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<p>The Horse Welfare Board’s five-year Horse Welfare Strategy (HWS) “a life well-lived”
was published on 20 February 2020. The HWS contains 20 recommendations for improving
the welfare of horses bred for racing. The HWS recommends that, as a minimum, the
penalties for misuse of the whip need to increase and that the British Horseracing
Authority (BHA) should conduct a consultation on the use of the whip. The Strategy
also recommends that this consultation should gather views on future restrictions
on whip use and on a possible ban. The opening of this consultation has been delayed
due to the Covid-19 outbreak.</p><p> </p><p>Defra officials will remain engaged with
the BHA on the progress being made with the consultation. I would encourage anyone
with evidence that a racehorse has suffered unnecessarily from being whipped to get
in touch with the BHA and share their concerns. In the most severe cases of misuse,
an individual may be investigated under the 2006 Animal Welfare Act, as well as receiving
significant sanctions from the sport.</p>
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