It was reported in the last couple of days that PETA Australia filed criminal charges in Tasmania alleging that the practice of whipping horses during horseraces violates the state’s animal welfare laws.

According to Tasmania’s animal welfare laws, it is a crime to beat an animal, and to cause an unreasonable and unjustifiable pain or suffering to an animal. Considering that whipping horses during horse races is beating an animal, and it is an unreasonable and unjustifiable infliction of pain and suffering to an animal, the organization is hoping to outlaw whipping horses on racetracks.

Obviously, all animal exploitation industries necessarily, unexceptionally and constantly involve beating animals and causing an unreasonable and unjustifiable pain or suffering, but if this initiative succeeds, hopefully it can function as a legal precedent and so expectantly initiate an international ban, at least on whipping horses during races.
However, whipping, as severe and as common in horse racing all over the world as it is, is of course extremely far from being the only or even the main issue horses are suffering from in the racing industry. Continue reading →