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Post by littleme2007 on Jul 30, 2004 13:55:04 GMT -5
Is anyone here a real jockey?
Whats it like?
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Post by Kat on Aug 18, 2004 22:59:08 GMT -5
While I was never a jockey, I was going to ride in a race - it was a flat race during the Atlanta Steeplechase, and though there is always a huge croud, and a big race, the riders don't have to be liscenced - though they pretty much are all steeplechase riders. ANyway, I got hurt right before, so I didnt get to ride - my horse won though, so I did get to be in the win pic. As for what it's like, I did used to gallop racehorses for a living, so I did get to know what it was like to break out of starting gates in company, and breeze on a nice track - the farm I worked at actually had teh 4th best training track in the nation. Breaking out of the gates is a feeling like none other. You are sitting in the gates, feeling this ball of pinned up energy beneath you, just waiting to burst. Then when you hear the bell of the gates opening, its like everything is in slow motion, and all you really hear is the thundering hooves, and the steady breathing. When you are going that fast, you become more then just a working team. Its almost like you are one unit. When you have your stirrups that short, riding in a saddle that small, and thin, with your upper body curled around the horse, your hands pressing against teh neck in teh same rythem as the horse....well, it is just amazing. You can feel every muscle of the horse working, and it always amazed me how many "gears" a horse has. Just when you think you are truely flying, your horse bumps it up a notch and goes even faster. The best is wehn you hit the home stretch. Your horse switches leads, and looks at his foes. Then both you and the horse flatten out, and truely fly. All of a sudden its as if his hooves are no longer hitting the ground.
Anyway, sorry if all that sounds corny, but it is just something you have to do yourself to truelt appreciate. Though I don't think any jockeys post here, there are other Ex. riders here, as well as trainers and owners who could probably explain it better then I did. :-)
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Post by Goalie on Aug 20, 2004 11:20:31 GMT -5
Kat, I think you did a great job describing how it feels to break out of the starting gate, made me feel like I was right next to you, in the same workout. ;D ;D
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Post by jenarby on Aug 20, 2004 14:30:24 GMT -5
I'm not a jockey but I ride many of our racehorses and work them too. We don't have a track though. We ride cross country on the hills in eastern OH. I get a huge rush right before letting my horses go. I thnk maybe I breathe harder than they do! My eyes tear up.....the wind is amazing. It's a pretty cool feeling to have them take a deep breath under you when they are running.
Some of them are evenly powerful during the entire work, some are a very quick burst of speed (tough to stick with) and them smoothe out. Some could gallop all day.
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