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Topic:Jockeys
The relationship between jockeys and horses is a dynamic and complex aspect of equine sports, involving both human and animal athletes. Jockeys are professional riders who guide horses in competitive racing events, requiring a deep understanding of equine behavior, physiology, and racing strategy. The interaction between jockeys and horses is critical for performance, as it involves communication, trust, and precise coordination. Various factors such as weight management, riding techniques, and safety protocols are integral to this partnership. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the biomechanics of jockey riding, the impact of jockey weight on horse performance, and the psychological and physiological interactions between jockeys and horses in the context of competitive racing.
Survey of rider and horse size proportions and associated rider perceptions. The influence of a rider's size on equine performance and welfare remains a topic of debate in the equestrian industry. Most previous research has examined the weight ratios of riders and horses in controlled experimental settings, and the existing perceptions of acceptable rider-horse unit proportions have not been investigated. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate horse and rider size and skill proportions among Finnish horses and riders. The study also investigated riders' perceptions of the acceptability of these size proportions. Methods: Riders over 18 years of age were in...
How obstacle approach shapes rider biomechanics: Changes in kinematics, rein tension and stirrup forces during canter. Show jumping performance depends on the rider's ability to regulate the horse-rider system while maintaining postural stability under dynamic constraints. Although rider biomechanics has been investigated in various equestrian contexts, integrated analyses combining 3D kinematics with rein and stirrup kinetics during jump-approach remain limited. This study aimed to analyse how approaching an obstacle changes a rider's control strategies by comparing sitting canter, two-point canter in straight line without obstacle and jump-approach canter (defined here as the five strides before obstacle) in...
Risk factors for horse falls in British jump racing (2010-2023). Horse falls are an important safety and welfare concern in jump racing, as they are associated with an increased risk of equine fatality and injury, as well as jockey injury. Objective: To identify risk factors for horse falls in British jump racing. Methods: Retrospective cohort. Methods: All jump race starts made on British racecourses between January 2010 and April 2023 were considered. Available horse, race, racecourse, trainer and jockey data were collated and combined with faller data recorded in official databases. Horses that were 'brought down' by another horse were not considered a f...
Improving concussion assessment in jockeys: normative benchmarks and web-based tool for ImPACT interpretation. Despite horse racing's exceptionally high concussion risk, there is no jockey-specific ImPACT study. This work aimed to develop demographically adjusted, jockey-specific ImPACT norms and to evaluate complementary approaches to clinical classification. Unassigned: Retrospective baseline data from 663 Irish jockeys (2021-2024) were analyzed. Two normative methods were applied: (i) a univariate regression-based approach estimating expected scores for each cognitive domain independently, adjusting for age, sex, and education, with percentile-based classification; and (ii) a multivariate regression...
Rider dislodgement events in U.S. steeplechase racing: participation outcomes in riders and horses. Steeplechase jockeys compete in high-risk races requiring horses and riders to clear fixed obstacles at speed. Although rider dislodgement events are recognized hazards, their incidence and participation consequences are not well characterized. Methods: This retrospective observational study used publicly available race charts from United States National Steeplechase Association races (2023-2025). Dislodgement events were defined as falls or lost rider events. Incidence rates were calculated per 1,000 starts, and timber and hurdle races were compared using Poisson regression. Rider interruptio...
A service provider perspective in Irish horseracing on the availability of retirement specific support services for professional jockeys and perceived barriers and facilitators to their use. Retirement can come at any time in horse racing due to the unpredictable nature of the sport. Preplanning for the retirement transition in sport has been reported to lead to faster adjustment to retirement and better transition for athletes. The purpose of this study was to highlight the current support services available to Irish horseracing jockeys to aid with career transitions and to a) explore perceived barriers and b) perceived facilitators to their use. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 representatives from various racing bodies including the Irish Horse Racing Regulator...
Air pollution exceedances routinely occur at Thoroughbred racetracks in the contiguous United States. To characterize spatiotemporal patterns of criteria air pollutants surrounding Thoroughbred racetracks in the US. Unassigned: We identified all active Thoroughbred racetracks from 2011 through 2024, linking their location with daily air quality data from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Air Quality System. Mean daily and annual pollutant concentrations within a 50-km bounding box of each racetrack were summarized using descriptive statistics and evaluated for monthly and annual trends. Exceedances were defined as any observation in which pollutant concentration met or exceeded the ...
Chasing safety: Race-day falls and injuries in Irish professional and amateur horseracing from 2016 to 2024. This study aimed to: 1) examine fall and injury incidence in Irish horseracing between 2016 and 2024, 2) establish injury characteristics, 3) compare incidence rates between professional and amateur racing and 4) investigate changes in incidence rates over time. Methods: Descriptive epidemiology study. Methods: Fall and injury data was recorded by Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB)-appointed medical doctors using a standardised injury report form at every Irish race meeting between 2016 and 2024. Fall and injury incidence, injury location and type of injury were reported with 95% Confid...
Horse-racing injuries in children before and after the introduction of safety regulations in Mongolia. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of safety regulations governing traditional Mongolian horse racing on the frequency and severity of injuries among child jockeys. Regulations introduced in 2019 mandate the wearing of helmets and protective clothing, prohibit the participation of jockeys aged < 7 years, and ban horse racing during the cold season (November-April). National injury surveillance data were used to compare the profile of injuries that occurred among children aged < 15 years in the 4-year periods before and after the introduction of the regulations (2015...
Salivary cortisol concentration in western performance horses and riders: Associations with performance. Competition stress is a common factor influencing the success of performing athletes. However, few studies have quantified the physiological stress responses in horses and riders surrounding an equestrian event. Objective: The objectives of the current study were to determine salivary cortisol concentrations (SCC) as an indicator of stress in fifteen horse and rider pairs competing in western stock horse events and to investigate the relationship between SCC and performance. Methods: Subjects included male and female Quarter horses aged 3-15 years and equestrians aged 18-22 years. Salivary sam...
Genetic parameter estimates of performance traits in Iranian Thoroughbred race horses using a Bayesian approach. Race performance in Thoroughbred horses is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Understanding their genetic architecture is essential for designing effective breeding programs. Objective: This study aimed to estimate genetic parameters and trends for key performance traits in Iranian Thoroughbred racehorses. Methods: Performance data, including race completion time (RCT), rank at the end of the competition (REC), and average speed (AS), were obtained from the Iranian Equestrian Federation (2002-2021). Pedigree data from 14,391 individuals were analyzed using CFC software. Gene...
The next hurdle – Female jockeys, motherhood and the horse racing industry. Feminist sport researchers examine the unique experiences of female athletes as crucial in promoting women's sport participation and parity in opportunities (Lebel et al., 2021). Insight into the unique stressors encountered by female jockeys in Ireland (Irl) and the United Kingdom (UK) may provide sport scientists, practitioners and policy makers with a greater awareness of the specific supports they need (Losty & Sreenivas, 2023). Deeply personal and complex decisions for female athletes, such as starting a family, can be shaped by various professional performance factors. The impact of ...
An occupational group with multiple musculoskeletal trauma and precarious employment: jockeys. Jockeys endure considerable physical and psychological demands, rendering them vulnerable to occupational injuries such as fractures, concussions, and soft tissue damage. This descriptive case series presents the medical and occupational histories of three professional jockeys with long-term disabilities following work-related accidents. Each individual commenced their jockey career in early adolescence. All sustained head trauma from horse falls and had histories of hospitalization due to injuries incurred while riding. Documented injuries included rib, vertebral, clavicular, and upper extrem...
Quantification of the Effect of Saddle Fitting on Rider-Horse Biomechanics Using Inertial Measurement Units. The saddle's adaptability to the rider-horse pair's biomechanics is essential for equestrian comfort and performance. However, approaches to dynamic evaluation of saddle fitting are still limited in equestrian conditions. The purpose of this study is to propose a method of quantifying saddle adaptation to the rider-horse pair in motion. Eight rider-horse pairs were tested using four similar saddles with small modifications (seat depth, flap width, and front panel thickness). Seven inertial sensors were attached to the riders and horses to measure the active range of motion of the horses' forel...
Lady and the champ: The shared career experiences and retirement transition of a champion jockey and his partner. Elite sporting careers are made up of a succession of transitions and adjustments across multiple layers. Part of the microenvironment is an athlete's romantic partner who moves through the transitions alongside them, being impacted along the way. Though researchers are yet to explore jockeys and their partners experiences within the horse racing context. Framed through the transition environment working model (Henriksen et al., 2024) and supported by the family systems theory (Broderick, 1993), this study aimed to explore the career experiences and retirement transition of a retired Champion ...
Effects of jockey position and surfaces on horse movement asymmetry and horse-jockey synchronisation during trotting exercise. Racehorses and jockeys can incur injuries, not only during gallops, but also during routine trotting exercise to access gallop tracks or warm-up. Understanding how jockey position affects racehorse movement may influence safety, and this may vary across different surface conditions. This study used inertial sensing technology (XSens MTw sensors) and linear mixed models to quantify and determine the significance (p ≤ 0.05) of jockey riding position ('rising' versus 'two-point seat') and surface type (artificial, grass and tarmac) on: 1) time offsets between stance and flight phases; 2) ho...
Relationship between experience and head kinematics in race riding jockeys. Thoroughbred race-riding requires jockeys to attenuate horse movement and maintain postural stability whilst galloping at high speeds. This study aimed to investigate the head movement of jockeys in relation to race-riding experience. Accelerometer and heart rate data were collected from twelve apprentice and two senior jockeys during 85 exercise rides and 82 trial rides. Mean head displacements were determined for each jockey by double integrating the filtered acceleration data. A mixed effect multivariable linear regression model was used to investigate the relationship between jockey experi...
Detecting Equine Gaits Through Rider-Worn Accelerometers. Automatic horse gait classification offers insights into training intensity, but directsensor attachment to horses raises concerns about discomfort, behavioral disruption, andentanglement risks. To address this, our study leverages rider-centric accelerometers formovement classification. The position of a sensor, sampling frequency, and window size ofsegmented signal data have a major impact on classification accuracy in activity recognition.Yet, there are no studies that have evaluated the effect of all these factors simultaneouslyusing accelerometer data from four distinct rider locations (t...
Linkage of jockey falls and injuries with racehorse injuries and fatalities in Thoroughbred flat racing in Victoria, Australia. Racehorse and jockey incidents on race-days frequently occur together, yet risk factors for their occurrence have historically been investigated separately. Consideration of both horses and humans in tandem is required for a One Health approach to risk reduction. Our objectives were to therefore identify modifiable risk factors for adverse outcomes that are common or conflicting to both horses and their jockeys in Thoroughbred racing. Unassigned: Australian Single National System records for the 2004/05 to 2018/19 flat racing season were merged with the corresponding Australian Racing Incident...
Factors associated with time to return to horse racing following a clavicle fracture in jockeys competing in Great Britain: A review and analysis of medical records. Competitive horse racing is the second largest sport in Great Britain by spectator attendance, employability, and revenue. It is a lucrative yet hazardous sport, with high injury rates, particularly from falls. Clavicular fractures are one of the most common injuries reported, yet their management, especially regarding return to racing, is under-researched. The purpose of this study was to explore the factors associated with the time to return to competition following a clavicular fracture in jockeys competing in Great Britain. Methods: This review of medical records utilised data from the Bri...
Workday Habits and Fatigue of American Jockeys. The study aims to characterize the workday habits of American jockeys and evaluate the relationship between workday habits and fatigue through changes in postural stability (balance) across their workday. Methods: Thirty-seven jockeys participated in prerace and postrace day testing. Jockeys completed questionnaires on workday habits and a 2-minute balance test with triaxial accelerometers on the unstable surface and sacrum. Results: The median caloric intake during their workday was 263.8 kcal. Wilcoxon signed rank tests reported no significant changes in balance across the workday. Statistic...
Risk factors for fatality in jump racing Thoroughbreds in Great Britain (2010-2023). The British horseracing industry is committed to reducing equine fatalities in jump racing. Race-related fatalities are a major welfare concern and threaten the sport's social licence to operate. Objective: To describe the risk of, and determine risk factors for, fatality in British jump racing. Methods: Retrospective cohort. Methods: Analyses included all starts made in British jump races between January 2010 and April 2023. Available information for each horse, race, racecourse, trainer and jockey was collated and combined with details of all fatalities recorded by official veterinary office...
Traumatic Hemothorax With Rib Fixation in a Professional Jockey Following a Horse Stomping Incident. Traumatic hemothorax is a serious condition requiring immediate intervention. We present a case of a 48-year-old male professional jockey who suffered traumatic hemothorax, bilateral pulmonary contusions, and multiple rib fractures after being stomped by a horse. Management included intercostal drainage placement, costal fixation from the 5th to the 10th rib, and intensive care unit admission. Postoperative complications included, acute kidney injury, rhabdomyolysis, and severe acute respiratory distress syndrome. This case highlights the importance of a multidisciplinary approach in managing ...
Cardiac Structure and Function of Elite Australian Jockeys Compared to the General Population: An Observational Cross-Sectional Study. Research highlights the intense physiological demands of thoroughbred racing on jockeys, with elevated heart rates and substantial oxygen uptake, confirming the rigorous physical nature of the sport, however, the cardiovascular changes resulting from the physical demands of thoroughbred racing remain unexplored in Australian jockeys. Therefore, the objective of this study was to compare measures of cardiac structure and function of professional Australian jockeys to that of the general population and to determine if there are differences in heart structure and function detected using echocardi...
A threshold model to determine the association between race rides and fall risk for early career (apprentice) jockeys. To identify descriptors associated with success in apprentice jockeys and to determine optimum numbers of jockeys for safer race riding. Methods: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: Incidence-rates for jockey falls and success (wins per 1,000 race-starts), time and number of races spent at different apprentice levels were calculated for 807 apprentice and professional jockeys over 19 years of Thoroughbred flat racing in New Zealand (n = 524,551 race-starts). Survival analysis was used to compare career progression for jockeys that fell and those that did not, and individual seasonal fal...
Unravelling the speed-going relationship: A proof of concept study from British turf flat and jump race meetings. The maximum galloping speeds of racehorses during a race are influenced by the functional performance of the ground ('going') amongst other factors. For turf racecourses in Britain, the ground is descriptively classified and numerically quantified on the morning of a race meeting by the clerk of the course and subsequently published to assist decision making. Importantly, this includes deciding whether a horse should or should not run. The going is also assessed and classified during the meeting by racing analysts using the normalized winning times from each race result. Differences between go...
Hoof slip duration at impact in galloping Thoroughbred ex-racehorses trialling eight shoe-surface combinations. Horseshoes used during racing are a major determinant of safety as they play a critical role in providing traction with the ground surface. Although excessive hoof slip is detrimental and can predispose to instabilities, falls and injuries, some slip is essential to dissipate energy and lower stresses on the limb tissues during initial loading. This study aimed to quantify hoof slip duration in retired Thoroughbred racehorses galloping over turf and artificial (Martin Collins Activ-Track) tracks at the British Racing School in the following four shoeing conditions: 1) aluminium; 2) steel; 3) G...
Timing Differences in Stride Cycle Phases in Retired Racehorses Ridden in Rising and Two-Point Seat Positions at Trot on Turf, Artificial and Tarmac Surfaces. Injuries to racehorses and their jockeys are not limited to the racetrack and high-speed work. To optimise racehorse-jockey dyads' health, well-being, and safety, it is important to understand their kinematics under the various exercise conditions they are exposed to. This includes trot work on roads, turf and artificial surfaces when accessing gallop tracks and warming up. This study quantified the forelimb hoof kinematics of racehorses trotting over tarmac, turf and artificial surfaces as their jockey adopted rising and two-point seat positions. A convenience sample of six horses was recruit...
Risk factors for horse fatality in Thoroughbred jumps racing in New Zealand. The aim of this study was to examine the race-, horse- and jockey-level risk factors for race day fatality in New Zealand Thoroughbred jumps racing using retrospective race day data from the 2011/12 - 2021/22 seasons (n = 8,970 starts). There were 51 race day fatalities resulting in an incidence rate of 5.7 per 1,000 starts (95% C.I. 4.3 - 7.5). The majority of fatalities were the result of fractures (44/51, 4.9 per 1,000 starts, 95% C.I. 3.7 - 6.6). Steeplechase and hurdle races had the same incidence of fatal fractures of 4.9 per 1,000 starts (95% C.I. 3.7-6.6, p > 0.05). Most (70.5%) of...
