Although I'm not into horse racing I have met a few jockies ... without exception they are in great physical condition, wiry, and very strong. As far as Grand Prix and NASCAR drivers are concerned they have to have great concentration and co-ordination in order to win.
If you go looking for good hard evidence that jockeys in American thoroughbred racing are important, you’ll be looking a long time. In harness racing the jock is very, very important. And in the UK the jock matters, though probably not as much as harness racing.
I’m looking in vain for the Beyer Big Brown ran yesterday. Anybody know?
Those who think horseback riding requires no effort on the human’s part have only been passengers, not pilots. They give way too much credit to the horse in getting to and over the jumps (or down the racetrack or through the dressage test) on their own. And those pros do often make it look easy. That’s their job.
When you ride a horse (most especially at the upper competitive levels in any discipline) you use muscles you dont even know you have. Riding a horse is difficult. Riders must place a 1200 pound animal just right without looking like its a struggle. When you ride, each movement a horse makes is given from a signal the rider gives with his or her position in seat, leg, hand, pressure, etc. A horse relies on the rider to tell them how to move, what way, what pace, and most importantly, relies on the rider for collection. Every step that horse takes, is because of a certain command that the rider has given the horse. It takes an incredible amount of physical body control.
Try standing on a stair dropping your heels down (the way you do stretches). Balance on the rail or wall for a while, then balance without using your hands. Then make do squats (like posting the trot) off that stair. As with riding, they you shouldn’t tip forward or use your hands for balance. It really demonstrates the strength needed in your core muscles, your thighs, and all those tiny stabilizing muscles no one knows exist until you need them. That shows how much strength it takes just to hold the riding position—and you’re not even on a bouncy, misbehaving horse!
Sitting on a quiet horse on a trail ride really isn’t hard. Riding well is very hard. You need to be fit. You need stamina and muscle control. You need enough strength to hold your position and influence your horse. Rider fitness is considered a serious issue by eventing coaches - and frankly, being unfit and tired at the end of a cross-country run can get you or your horse seriously injured.
A Sports Med Dr, who used to be the team Dr for the SC Eq. team.”Riders suffer from the same types of injuries as Football players.”