France has become the latest country to crack down on whip use by jockeys after announcing the number of strikes will be limited to four this year.
The country’s racing regulator, France Galop, cut the limit for the third time in six years as it reduced the number of times the whip can be used from five, on the Flat and over jumps.
In Britain, new rules are scheduled to come into force later this month which will impose limits of seven strikes for jump jockeys, and six for Flat riders from the end of March.
Among a new raft of potential penalties, horses can be disqualified from big races if any jockey exceeds the threshold by four or more.
In Germany the limit has been cut to three from five with severe bans for those guilty of the most serious breaches.
France Galop said the implementation of the new rules will undergo a bedding-in period from March 1 to April 30 when jockeys will get a warning if they use the whip five times or more.
The stewards will consider use of the whip on the shoulder or neck of a horse when the jockey does not have both hands on the reins as counting towards the permitted number of strikes.
Stewards will have the discretion to decide whether a jockey has used the whip for safety reasons rather than misused it. Using the whip above shoulder height will be considered a misuse offence.
Stiffer penalties will be also be available to stewards from breaches in big races, but not disqualification.