How to Become a Jockey

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This question has as many answers as there are jockeys. As we continue to add jockeys, you will see that each rider has a different story on how and why they became a jockey. I think you'll find some of those interviews, as fascinating as we did.

Being a jockey is one of those careers that you really, truly have to want to be (notice I say ''be'' and not ''do''). In order to ''just make a living'' it consumes your life, so you'd better love it. You'll see from many of the interviews, that most all the guys that have ridden for years absolutley love what they do. As we move through this section, I will be pointing out many of the downside characteristics of being a jockey to give you a better feel for the life you've chosen.

How ever you come to the conclusion that being a jockey is something that strikes your fancy, be ready for a career that is very rewarding, very unpredictable and extremely dangerous.

You can follow the links in order or jump around as you please.
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Before You Start

We're going to briefly touch base on a few things you should think about before you even begin looking to get on a race horse. Some time in the future we will pick up these topics again for a more in-depth look. You should pay particular attention to the section regarding education. Enjoy!

Passion
When you ask successful athletes what made them successful, you're going to get a multitude of answers: Talent, Persistence, Intelligence, Will Power, Drive, Work Ethic or a Dream. Any one of these will help make you successful. I think most will agree.......... you've gotta have "Passion". If you don't want to do it, really want to do it, you're never going to make it to the "Big Time".

What can be said about Passion? When truly witnessed, it can bring crowds to their feet with tears of joy. It took men to the moon and let Secretariat win the Belmont by 31 lengths. Without it, Jockeys would never continue to fight weight and risk their lives.

The most talented athlete will never excel without Passion!

Age
There's no age minimum when you can start dreaming of riding a race horse and winning the Kentucky Derby, but there are a few laws that do apply. Most states allow young adults to begin working at 16, but each state has regulations governing the age when you can actually start. No state will give you a licence until that time.

The easiest way to find out, is to check with your school guidance counselor. If they don't know (and they should ), call your local board of education. Regardless of how old you are, until you're 18, you're going to need to get your parents or a legal guardian to sign off. No if, ands or buts.

Male or Female
A big percentage of young girls absolutely love horses, which can turn to the thoughts of becoming a Jockey. Boys generally don't entertain the idea until they're older, usually not until they realize that they're too small to play baseball or some other professional sport at a level they've dreamed of. Or someone may have even said ''Hey, you're small, have you ever thought about being a Jockey?''

Any Jockey that has ever ridden against Julie Krone or any one of several other outstanding female Jockeys, will tell you that they can be just as fierce and determined as their male counterparts.

The racing industry is largely biased towards male Jockeys for two reasons. The first is because that's the way it's always been, and the second is because race horses can be and generally are, quite strong. What's interesting, is that they don't always respond to strength and in many cases don't like it. Which brings us to a another interesting point. Most all successful Jockeys are blessed with a certain finesse that enables them to communicate well with horses without resorting to the need for strength. Riders that cannot learn the art of finesse, are usually not the riders who do really well.

Size
If you really want to understand whether you have a fighting chance to be a Jockey, just look at your family. Ninety-nine times out of a hundred, if you've got a big family, guess what? Your going to be to big! You can't ignore genetics.

Think about the weight limits that Jockeys must maintain. In your first year as an apprentice Jockey you shouldn't exceed 105 pounds, and for the first six months maybe only 102. Now, most young riders start at 16 to 17 years old, which we mentioned briefly earlier. If you're 12 now and you weigh 102, that should put you right at....too much by 16. If your parents blew by that when they were 12 years old, you're going to be pushing the envelope.

Most journeyman riders can't exceed 113 depending on where they're riding. In a few states you can get away with a pound or two heavier, but for the vast majority, it's 113 or less. And that's for the rest of your career. If you're not sure, talk to your family doctor. He or she should be able to help you assess your likely size.

The reason that this is so important is that studies have shown that the severity of many of the injuries that Jockeys incur, are directly related to the degree of weight reduction they subject themselves to. I'm sure there will be plenty said on this subject throughout The Jockey.com in the future. Just about every Jockey interviewed has something to say about weight and most of it's not pleasant. So read the interviews and pay attention to what's being said.​

 

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Getting an Education

We've decided to give this subject a page of it's own, because we think it's so important.

When it comes to being a Jockey, a good education may well be the most important thing you can do. Not only for yourself, but also for your career. World-class Jockey, Mike Smith probably said it best, "There is nothing wrong with being an intelligent rider". Take a few moments to read his interview and you'll get an idea why he thinks this is so important.

Now we don't want to sound like your mother, but there's actually a simple reason for this.

Making a long term career of being a Jockey is tough. Just assume for a minute that you're 17 years old and you've just quit school early to become a Jockey. You've dreamed about it since you were 10 years old. You've been riding for six months and your career is exploding, everybody wants you, it's absolutely incredible. You're on a horse that can't get beat, you're sitting pretty, tucked inside saving ground just waiting to turn this baby loose. In your mind you know it's all over, you can smell the roses, everyone in the winner's circle laughing and smiling, the horse is standing like a statue with his head held high patiently waiting for the photographer to take the picture. God, life is good!

The doctor wakes you up to tell you that you've shattered your collar bone, dislocated your shoulder and broken your back. It's not too bad, you're not paralyzed, it could have been worse. Yeh, it could have been worse. You can still walk, probably even ride again. Shoot you'll be back in six months.

Everybody is so happy to see you. ''I'm so glad you're back, I'll see if I can find you a mount. But you know I've been using that new kid, I really like the way he rides. I'll see what I can do. Good luck, I'll be rooting for you".

Man, this is tough, I can't believe nobody will give me a chance. Maybe I should have finished school. I'll have to get my GED now. I should have finished school............. What am I going to do?

Now, we don't want to pretend like this is an everyday occurrence, but it happens. All to often. More likely, weight becomes the issue. To much weight, as a matter of fact. As we discussed earlier, when you ask most Jockeys "What's the most difficult part about being a Jockey?" The answer will almost always include something about the difficulty in maintaining weight. It really hits hard about the time you're 20, when your body is maturing into a fully grown adult.

On a lighter note, most of the folks that own race horses are self made business people. They generally have a good education and they know what's going on in the world. There's nothing worse then talking to an owner and looking liking an idiot because you can't use proper English. "How can this kid ride a horse, when he can't even spell horse." This doesn't need to be you and don't let it.

Regardless of how your career is progressing, make a point of continuing your education. Mike Smith's interview will give you a general idea of some of the things you should consider. Again, we will touch on many of these topics in the future.

It's been our experience, that in this day and age that the average Jockey is so much better educated than in years past. Make sure you're one of them.​