He is convinced the emphasis should be on welfare itself, and not on public perception.

“I very strongly feel that the whip needs to be retained for the proper riding of horses,” the Middleham-based handler told At The Races.

“It is an essential tool for the job, particularly in racing to initiate the right response and make these horses run.

“I also very strongly feel that it is a welfare issue, but not a welfare problem.

“Welfare should be put a long way ahead of public perception.

“The BHA review group had to look at everybody’s views which they did in great detail. They came to a decision and did so in good faith.

“My view is perception has been put ahead of welfare a long time ago. I don’t think these latest changes to the rules have gone any further down that route.

“The problem was once we set down that route it is a case of driving a wedge forward because you are pandering to a minority of people who can’t see any purpose for the whip whatsoever.

“As long as you do that you are accepting they have some sort of case, that they maybe right, and, frankly, I think they are wrong.

“I have never been concerned about the use of whip on my horses. I can think of a couple on instances where I felt the whip was used wrongly and unnecessarily and those were dealt with internally.

“My main argument is that it’s time we drew a line in the sand and said we are the experts on horse welfare and we will stand by our decision on that.

“We are not going to change rules to suit what people perceive to be good animal welfare.”

Kevin Darley, chief executive of the Professional Jockeys Association, wants the rules to be re-examined as the penalties are too severe.

The former champion Flat jockey feels the new rules are not acting as a deterrent and are threatening to take away competitiveness from the sport.

He said: “The penalties are horrendous. Jockeys are trying to remain competitive and that is what they are struggling with.

“The objective was to reduce the amount of whip breaches and, as we have seen, these new rules have been put in place and if we carry on like we are they will be doubled.

“I think there has got to be a different process. The BHA and the welfare people have said that as long as the whip has got restricted use, it has got a use in horseracing and it is a tool of the trade.

“We’ve have got to look at what is happening now. Jockeys have to remain competitive.

“We have got to find a number that we think as horsemen should be the limit. We need to find a number that is acceptable.

“There is no buffer for them at all. Once they go one-hit over they get a five-day suspension, when they go two hits over they get a seven-day suspension and any prize-money taken away. They are taking the competitiveness away from them.

“It is not acting as a deterrent because jockeys are still getting banned so we really need to look at these rules again.”