Present it so that the horse understands.
Strike it in rhythm with the horse’s stride, but only on the shoulders or the hindquarters. Resist its use if the horse is out of the race, or has reached its maximum placing, or is not responding. Excessive or brutal use is prohibited.
So states Section 4035.9 of the New York State Gaming Commission’s rules of racing, which addresses the riding crop – the term preferred by a horse racing industry forever grappling with the perception of a standard piece of equipment better known as the whip.
With the chance that American Pharoah might claim the first Triple Crown since 1978 by winning the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, millions who do not normally follow horse racing may once again see jockeys whipping horses to go faster in pursuit of glory and purse.