Life of a Horse Jockey

You are on top of a horse, weighing in at 1300 pounds, moving at 40 miles per hour around a tight curve, surrounded by seven other riders and horses, on a dirt track in the morning heat. One inch of movement , back or forth, and your weight could propel you over the horse’s head and into the ground, to be pummeled by hooves. Everything is a blur, the small crop in your hand, the bright colors of the uniforms, the green of the trees and bushes streaking by. The white line ahead means that you are near the end of the race, the race you have practiced for hour after hour, day after day, for the last ten years.

This is the apex of the life of a jockey. Starting at a young age, jockeys learn to work closely with the trainers and the horses themselves, which way to turn the lead to get the horse to veer one way or another, how to excite the animals, and how to calm them down. A true partnership exists between a professional jockey and the steed, it takes both of them to win a race.

Along the way, you’ve had broken bones, torn muscles, and bruises that give you constant pain…and you wouldn’t trade it in for the world. When the horse smashes against a rail, and you hear your leg creak, you know that you will heal, the horse will recover, and that the thrill of it all is worth everything. Being on top of a speeding horse is one of the most demanding jobs in the world, and takes complete commitment to gaining the win, and getting that wreathe. There is no other life that can compare, no matter what you’ve had to endure. It is the life of a jockey.