Being A Great Horse Jockey

Many people think that it's the horse that makes the win, not the jockey. Many people are under the impression that the jockey is needed so that the horse knows which way to go and nothing more.

While a jockey may be needed on horse, his role is not limited to the race itself. Jockeys are a crucial part of the race for they provide the horse not only a guide but they also make judgments best for the horse.

Jockeys are at their most advantageous when they are light on the horse for the less weight carried, the better it is.

Jocks need to maintain a certain set of characteristics that set them apart from other jockeys.

Concentration

Jockeys are trained to focus as tightly as they can when on the horse. Every possible turn, every opening that can be spotted by the jockey propels him to guide the horse thru these opportunities in order to gain the lead.

Jockeys are usually kept in isolation with the horse before the race so that the horse is warned up to the situation where the jockey has to make the horse perform harder on the track.

Discipline

Horses can feel the tension and the "aura" of the rider. If the rider is sloppy in the way they handle the horse, the horse can feel it and react differently. This relationship between the horse and rider must be the in sync so that the team can perform effectively.

Jockeys also have to practice overtime the horse does to build rapport and confidence between them. A horse would refuse to let an unknown rider mount them. This is why changing jockeys at a race is crucial because of the way the horse would react to them.

Cool Headed

This characteristic may also apply to horse as well. The temperament of the jockey is reflected in the attitude of the horse. If the jockey is agitated, nervous and fidgety, the horse acts the same way. Jockeys with bad tempers are advised not to act that way around the horse for it makes them uneasy and when on the horse not to use force in guiding the horse. Hitting, knuckling, beating the flanks of the horse is not needed to make them perform better.

Jockeys should also exhibit a cool and calm demeanor when facing a loss. After all, it was the team that lost, not the horse or just the jockey alone.

Experience

With all things, having experience in [past races or even on past teams is a great benefit for the horse for the jockey knows the steps to approach the horse and how to apply different methods and techniques to apply to make the horse perform better.

Being a jockey may be one of the most misunderstood jobs in horse racing but upon closer scrutiny, the jockey plays a crucial; role in a horse race team.