How to Train to Become a Thoroughbred Horse Racing Jockey

Thoroughbreds racing on a dirt track.

Girls and boys who love fast horses often dream of racing Thoroughbreds for a career. For most, this dream is a fantasy that falls to the wayside as they grow older--and taller--and get involved in other interests. But if you still have this dream, be prepared for plenty of hard work and long days. Also, you must be at least 16 and under 110 lbs. in the United States and 116 lbs. in the United Kingdom (if you want to be a flat racing jockey) to get work. Steeplechase (or jump) jockeys can weigh up to 136 lbs. (Reference 2)

Things You'll Need

• Riding helmet
• Riding boots

Instructions

1. Learn to ride. Most racehorse farms or trainers at the track don't have the time to teach you to ride, so learn to ride at the walk, trot and canter before you turn to the racehorses. It would be best to learn to ride English, as all racehorses are ridden in English-type saddles.

2. Contact Thoroughbred farms, trainers and other riders. The more people you know in the racing industry, the more likely you are to find someone who has a position open for working with racehorses, or knows of someone who does.

3. Be prepared to work as a hot walker (the person who walks the horses after exercising or races until they are cooled down enough to go back into the stalls) or groom before you're allowed to exercise-ride. (Reference 3) It may be a while before a trainer is willing to put you up on one of the horses, and you may only do slow work on experienced horses at first.

4. Work as an exercise rider to gain experience in riding the horses at speed and to develop the fitness in your back and legs that you will need to race successfully.

5. Apply for your apprenticeship license so you can work with a professional trainer and start participating in schooling races and other learning opportunities. After you have the license for the required amount of time in your country, you can move up to the next step in licenses and start racing.

6. Learn to keep your diet light so you can stay within the weight requirements for jockeys without compromising your focus and fitness. Be aware that trying to keep yourself too thin can increase the severity of any injuries you incur.

Tips & Warnings

• Some countries may have training and apprenticeship programs for jockeys that you must complete before being allowed to ride in races. These programs might teach you about racing in a structured course rather than your having to work up through the ranks on the track.

References

• GoHorseRacing: How to Become a Jockey
• Jockeys Room: How Do I Become a Jockey?
• State University: Jockey Job Description, Career as a Jockey, Salary, Employment - Definition and Nature of the Work, Education and Training Requirements, Getting the Job

Resources

• Racing NSW: Apprentice Jockey
• Racing Academy and Centre of Education: Jockey Professional Development