User:Will2berge

Jockeys

Requirements to be a jockey
Jockeys are usually between the heights of 4’10” and 5’6”. They weigh about 110-118 pounds.[2] These height and weight guidelines aren’t set in stone but are important because the lighter and smaller a jockey is the easier a horse can move underneath them. The age requirement for jockeys is 16 years or above. Some countries like Spain allow amateur jockeys at the age of 14. In America the jockey also has to have a racing license from the state they are racing in.[6]

Requirements of a jockey
Jockeys are almost always self employed and live off of the money they win from races. Also Jockeys aren’t allowed to own the horses they ride. They can place bets on races but they are not allowed to bet on races that they are riding in.[5] The life of a jockey is pretty difficult. Along with the obvious weight maintenance issues that come along with being less than 118 pounds, jockeys face grueling long days that begin with working out four or five horses in the morning. After they work horses they could ride in as many as 12 races during the day at different tracks.[2]

Equipment
Jockeys are responsible for all of their own equipment. They wear very thin pants and shirt to keep weight down. They are required to wear a safty vest that weighs a little less than a pound and looks like a floatation vest. For a little more protection they wear a helmet and goggles. When it is rainy or muddy jockeys will wear multiple pairs of goggles so they can continually remove dirty ones,to improve visibility. They also must care for their saddle and layers of cloth underneath it. This has to be changed with the weight of the jockey so that they reach the specified weight for rider and equipment for the race.[6]

Silks
During a race jockeys wear an outfit called jockey silks that represent the owner of the horse being ridden. Not only are these representative of the owner but they must be unique from any other owners silks. Silks are usually bright colors that make them easy to spot from far away on the horse track.[1]

Purse
Jockeys are paid a mounting fee, usually between 35$ and 100$. This is the only money they will walk away with if they don’t win, place, or show. If the jockey is lucky, or skilled enough to be in the top three of the race, they also earn a percentage of the purse. So needless to say most jockeys try to enter as many races as possible. Most jockeys only earn about 30,000$-40,000$ a year but some jockeys earn much more than that. For example in the 2008 the leading purse winning jockey was John Velazquez who earned 2.1million dollars in purse money alone.[2]

Eating Disorders
Eating disorders are very common among jockeys, even though they themselves wouldn’t usually call it that. Many jockeys eat as little as 600 calories a day, compared to a normal 2000 calorie day that seems like a disorder. In many race tracks there are what are called heaving bowls in the training bathrooms to accommodate the more than 30% of jockeys who keep weight by purging. It is common enough that they have a special name for it purging before a race, “flipping”.[2] These eating disorders make an already dangerous sport even more deadly. Low nutrient intake and low amounts of water to avoid water weight put enormous strain on the body. They can develop many heart, liver and kidney problems from extended strain on the body.[2]