still penalties in horse racing if no whipping is given. Now the opposite applies in Switzerland. Will the example of the galloper soon become a model for other equestrian sports?