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Is horse racing right to crack down on the whip?

A lively debate over whip restrictions brought in just before the Cheltenham Festival.

It鈥檚 one of the highlights of the racing calendar but the build-up to this year鈥檚 Cheltenham festival has been dominated by controversy over one piece of a rider鈥檚 kit: the whip.

So, are new restrictions over its use a necessary step to protect horse welfare and improve the sport鈥檚 image?

Or, are they an over-the-top reaction to a non-existent problem that鈥檚 forcing riders to reinvent their techniques at the peak of the jump racing season?

Ex Gold Cup-winning jockey Andrew Thornton argues that whip use is "not a welfare issue", while Roly Owers, the CEO of World Horse Welfare, insists that the whip should only be used for safety and training, not to encourage a horse.

Panel: Nesta McGregor, John Hunt, Andrew Thornton & Roly Owers.

Producer: Sam Sheringham

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45 minutes

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