The industry probably isn't going to get behind the movement of getting rid of the whip, what do you guys think of an alternate plan where a "soft" crop is used.   It would be easy enough to come up with a test for how much force a whip is capable of producing.  The shaft material could be adjusted from the current material to lesson the blow, as could the leather end.    Tracks could force jocks to use an approved "soft" crop the same way they made them go to the ASTM approved helments a few years ago.

Thoughts????

Why not? It just has to be enough to get the horse's attention and as long as everyone is using them it is a level playing field.

While on the subject, I've never paid much attention but do you horsemen out there feel that the use of the whip really makes a difference? Does it get that much extra effort from the horse?

As I posted below, Jerry Bailey doesn't seem to think it helps, and he's even said it can be detrimental. You really can't get a horse to run (or do much of anything) if they don't want to. Those who defend it say it's needed for safety reasons--to prevent a horse going into the rail or another horse (often it seems to have the exact opposite effect though). Maybe just let them use it ONLY for safety reasons--the horse is bearing out so much as to cause an accident.

With all due respect to JB, for the most of his career he rode the best of the best for the best.  I don't know if the same applies for nickel claimers at Hoosier Park, I doubt he does either.  I'd feel a little better about it though if at least a few other jocks were coming out saying the same thing.  Right now JB seems to be the only one.

Preesumably, Jerry was humbled into this opinion after watching a replay of the fearsome beating he inflicted on Grindstone during that ones' last run to glory.