Does whipping my oxen hurt them?

When moving along the trail you can go at a slow pace or whip your oxen so that they move faster. Is that mechanic just a part of the trail-running aspect of the game, to help you dodge obstacles and such? Or is there a tradeoff for the extra speed?

So... Does whipping your oxen make them get injured more often/quickly?

I haven't played this game, but I found a youtube video which has your answer. In it, a tip pops up on screen and says, "Up ahead are some obstacles on the road. If you hit them with your oxen or wagon, they will get harmed. The faster you are going, the greater the damage..." The trade off would be greater damage from obstacles. To specifically answer whether whipping oxen hurts them, no, your oxen aren't hurt by being whipped, but the whip makes them move faster which causes them and the wagon to sustain more damage when you hit obstacles.