becoming a jocky :).

[crazyhorse]

ok i got a few questoin for you guys about becoming a jocky .

how old do u have to be to get your licenc .

[erikasbackyard]

Well, not to sound mean or anything, but I do think that first you have to be old enough to understand that accidents happen. Racing is not a pretty sport. Horses get hurt, riders get hurt, horses get killed, riders get killed. Accidents happen all the time, and you can't go blaming horses who might've run into a horse you like. Even if another horse did strike Barbaro, he was doing the only thing he knows how to do - he was running. One could easily say "stupid Barbaro" for drifting, which Barbaro certainly did.

As for the rest, I suspect the career path goes through groom and exercise rider, but I really couldn't say. I was too tall and bigboned to be a jockey, weighed too much by the time I was about 13, and that was before I got fat in my old age. I would imagine the Jockey Club site has that info somewhere.

Best of luck is that is what you decide to do, but be aware that you WILL get hurt at some point. Everybody does.

[crazyhorse]

yup erika it seems all the jobs i whant i will get hert lol.
becuse i whant to be eather a jocky a rancher a rodeo guy or a stunt rider or work at sea world still dont know wich job to pic but i was just thinking about being a jocky and was wondering how old u had to be.

by the way im a good jocky (short and light and)

[asmithdq]

The earliest you can get your apprentice Licen is 16, but you have to have horses to ride and a trainer to sponsor you. So most people don't get it until there like 22+. Most trainers are not going to up a kid up on a $75,000 two year old, also just because you are small dose not mean any trainers are going to take you. You have to be really fit, and do a lot of grunt work for years before you ever get on a horse. I don't mean to sound harsh, but I have been there done that, and yes I am only 21, but I have worked since I was 8 on farms. I have work many hours, and have many scars to show for it, but I must warn you, you should know now you can spend many years working and get no where. You must do this for the love not the money.

[twnpnds]

Crazyhorse, you want to get on a sometimes unpredictable adrenaline pumped race horse and you're afraid to put your fingers into your own gentle horse's mouth? Don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to be sarcastic but just trying to get you to see the whole picture. You can be a little enough guy but that doesn't make a good jockey. The average size of a jockey is 5'3" and 110 pounds. Most go through misery trying to keep that weight. To give you an idea there is a special area in the locker room just for purging. They also spend time in a 140 degree sweatbox and many become bulemic. Jockeys have to work hard to stay in shape. They also have a tough and grueling schedule. Riding a racehorse is hard work. I rode a 3 year old gelding that just came off the track and after 5 minutes I was worn out. Of all the jockeys out there very few make it into the limelight. Most start out mucking stalls, washing tack and bandages, hotwalking, etc. long before they are allowed to get on a horse. It will be a long time before you get many horses to ride and who knows when you will get a winner. You have to love your job because chances are you aren't going to get rich being a jockey and like many of them you may live day by day. Trainers are not always easy to get a long with. Most are very strict about the care and training of their horses and expect you to adhere to his or her way of doing things. No exceptions. They want to see their horses win but at the same time they want them to be healthy and sound. It takes a lot to keep a racehorse that way. So if you can't take criticism, a lot of times harsh, working for a trainer is not for you. Then there's all the race terminology you need to know. Do you know the difference between a stakes, claiming, and an allowance race? You also need to be able to read a horse. Figure out what he likes and doesn't like. What his little quirks are. Sometimes you only have the post parade and the race to figure this out. You also need to be able to come up with a plan quickly then change that plan just as quick while racing. There's a lot of situations thrown at you all at once sometimes. Being a jockey is an extremely stressful job. But it can also be an awarding job, whether you earn any money or not. There are schools for jockeys. One of them is at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. If you are serious about being a jockey maybe you should check into this school. Also check out www.thejockey.com. Some pretty good info there. Good luck crazyhorse, no matter what you do.