Weighing in and weighing out To make sure that it does so, all jockeys must weigh out before a race to make sure they and their kit (including the saddle) are the right weight. If a jockey is lighter than the weight the horse has to carry, the difference will be made up by thin lead weights in a special saddle cloth.
In most cases, the minimum weight is between 115-116 pounds and a maximum of 125-127 pounds. If the jockey does not weigh enough, weights will be added to the saddle pad or a special weighted saddle pad will be used.
Claiming jockeys
On the Flat, an apprentice jockey starts with an allowance of 7lb. This reduces to 5lb once they have won 20 races, to 3lb once they have won 50 races and disappears when they have won 95 races.
The weight allocated to a horse in a race refers to the weight of the jockey plus their kit (including the saddle). If the weight the horse is supposed to carry is more than the weight of the jockey plus their equipment the extra weight is made up by adding lead weights to the horse's saddle cloth.
Jockeys must be at least 16 years old. There is no set height or weight requirement, but the majority of jockeys do not weigh more than 125 pounds, many even less, with height (usually around 5 feet tall) or proportionate to their weight.
Racing Victoria in association with the Victorian Jockeys Association (VJA) has determined to raise the minimum weight for all country and metropolitan professional race meetings to 56kg from Tuesday, 24 March 2020 until otherwise advised.
They must be light, typically around a weight of 100–120 lb. (45–55 kg), and physically fit. They are typically self-employed and are paid a small fee from the horse trainer and a percentage of the horse's winnings. Jockeys are mainly male, though there are some well-known female jockeys too.
If the rider is too heavy, he may be replaced by another rider, or be permitted to carry 'overweight', which will always be announced on the racecourse before a race begins. However, no rider is allowed to weigh out at four pounds or more over the weight he is set to carry.
Today, we tackle the even more controversial subject of the female jockeys allowance, a topic re-ignited by the decision of the French racing authorities in 2017 to introduce a weight allowance of 2kg for female riders (reduced to 1.5kg in March 2018).
If a rider weighs in two pounds or more over the weight that he weighed out, the Clerk of the Scales will report the rider to the Stewards and may be suspended. The one pound under and two pound over tolerances reflect the weight loss or gain a rider may incur dependant on weather conditions.
You will often see jockeys running around a racecourse before the meeting begins. They will do this with lots of layers of clothes on. This is done to lose a few pounds of water weight which could put them overweight for their ride. Boxers might do this before a weigh-in for a fight as well.
Weight is used to handicap a horses chance of winning. The more successful the horse, the more weight it carries and the less successful it should be in future races. At the other end of the scale poor horses are allowed to carry less weight and should thus be able to compete on a more level playing field.
While every race will have a different set of rules, the average horse jockey weight requirement falls between 112 – 126 lbs. On average, male horse jockeys weigh 113 lbs. while female horse jockeys weigh in on average at 107 lbs.
Almost every study conducted concluded that a horse can comfortably carry 20% of its body weight. For instance, a pony weighing 900 pounds should not carry a load (rider plus saddle) weighing more than 180 pounds. When you visit most horse riding stables, they limit riders' weight to 250lbs.
Jockeys provide their own saddle for a race, and many have multiple saddles that weigh anywhere from 2 to 10 pounds. Lighter jockeys can use larger saddles, while heavier jockeys might switch saddles from race to race, depending on their weight assignment.
Did You Know? Jockeys are some of the original “gig workers” because they work as independent contractors. Rather than earn a salary, a jockey receives a “mounting fee” — typically $25-$150 — for each race, riding sometimes eight races per day.
After the race the jockey must weigh in with all his kit, to confirm that the horse carried the right weight. When all the jockeys have been weighed after a race, you will hear the racecourse commentator announce “Weighed in.
Male jockeys have no more influence over the performance of a racehorse than female jockeys. Experts from the University of Nottingham have found that the sex of a jockey doesn't influence any aspect of racehorse physiology and performance.
Skipping meals, restricting food intake, self-induced vomiting, excessive exercise and unhealthy diets are common practices used by horse jockeys to avoid getting caught while maintaining their slim figure.
The need to keep weight low week after week has caused some jockeys to turn to extreme measures to control weight including severe dieting, laxatives, appetite suppressants, and the use of saunas, hot baths and diuretics to facilitate fluid loss.
Fitness Is No Small Thing
First and foremost, jockeys must be physically fit. The job requires a high level of endurance, as races can last up to two minutes, and jockeys need to maintain control of the horse for the entirety of the race.
What do you call a female horse rider? The most common terms are equestrian and cowgirl, which are not discipline specific.
The lightest jockey with an officially listed weight for the 2023 Preakness Stakes is Joel Rosario, who weighs 109 pounds and stands 5 feet 2 inches.
Professional jockeys are athletes so need to be extremely fit and healthy. Our jockeys are no different; they must be able to demonstrate that they have the necessary strength and endurance to control the horse over the course of the race.
In the form guide you will see a race called, for instance, BM (Benchmark) 80, which means that any horse rated 80 by the handicapper will instantly receive 58.0kg.