Horse racing do they hit the horse?

The jockey will sometimes carry what is called a "bat" which is about 2 feet long with a flat leather end. They will use this to smack the horse on the flank (just behind the jockey's leg) to encourage him to run a bit faster. This is not considered abusive at all because the end of the bat is wide and flat and more than anything else makes a slapping sound on the horse's side which excites him. This is usually only used towards the end of a race if there is going to be a close finish.