Why aren't there more femail horse jockeys?

Question

Why aren't there more femail horse jockeys?

Answer 1

There are a few successful female jockeys across the world, but not as many as there should be.

The fact is that racing is an old fashioned sport and it can take years to alter peoples perceptions of whether women can ride or not.  Some trainers are so set in their ways that they will not use a female jockey.

The arguement that a female jockey is not as strong as a male jockey is rubbish.  Some 80% of people who work in stable yards exercising horses every day are women: they are the ones who work the horses day in day out getting them fit to run and dealing with things like being thrown off and run away with on the gallops.  You cannot tell me that a girl is strong enough to put a horse through its paces on the gallops, but not strong enough to ride a race.

Things are changing slowly, but it will take many more years before the balance of male and female jockeys is resolved.

Answer 2

go to females on the horse.com and you will get all the info

you need and photos of the top ladies jockeys in the u.s.a.

Answer 3

There are several women jockeys. The first ones that comes to mind is Rosemay Homiester, who rides the Gulf stream meet, and Chantel Sutherland whi is currently riding at Woodbine.

If you take any interest in some of the smaller tracks around the US, there are lots of women jockeys who do quite well.

I guess the reason there is not more women jockeys is because it is traditionally a man's job and it takes years to break from tradition.

Answer 4

I would love to be a female jockey, however I agree with the person above me with the fact that most trainers wont give us a chance. They dont really associate the strength needed to control a horse as big as a thoroughbred with our little bodies.

Answer 5

Because most women are not crazy enough to do such a dangerous job for so little money :P

Answer 6

BEING IN THE RACING INDUSTRY FOR MANY YEARS ,I CAN TELL YOU THIS..THERE ARE MANY WOMEN WHO WORK IN RACING,BUT NOT TOO MANY GET THE CHANCE TO BECOME RIDERS,NOT BECAUSE THEY CANT GET A LICESNE,BUT BECAUSE THEY CANT GET A TRAINER TO GIVE THEM A CHANCE.

MOST TRAINERS ARE OLD SCHOOL AND DONT THINK WOMEN BELONG THERE.SURE YOU GET THE OCCASIONAL FEMALE JOCKEY WHO MAKES IT,BUT THATS RARE.MOST OF THE TIME THEY ONLY USE FEMALES TO WORK THE HORSES IN THE MORNINGS,BUT GIVE THE RIDES TO MALE JOCKEYS FOR A RACE.

MOST OF THE TRAINERS I KNOW,,AND I KNOW MANY TELL ME THE SAME THING..AS A RULE FEMALE JOCKEYS ARE NOT AS RUTHLESS AND CUT THROAT WHEN IT COMES TO RACING,SURE THEY WANT TO WIN..BUT NOT ENOUGH TO TAKE "BIG" RISKS AND GAMBLES...MEN DO ..ITS A FACT.

THIS IS ACCORDING TO THEM ..NOT ME.THIS IS THE THINKING.

I KNOW ONE TRAINER WHO WOULD NOT GIVE A FEMALE RIDER A CHANCE BECAUSE HE SAW  HER AS "TOO NICE" TO BE COMPETATIVE.

BOTTOM LINE IS PEOPLE WANT WINNERS,AND ON A RACETRACK..FEMALE JOCKEYS JUST DONT HAVE "THE BALLS" FOR THIS GAME.

  PS..TO ALL THE FEMALE JOCKEYS..KEEP ON TRYING..SOONER OR LATER YOU WILL GET YOUR SHOT..DONT BLOW IT.

Answer 7

Being a jockey is a tough job.  While there are women who have been very successful as jockeys (most notably Julie Krone), I think that most women who want to work with horses find other, less dangerous jobs as fulfilling.  

Many women work as exercise riders at the track, many more as grooms and hotwalkers.  There are women who are successful now as trainers, bloodstock agents, "pinhookers" (that's people who buy horses to resell later on), vets and in other jobs.

Being a jockey is a real grind.  In addition to the daily challenge of keeping weight down, every day jockeys and their agents have to be out hustling mounts.  That isn't easy, even for top riders, and it's a real grind for those trying to get established in the sport.

In the early days of women being granted jockey's licenses, women were subjected to a lot of harassment and it wasn't uncommon for women jockeys trying to get rides to be told that sleeping with the trainer was a requirement.  Racing is a very conservative sport and a lot of males refused to believe that a woman could be as successful at race riding as a man.  Even today there are some men in the industry, most notably D. Wayne Lukas, who don't accept women jockeys.  

I think most women find other jobs on the racetrack as fulfilling or more fulfilling than riding in races.