'I was dreading it but it's common sense' - Willie Carson on the new whip rules

Willie Carson, who forged a glittering career in the saddle using his whip only in the backhand position, has praised the recommendations in Tuesday's whip review.

Carson, who won the Derby at Epsom four times and was champion jockey on five occasions in a career spanning more than 30 years, said his own riding style placed more emphasis on using the force of his body and the reins to encourage the horse, rather than the whip.

His comments come following Tuesday's news that the Whip Consultation Steering Group had recommended a ban on whip use in the forehand position. This is likely to be introduced in the autumn.

"I wouldn't have to change my riding style at all," said Carson. "I rode 30 years ago and I would've been in the parameters of this ruling.

"It was a natural progression from realising the stick wasn't the way to get the best out of them. I always used it in the backhand position and I'd use it to make their stride go longer. It was used as a coercion thing to make that horse go faster.

Willie Carson, using his whip in the backhand position, aboard the great sprinter Dayjur in the 1990 King's Stand StakesCredit: Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)

"I used my riding style rather than the whip. I was trying to get a hold of their head, using my whole body and everything I could to get the horse to stretch, go forward and get lower to the ground.

"I would never have used that stick to hit horses a lot, many a time I would never hit them at all, that's why I'd still be in the parameters today."

A number of other recommendations were made in the whip review including disqualification as a penalty for the first time. The likes of Sean Levey and Mick Fitzgerald warned riders would require time to adapt to the change to new rulings but, like Carson, agreed the steps taken were a positive.

The review determined the backhand position is less likely to lead to a whip being used with "excessive force", while it is also less noticeable for those watching a race.

Disqualification will come if a rider goes over the permitted number of strikes – seven on the Flat, eight over jumps – by four or more. Carson also felt this was a good decision.

Willie Carson (left): won the 1977 Oaks with the Queen's Dunfermline, pictured after the line with his whip in the backhand positionCredit: Gerry Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)

The man whose most famous mounts include Nashwan, Dunfermline and Dayjur, added: "Jockeys are under pressure but you've got to have some deterrent. Hopefully they've got the calculator in their head that can go from one to seven or eight, that's all it is.

"I basically agree with what's happened – I was dreading it at one point but to me it's common sense. The new rules are in parameters that jockeys should be able to handle but we don't want to be going much further down the line as it is."

Kieren Fallon: 'Everyone will know where they stand with disqualification'

Legendary jockey Kieren Fallon raised concerns regarding how the stewards could differentiate whether a hit of the whip in the forehand position was for safety or encouragement.

Jockeys will face a minimum suspension of seven days if deemed to use the whip in the forehand, even for one use, but the report also stresses a forehand can be used for "safety purposes", meaning it could be complicated to police.

Fallon, who won 16 Classics, said: "Some jockeys will have to change their style with this new backhand rule and it's likely to be awkward and take a bit of getting used to early on.

"It's for the good in some ways as nobody likes to see horses getting hit, but at the end of the day it will still boil down to interpretation between safety and encouragement. That's going to be a difficult one to determine whether it's for safety use or not."

Kieren Fallon with son Cieren: 'When jockeys go over the count currently and keep the race it can leave a sour taste'Credit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

However, Fallon believes the disqualification rules are far more simple to understand and, like Carson, was pleased with that aspect of the review.

"That's a good move and everyone will know where they stand," said Fallon, who rode more than 2,200 winners. "When jockeys go over the count and keep the race it can leave a sour taste.

"Jockeys won't do it now as they know if they go four or more over they will lose the race. That's the way you want the rules – simple and black and white."

Read more on the whip review:

Backhand whip use only and disqualification to be introduced in new whip rules

'It's going to feel foreign to some' – jockeys react to backhand whip ruling

Bookmakers seek clarity on 'far from ideal' whip disqualifications

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