What requirements do you need to becme a jockey?

Question

could a tall person ever become one?

Answer 1

Weight is the critical requirement, and after that skill and strength.  The problem with most people who are tall is that in order to make the weight the horse is given to carry, they have to resort to really unhealthy practices, like forcing themselves to throw up after eating, taking diuretic pills and laxatives, and starving themselves.  In the short run, these methods of keeping weight down make the person feel really weak and tired;  long-run, they can be life-threatening.

Beyond that, in order to be licensed as a jockey, a person has to be at least 16 years of age, has to have a trainer willing to sign the Articles of Apprenticeship, and has to be able to get a license.  (This means no criminal convictions that would render the applicant unlicensable.)

As a practical matter, there are now some insurance issues that have to be dealt with.  The Jockey Guild just recently underwent some real changes and I think the insurance situation is still not completely settled.  You DON'T want to ride if you can't get catastrophic medical insurance to cover hospitalization and treatment when you have a bad fall, and I'm not sure how easy it is to obtain medical insurance if you're under 18.  For sure, you'd have to have someone co-sign the contract with the insurance company, if you can find one that will insure you.

This page has some of the forms on it that a person has to fill out to become an apprentic jockey:

http://www.racingnsw.com.au/pdf.asp

This page has some additional information; scroll down to "jockey":  http://www.horsehats.com/horse-jobs.html

This has some information, but some of it is state-specific to Michigan:  http://www.michigan.gov/mda/0,1607,7-125...

In practice, the thing you have to have to become a jockey, and the thing that stops most people who want to become a jockey, is CLIENTS.  You have to have people who are willing to put you up on their horses.  This usually means having a relationship of some kind with a trainer-- either a familial relationship (family member of some kind), or a relationship through someone who works for/with the trainer.

If you can't get mounts, you can't make a living as a jockey.  If you can't answer the question of who will put you up on their horses before you start the paperwork to obtain an apprentice license, then you're probably not going to make it as a jockey, no matter what your height and weight are.

Answer 2

Height with a jockey isn't so much an issue - it's weight. Taller people (who are healthy, not sickly!) carry more weight than shorter individuals, which is why most jockeys are relatively short (5'5"-ish) and weigh less than, say 120 lbs.

Most taller people aren't healthy at that weight, and you have to be healthy and strong to perform well. I'd say around 5'8" or less.

Answer 3

Under 5 foot 2 and weigh btwn 108 to 120 pounds!

Answer 4

You have to be at least 115 pounds and some tall people can barely make it!!!! Most jockeys are short and skinny!!!

Answer 5

nah! no one over 5-1! one should be about 4-11 and 100 pounds!

Answer 6

no, you have to be under 4 feet tall...