Whips and horses

Sir,– Am I the only person who is disgusted to see regularly on sports news the sight of tired horses being beaten to make them reach the winning post first? You wouldn’t do it to a dog, so why do it to a horse? It is tolerated because the bloodstock industry is worth billions internationally. A first step would be to take away the jockeys’ whips and make them use the force of their personality to persuade the horses to run faster. – Yours, etc,

BILL ROE,

Ranelagh, Dublin 6.