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.
Gunsmaa G, Gurbazar U, Badarch TU, Ichikawa M.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 (2015-2018 ...
Pennington MV, Zoller JL, White-Springer SH, Harlin JF, Huseman CJ, Leatherwood JL, O'Reilly CL.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...
Taned M, Zandi MB, Salek Ardestani S, Abdoli M, Spangler ML.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...
Losty C, Sreenivas S.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 beco...
Becard B, Sapone M, Martin P, Hanne-Poujade S, Babu A, Hébert C, Joly P, Bertucci W, Houel N.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...
Reddington E, Winter S.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 ...
Horan K, Pfau T.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...
Legg KA, Cochrane DJ, Gee EK, Chin YY, Rogers CW.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...
Schampheleer J, Eerdekens A, Joseph W, Martens L, Deruyck M.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...
Morrice-West AV, Thomas M, Wong ASM, Flash M, Whitton RC, Hitchens PL.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...
Newton LJ, Dobbin N, Goodwin P, Crampton JS.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...
Keener MM, Vice GC, Tumlin KI, Heebner NR.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...
Allen SE, Taylor S, Given J, Verheyen KL.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...
Cervantes-Sevilla JR, Ramírez-Cervera M, Guzman-Ruvalcaba MJ.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 ...
Farley A, Bennett H, Eston R, Perry R.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...
Hobbs SJ, Tatlisulu A, Johnson A, Rowlands SD, Lucey M, Martin JH, Graydon RW, Northrop AJ.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...
Horan K, Coburn J, Kourdache K, Day P, Carnall H, Brinkley L, Harborne D, Hammond L, Millard S, Weller R, Pfau T.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...
Horan K, Price H, Day P, Mackechnie-Guire R, Pfau T.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...
Gibson MJ, Legg KA, Gee EK, Rogers CW.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...
Legg KA, Cochrane DJ, Gee EK, Macdermid PW, Rogers CW.To enhance performance in race riding, knowledge of current training workload is required. The objectives of this study were to quantify the physiological demands and profile the muscle activity of jockeys riding track-work. Methods: Ten apprentice jockeys and 48 horses were instrumented with heart-rate monitors, accelerometers, and a surface electromyography BodySuit (recording 8 muscle groups: quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteal, lower back, obliques, abdominal, trapezial, and pectoral) that recorded continuously while riding their normal morning track-work. Data were extracted and time matched ...
Legg KA, Bolwell CF, Gee EK, Gibson MJ, Rogers CW.This study aimed to determine the incidence of, and risk factors for race-day horse falls in Thoroughbred jumps (hurdle and steeplechase) racing in New Zealand. Incidence rates for race-day horse falls in jumps races from 2005/6 - 2018/19 racing seasons (n = 13,648 race day starts) were calculated per 1000 starts. Univariable and multivariable analyses of race-, horse- and jockey-level risk factors for horse falls were conducted using Poisson regression in a generalised linear mixed model. The incidence rate of horse falls in jumps races was 42 (95 % confidence intervals [CI], 39 - 45) per 1...
Legg K, Cochrane D, Gee E, Macdermid P, Rogers C.Physiological parameters and muscle activity of jockeys may affect their fall and injury risk, performance, and career longevity, as well as the performance and welfare of the horses they ride. Therefore, this study aimed to quantify the physiological demands, body displacement, and electromyographic (EMG) activity of twelve jockeys riding 52 trials and 16 professional races. The jockeys were instrumented with heart rate (HR) monitors, accelerometers, and integrated EMG clothing (recording eight muscle groups: quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteal, erector spinae/lower back, abdominal external obliq...
Schrurs C, Dubois G, Van Erck-Westergren E, Gardner DS.The racing industry is supported by a predominance of female stablehands and work riders, but few become professional jockeys. Female jockeys have recently had notable race success. No study has assessed whether the sex of the rider may subtly influence racehorse physiology to affect performance. Here, using a validated exercise tracking system (the 'Equimetre'™) that records many physiological parameters simultaneously, this study characterised racehorse cardiovascular (heart rate, heart rate recovery) and biomechanical (stride length and frequency) parameters at various exercise intensitie...
Nylund LE, Sinclair PJ, Hitchens PL, Cobley S.To identify characteristics of jockey falls associated with high-risk landings using a modified Equestrian Fall Assessment Instrument. Methods: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Video footage of 22 flat and 58 jump racing falls (N = 80) which occurred in Great Britain, Ireland, and New Zealand from 2013 to 2018 was systematically analysed using the modified Equestrian Fall Assessment Instrument. Race, horse, and jockey-level factors, including the nature of ground contact (landings), were characterised identifying factors associated with high-risk landings. High-risk landings refer to cases ...
Horan K, Kourdache K, Coburn J, Day P, Carnall H, Harborne D, Brinkley L, Hammond L, Millard S, Lancaster B, Pfau T.Horseshoes influence how horses' hooves interact with different ground surfaces, during the impact, loading and push-off phases of a stride cycle. Consequently, they impact on the biomechanics of horses' proximal limb segments and upper body. By implication, different shoe and surface combinations could drive changes in the magnitude and stability of movement patterns in horse-jockey dyads. This study aimed to quantify centre of mass (COM) displacements in horse-jockey dyads galloping on turf and artificial tracks in four shoeing conditions: 1) aluminium; 2) barefoot; 3) GluShu; and 4) steel. ...
Mizobe F, Takahashi Y, Kusano K.Jockey safety is an important subject from a welfare perspective and public perception. This is the first retrospective case-control study that aims to identify risk factors associated with jockey falls (JF) in Thoroughbred jump races held by the Japan Racing Association (JRA). JF in 17,459 maiden-class race starts at eight racecourses from 2003 to 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. Data were extracted from a database and official accident reports maintained by the JRA. Thirteen possible risk factors were evaluated using multivariable logistic regression to identify those that were significan...
Mizobe F, Takahashi Y, Kusano K.Jockey safety is of paramount importance from welfare perspective and public perception. This retrospective case-control study aims to identify risk factors associated with jockey falls (JF) in flat races of Japan Racing Association (JRA). JF in 715,210 race starts by 74,328 horses at 10 racecourses from 2003 to 2017 were reviewed. Data were extracted from a database maintained by JRA and from official accident reports issued by race stewards. Seventeen possible risk factors were evaluated using multivariable logistic regression, to identify those significantly associated with JF. A total of 9...
Davies M, Jackson KA, Mackinnon AL, Turner A, Kuznik K, Hill J, Newton JL, Sanchez Santos M.There are limited injury data in professional horse racing, particularly by sex. To describe injury incidence, characteristics and falls in male and female, flat and jump jockeys in Great Britain. Retrospective cohort study of professional jockeys in Britain. 245 jockeys licensed between 2007 and 2017. The primary outcome measure was injury on a race day. Injury incidence (per 1000 rides; per 1000 falls) was derived. Incidence-rate ratios (IRR) were calculated to compare incidence between flat and jump racing, male and female jockeys, and male flat and male jump jockeys for: (i) injury inciden...
Ivancic PC.We reported two cases of jockeys who sustained fracture/dislocation of the mid-thoracic spine due to traumatic falls during horse racing. We examined the injury mechanism based upon the patients' diagnostic images and video footage of races, in which the accidents occurred. Admission imaging of patient 1 (a 42 years old male) revealed T5 burst fracture with bony retropulsion of 7 mm causing complete paralysis below T5/6. There existed 22° focal kyphosis at T5/6, anterolisthesis of T5 relative to T6, T5/6 disc herniation, cord edema and epidural hemorrhage from T4 through T6, and cord injury f...
Turner M, McCrory P, Halley W.Professional horse racing is an exciting and demanding sport with high injury rates. Surprisingly few epidemiological studies have been published and no prospective studies have been reported. This paper reviews the literature and provides a detailed breakdown of injuries in Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland for 1992-2000. The introduction of protective equipment is discussed and evidence for its effectiveness put forward.
Parkin TD, Clegg PD, French NP, Proudman CJ, Riggs CM, Singer ER, Webbon PM, Morgan KL.Lateral condylar fractures of the third metacarpus/metatarsus are the most common cause of equine fatality on UK racecourses. Identification of risk factors for such injuries and the subsequent implementation of intervention strategies could significantly reduce the total number of racecourse fatalities. Objective: To identify horse-, race- and course-level risk factors for fatal lateral condylar fracture in Thoroughbreds on UK racecourses. Methods: Case-control study designs were used. Case horses were defined as those that were subjected to euthanasia having sustained an irreparable lateral ...
Pfau T, Spence A, Starke S, Ferrari M, Wilson A.When animals carry loads, there is a proportionate increase in metabolic cost, and in humans this increase in cost is reduced when the load is elastically coupled to the load bearer. Major horse race times and records improved by 5 to 7% around 1900 when jockeys adopted a crouched posture. We show that jockeys move to isolate themselves from the movement of their mount. This would be difficult or impossible with a seated or upright, straight-legged posture. This isolation means that the horse supports the jockey's body weight but does not have to move the jockey through each cyclical stride pa...
Dolan E, O'Connor H, McGoldrick A, O'Loughlin G, Lyons D, Warrington G.In this study, we describe diet and lifestyle practices of professional jockeys. Participants completed a 59-item nutrition, lifestyle, and health questionnaire (n = 21) and a 7-day estimated food diary (n = 18). Acute weight loss strategies included the use of saunas (86%), exercising to induce sweating (81%), and restricted energy intake (71%). Of the smokers (38%), 56% used smoking to control weight. Most (86%) jockeys reported attaining a 2-kg weight loss for racing (if required) 24-48 h before or on the designated race-day. Mean daily energy intake (1803 ± 564 kcal) was low and appeared ...
Rueda MA, Halley WL, Gilchrist MD.This article presents and analyses injury incidence rates for amateur and professional racing jockeys in Ireland, France and Britain by means of a retrospective study and review of published data. Amateur jump racing was seen to have the highest fall risk in these three countries (between 115 and 140 falls/1000 rides). Jump racing also had the highest rates of injury/ride amongst both amateur and professional jockeys. Flat racing, however, had the highest rates of injuries/fall (34-44%). Of all the injuries in both jump and flat racing populations of amateur and professional jockeys, 15% were ...
Hitchens PL, Blizzard CL, Jones G, Day LM, Fell J.To describe rates of occurrence of falls, injuries and fatalities to horse-racing jockeys in Australia. Methods: Retrospective analysis of data on race-day falls from stewards' reports provided by the Principal Racing Authority of each state and territory of Australia, August 2002 - July 2006. Methods: Fall, injury and fatality incidence rates; comparison with overseas rates. Results: There were 3360 jockey falls from 748 367 rides. Falls occurred at a rate of 0.42 per 100 rides in flat races and 5.26 per 100 rides in jumps races. In flat racing, 54.6% (1694/3101) of falls occurred before the ...
Dolan E, McGoldrick A, Davenport C, Kelleher G, Byrne B, Tormey W, Smith D, Warrington GD.Horse-racing jockeys are a group of weight-restricted athletes, who have been suggested as undertaking rapid and extreme weight cycling practices in order to comply with stipulated body-mass standards. The aim of this study was to examine bone mass, turnover and endocrine function in jockeys and to compare this group with age, gender and body mass index matched controls. Twenty male professional jockeys and 20 healthy male controls participated. Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry scans and early morning fasting blood and urine samples were used to measure bone mass, turnover and a hormonal profi...
Lyle CH, Blissitt KJ, Kennedy RN, Mc Gorum BC, Newton JR, Parkin TD, Stirk A, Boden LA.Sudden death adversely affects racehorse welfare, jockey safety and the public perception of horseracing. Objective: To describe the risk of racing-associated sudden death in Thoroughbred racehorses in the UK from 2000 to 2007, to identify whether there were risk factors uniquely associated with sudden death and to improve the understanding of the pathogenesis of racing-associated sudden death by identification of risk factors for such cases. Methods: A sudden death was defined as an acute collapse and death, in an apparently healthy Thoroughbred racehorse, during or immediately after racing, ...
Waller AE, Daniels JL, Weaver NL, Robinson P.In the sport of horse racing, the position of the jockey and speed of the horse predispose the jockey to risk of injury. Objective: To estimate rates of medically treated injuries among professional jockeys and identify patterns of injury events. Methods: Cross-sectional survey from data compiled by an insurance broker. Information on the cause of injury, location on the track, and body part injured was evaluated. Methods: Official races at US professional racing facilities (n = 114) from January 1, 1993, through December 31, 1996. Methods: A licensed jockey population of approximately 2700 pe...
Rosanowski SM, Chang YM, Stirk AJ, Verheyen KLP.A key focus of the racing industry is to reduce the number of race-day events where horses die suddenly or are euthanased due to catastrophic injury. The objective of this study was therefore to determine risk factors for race-day fatalities in Thoroughbred racehorses, using a cohort of all horses participating in flat racing in Great Britain between 2000 and 2013. Horse-, race- and course-level data were collected and combined with all race-day fatalities, recorded by racecourse veterinarians in a central database. Associations between exposure variables and fatality were assessed using logis...
McCrory P, Turner M, LeMasson B, Bodere C, Allemandou A.It has been previously shown that professional jockeys suffer high rates of fatal and non-fatal injuries in the pursuit of their occupation. Little is known, however, about differences in injury rates between countries. Objective: To determine the rate of fatal and non-fatal injuries in flat and jump jockeys in France and to compare the injury rates with those in Great Britain and Ireland Method: Prospectively collected injury data on professional jockeys were used as the basis of the analysis. Results: Limb fractures occur four times more often in both flat and jump racing in France than in G...
Wilson G, Hawken MB, Poole I, Sparks A, Bennett S, Drust B, Morton J, Close GL.Despite the performance concerns of dehydration in other sports, there are currently no data on the effects of rapid weight-loss on the physical and cognitive performance of jockeys in a sport-specific context. In a randomised crossover design, eight Great Britain (GB) male licensed jockeys were assessed for chest strength, leg strength, simulated riding performance (assessed by maximum pushing frequency on a mechanical riding simulator during the final two furlongs of a simulated 2 mile race) and simple reaction time after performing 45 min of exercise, during which euhydration was maintained...
Hitchens PL, Hill AE, Stover SM.If equine conditions with high likelihood of jockey injury can be determined and subsequently prevented, jockey safety can be enhanced. Objective: To identify racehorse injuries or conditions with greatest risk for jockey falls and injuries. Methods: Retrospective correlation of race-day jockey fall and injury data with racehorse fatality data. Methods: Thoroughbred (TB) and Quarter Horse (QH) racehorse cause of death and jockey fall and injury data for California flat races were reviewed for a 6-year period. Race and jockey race ride population data were used to determine jockey fall and inju...
Evans D, McGreevy P.Concerns have been expressed concerning animal-welfare issues associated with whip use during Thoroughbred races. However, there have been no studies of relationships between performance and use of whips in Thoroughbred racing. Our aim was to describe whip use and the horses' performance during races, and to investigate associations between whip use and racing performance. Under the Australian Racing Board (ARB) rules, only horses that are in contention can be whipped, so we expected that whippings would be associated with superior performance, and those superior performances would be explaine...
Allen SE, Rosanowski SM, Stirk AJ, Verheyen KLP.No large-scale studies have described veterinary events occurring in National Hunt (NH) flat racing or investigated risk factors for fatality in this race type. Objective: To describe injuries and conditions requiring veterinary attendance on race day and to determine risk factors for racehorse fatality in NH flat racing in Great Britain. Methods: Retrospective cohort study (2000-2013). Methods: Information from all NH flat races held over the study period, including horse, race and veterinary event report details, was combined. Veterinary events were described by type and anatomical structure...
Lans C, Turner N, Brauer G, Lourenco G, Georges K.This paper investigates the commonalities in ethnoveterinary medicine used for horses between Trinidad (West Indies) and British Columbia (Canada). These research areas are part of a common market in pharmaceuticals and are both involved in the North American racing circuit. There has been very little research conducted on medicinal plants used for horses although their use is widespread. The data on ethnoveterinary medicines used for horses was obtained through key informant interviews with horse owners, trainers, breeders, jockeys, grooms and animal care specialists in two research areas: Tr...
Wilson G, Drust B, Morton JP, Close GL.Professional jockeys are unique amongst weight-making athletes given that they face the requirement to make weight daily. Furthermore, unlike other weight-limited sports, jockeys who have engaged in rapid weight loss cannot fully rehydrate prior to competition because post-race weight must not be more than 1 kg different to their pre-race weight. As such, jockeys have reported a variety of acute and chronic methods to make weight that include sporadic eating, caloric restriction, diuretics, laxatives, vomiting and fluid restriction as well as regular use of sweat suits and saunas. Typical dai...
Whitlock MR, Whitlock J, Johnston B.A retrospective study of horse riding injuries in Berkshire was undertaken over a one year period from November 1983. The information was obtained from the Ambulance Service, the Jockey Club and the St. John Ambulance Brigade. There was a total of 103 injured persons with no deaths. Information from the Jockey Club was compared with the other two groups, the former sustaining more limb injuries and the latter more head injuries. A questionnaire was sent to all 42 ambulance patients. Thirty-eight had radiographs taken, 16 of which showed a fracture. Forty-one were wearing some form of hard hat,...
O'Connor S, Warrington G, McGoldrick A, Cullen S. Professional horse racing is considered a high-risk sport, yet the last analysis of fall and injury incidence in this sport in Ireland was completed between 1999 and 2006. Objective: To provide an updated analysis of the fall and injury incidence in professional flat and jump horse racing in Ireland from 2011 through 2015, compare it with the previous analysis, and detail the specific types and locations of injuries. Methods: Descriptive epidemiology study. Methods: A medical doctor recorded all injuries that occurred at every official flat and jump race meeting for the 2011 th...
Fortina M, Maniscalco P, Carulli C, Meccariello L, Colasanti GB, Carta S.Horse racing is a hazardous sport. We analyzed the incidence and characteristics of jockey injuries in a typical horse race. Methods: We analyzed all injuries sustained by 224 jockeys in the last 72 years. Results: It was found that in 96.1% of the races there was at least one fall and in 28.6% of the races 50% or more of the jockeys fell. In 43.4% of the falls, the jockey was taken to the emergency room. Comparing the Palio with traditional races in other countries, a higher injury incidence rate was observed for every 100 falls (109.884 vs 27-59) and a lower concussion rate/100 falls (0.97 v...
Wylie CE, McManus P, McDonald C, Jorgensen S, McGreevy P.Monitoring racehorse fatality and associated jockey falls provides benchmarks for intervention strategies. The aims of this study were to describe the incidence of and reasons for fatalities in Thoroughbred horses during flat races in the Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales (NSW), Australia, and to describe reported jockey falls and injuries associated with racehorse fatalities. A cohort study identified all racehorse fatalities reported through Racing NSW for the 2009-2010 to 2013-2014 racing seasons. Risks of racehorse fatality, fatal musculoskeletal injury, spontaneous death (a...
Cullen S, OʼLoughlin G, McGoldrick A, Smyth B, May G, Warrington GD.The physiological demands of jockeys during competition remain largely unknown, thereby creating challenges when attempting to prescribe sport-specific nutrition and training guidelines. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the physiological demands and energy requirements of jockeys during flat racing. Oxygen uptake (V[Combining Dot Above]O2) and heart rate (HR) were assessed in 18 male trainee jockeys during a race simulation trial on a mechanical horse racing simulator for the typical time duration to cover a common flat race distance of 1,400 m. In addition, 8 male apprentice jockeys ...
McGreevy PD, Corken RA, Salvin H, Black CM.The use of whips by jockeys is an issue. The current study viewed opportunistic high-speed footage of 15 race finishes frame-by-frame to examine the outcomes of arm and wrist actions (n = 350) on 40 horses viewed from the left of the field. Any actions fully or partially obscured by infrastructure or other horses were removed from the database, leaving a total of 104 non-contact sweeps and 134 strikes. For all instances of arm actions that resulted in fully visible whip strikes behind the saddle (n = 109), the outcomes noted were area struck, percentage of unpadded section making conta...
Wilson G, Hill J, Sale C, Morton JP, Close GL.To test the hypothesis that daily weight-making is more problematic to health in male compared with female jockeys, we compared the bone density and resting metabolic rate (RMR) in weight-matched male and female Flat jockeys. RMR (kcal·kg(-1) lean mass) was lower in males compared with females as well as lower bone-density Z scores at the hip and lumbar spine. Data suggest the lifestyle of male jockeys compromise health more severely than females, possibly because of making weight more frequently.
Silk LN, Greene DA, Baker MK, Jander CB.Young male jockeys compromise bone health by engaging in caloric restriction and high volumes of physical activity during periods of musculoskeletal growth and development. The aim of this randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial was to establish whether calcium and vitamin D supplementation would improve bone properties of young male jockeys. We conducted a 6-month trial with two groups of weight-, height- and age-matched apprentice male jockeys (age=20.2 ± 3.2 yrs). Participants were supplemented with 800 mg of calcium and 400 IU of vitamin D (S, n=8) or a placebo (cellulose) (P...
Moore JM, Timperio AF, Crawford DA, Burns CM, Cameron-Smith D.Jockeys are required to maintain very low body weight and precise weight control during competition. This study examined the weight loss and weight management strategies of professional horseracing jockeys in the state of Victoria, Australia. An anonymous, self-completed questionnaire was administered (55% response rate, n = 116). Almost half (43%) reported that maintaining riding weight was difficult or very difficult, with 75% routinely skipping meals. In preparation for racing, 60% reported that they typically required additional weight loss, with 81% restricting food intake in the 24 hours...
Diab SS, Poppenga R, Uzal FA.In racehorses, sudden death (SD) associated with exercise poses a serious risk to jockeys and adversely affects racehorse welfare and the public perception of horse racing. In a majority of cases of exercise-associated sudden death (EASD), there are no gross lesions to explain the cause of death, and an examination of the cardiovascular system and a toxicologic screen are warranted. Cases of EASD without gross lesions are often presumed to be sudden cardiac deaths (SCD). We describe an equine SD autopsy protocol, with emphasis on histologic examination of the heart ("cardiac histology protocol...
Legg KA, Cochrane DJ, Bolwell CF, Gee EK, Rogers CW.To determine the incidence of, and risk factors for, race-day jockey falls occurring in Thoroughbred flat and jumps (hurdle and steeplechase) racing. Methods: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: Incidence rates for race-day jockey falls over 14 racing seasons in New Zealand (n=421,596 race-day starts) were calculated per 1000 rides. Univariable and multivariable analyses of jockey, horse and race level risk factors were conducted with Poisson regression in a generalized linear mixed model. Results: Most races (97%, n=407,948 race starts) were flat racing with 10 races/race-day, whilst most ju...
Fletcher J, Davies PT, Lewis T, Campbell MJ.Jockeys accept bony fractures and soft tissue injuries as occupational hazards. An average National Hunt jockey falls once in ten races with an injury rate of 4.25%. Head injury is a common cause of morbidity and the benefit of helmets is well recognized. Neck injuries are also common and usually musculoskeletal. Although rare, trauma to the neck arteries may go unnoticed yet have catastrophic consequences. Internal tears can allow arterial blood to dissect the layers of the arterial wall and obstruct the lumen. Severe obstruction may lead to cerebral ischaemia and infarction. An appreciation ...
Mills NJ, Whitlock MD.Cases of head injury are reviewed in which riders wearing jockey skull caps have suffered impacts to the front, back or side of their helmets. The design and constructional materials of such helmets are assessed. Impact tests that simulate the accidents confirm the low energy absorption potential of some helmets for lateral impacts. Most pedal or motorcycle helmet designs afford better lateral impact protection.
