Legal battle against whips

ANIMAL activists have filed criminal charges against Tasracing, arguing that its use of horse whips constitutes an act of animal cruelty.

The court documents were filed in the Hobart Magistrates Court last Friday by the Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses and PETA, the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals.

Their legal case rests on the premise that whipping horses violates section 8(1) of the 1993 Animal Welfare Act.

The section outlaws any act which “causes or is likely to cause unreasonable and unjustifiable pain or suffering to an animal”.

PETA campaign adviser Mimi Bekhechi said it was already illegal to beat any other animal and that there was no reason those protections should not extend to horses.

Ms Bekhechi said they hoped these court proceedings would test the legality of whipping horses on racetracks.

“There is nothing reasonable nor justifiable about whipping a horse relentlessly to the finish line of a race in which they are forced to take part,” she said.

“Horses experience complex emotions and don’t want to feel pain.

“They deserve the same level of consideration in law as the dogs and cats with whom we share our homes.”

Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses director Elio Celotto said whipping any other animal in any other circumstances would cause a public outrage.

Mr Celotto said they hoped this case would have serious legal ramifications for the racing industry, not only in Tasmania but around the world.

“Because of the unusual status of the racing rules under the Tasmanian Animal Welfare Act 1993 and most other state’s animal protection Acts, whipping horses during racing has long been given an unofficial free pass,” he said.

“Beating horses with a whip is just the tip of the iceberg in this cruel and ruthless industry.

“This case is asking a magistrate to confirm that whipping racehorses causes unreasonable and unjustifiable pain.”

A Tasracing spokesman said the rules around whipping were clear and overseen by the stewards of the Office of Racing Integrity.

“Importantly, Tasracing complies with the Australian Rules of Racing in full which govern racing and conduct of races,” the spokesman said.

“Tasracing has a seat on the Racing Australia Riding Protocols Committee which reviews the whip rules on an ongoing basis.”