Thanks for this post. I have never watched that victory by secretariat and it is certainly worth watching. Anyone or anything that can be that much better than the best in their chosen pursuit is worth seeing. M
As for the whipping, wasoxygen -didn't they announce at the end of that video that secretariat was "hand" and not "whip" trained? As for the riding crop, I always thought of it as an extension of the hand, merely elongating the reach. Is that wrong?
It was amazing to watch and something I had never seen. It sounded to me that the announcer said the jockey did not use the whip on the back stretch. I suppose you could think of it that way. Presumably it will only be effective to the extent that it gets the horse's attention. Is entertaining an audience adequate justification for hurting the animal? Seems it would still be a fair race if no jockeys used crops.As for the riding crop, I always thought of it as an extension of the hand, merely elongating the reach. Is that wrong?