The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission has unanimously approved a statewide ban on a certain types of whips used in harness racing.The panel on Monday voted to ban whips and riding crops that have strands of material at the end, called a snapper, which has been known to leave severe welts on horses.The commission also placed new restrictions on the way in which standardbred drivers can strike a horse. One-handed whipping that has been allowed during stretch runs will be outlawed.Commission spokesperson Jim Carroll says the new rules are scheduled to go into effect next year."There's a regulatory process that involves publication of the proposed regulation changes and a public comment period, so it would be sometime in the spring of '09," Carroll said.He says Kentucky is believed to be the first racing jurisdiction in North America to place curbs on those whipping practices.
Rick Howlett was midday host and the host of LPM's weekly talk show, "In Conversation." He was with LPM from 2001-2023 and held many different titles, including Morning Edition host, Assignment Editor and Interim News Director. He died in August 2023. Read a remembrance of Rick here.