I want to be a jockey??!!?

Question

I love horses and I really want to learn how to be a jockey. but I have heard that you have to be less than a certain wight and height. Is this true? I am 5 foot 6 inches and about 130 pounds. Am I to tall? And is there anything against girls being jockeys? I am athletic (I love running) and I have a lot of patience with horses and I absolutely love riding. I think it would be thrilling to race, but I don't know where to start. Any advice?

Answer 1

You are already a bit on the large side for a thoroughbred jockey. Try 110 lbs.  There are other riding and training jobs.If you love horses your halfway toward success, trainers sometimes drive their trotters in racing, or you could always be an exercise rider, thats where you would start anyway.

Good Luck.

Answer 2

Did you know that there are six foot jockeys racing in Australia? However, you do have to be a certain weight, usually under 50 kilograms. And it can be hard for girls to get rides as jockeys- people seem to prefer to give rides to male jockeys. Cruel world, but us women have to work like h**l and be twice as great as men to be thought half as good.

I want to be a jockey myself, but still need to lose about 13 kilograms (I've already lost 14 kilograms-so I was a fat little warthog not too long ago). I've read up a bit on jockey's diets and most of them eat brown rice along with fruit, vegetables and a lot of coffee. I tried some brown rice myself tonight and found that it is very filling.

My advice would be to start looking on the internet for schools that run a jockey course. Or you could try to get a job in a stable and ask the trainer to take you on as an apprentice jockey.

Answer 3

You're a little tall to be a jockey... not that it can't be done, but it will be hard to keep your weight down enough, especially while you're an apprentice jockey and get the 5 pound advantage.  You'll need to be down around 105 which is very thin for a 5'6" person.  But if you have the drive to be a jockey, then there's no reason you can't do it.

There's not really a prejudice against girl jockeys...  I think there's a bunch at Philadelphia park.  It depends on the trainer...  some trainers just don't want female jockeys... some are more liberal about it.

If you're near a racetrack, that's the best place to start...  if you have the opportunity to hang out at the track during the afternoons and get to know some of the jockeys they can get you in with some trainers and you could start working as a groom and the trainers might let you start exercising the horses in the morning and you could work up to being a jockey.  Go to your neighborhood track and find out where the jockeys room is... they'll walk out of there to the paddock before every race...  wait there until they come out and try to make friends and talk to them as they walk over to the paddock.  The more people you know around the track, the more chance you'll have of getting a riding job.

At home, work on a lot of two point while you ride your horse...  you'll need it when you gallop a thoroughbred.

Good luck :o)  I hope you make it!

Answer 4

your height is o.k.

but you need to drop at least 116lbs

if it is your dream go for it.....

go to www.femalesonthehorse.com

Answer 5

you need to be 118 lbs and under 5'1" to be a jockey.

well, i guess technically you could be bigger then that but the chances of being hired would be very slim

good luck though!

Answer 6

In the U.S. the biggest jockeys weigh about 115 - 118 lbs. In Europe the horses carry higher weights so the jockeys can weigh a little more. It sounds like if you lost a little weight (height doesnt matter as long as your not 6'2'') you could give it a shot.