Physical activities of jockeys during a working week

Abstract

Horse racing and training is a physically demanding sport. The aims of this study were to quantify the physical activities of jockeys during a working week and to investigate self-reported fall and injury incidence rates of jockeys at work. A daily workload diary examining workday and physical activities was emailed to all jockeys licensed to ride in a race in New Zealand in 2020. Sixty-three jockeys (25 apprentices, 33 professional and 5 amateur riders) began the diary, representing 38% of the licensed population of jockeys in New Zealand. Jockeys worked a median of 44 (interquartile range (IQR) 33-57) hours, 6-days per week. A median of 7 (IQR 6-9) horses were ridden per day, comprising 58% of work time, with 11 (IQR 7-15) hours per week spent at training pace. Elite jockeys (high performance in the premiership table) spent more time riding in races (1.1, IQR 0.7-1.2 hours per week) than non-elite jockeys (0.0, 0.0-0.4, P=0.01), with 29% (IQR 0-54%) of their weekly rides as race rides. Extra physical training was conducted by 72% of jockeys, which consisted mainly of low intensity exercise such as pleasure riding (56%) and walking (43%). Falls during morning exercise work were recorded by 87% of respondents, 40% of which had sustained an injury in the previous 12 months. Jockeys who participated in extra physical training had higher fall incidence rates per 1000 horses ridden in morning exercise work (3.5, 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.1-3.9, P=0.002) but lower fall incidence rate in race riding (2.1, 95% CI 1.5-2.8, P<0.001) than jockeys who did no extra training (2.5, 95% CI 2.0-3.0 and 5.9, 95% CI 3.8-9.0). Elite jockeys experience a level of specific race exercise which is lacking in the other jockeys.