Jockeying for position

THERE are sound scientific foundations for the posture adopted by modern jockeys, research by the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) has suggested. Despite being seen by many as uncomfortable, the crouched position has been found to isolate the jockey from the movements of the horse, meaning that the horse has to support only the bodyweight of the jockey rather than having to support accelerating the jockey through each of its strides. In a paper in the journal Science, researchers at the RVC’s Structure and Motion Laboratory suggest that the crouched posture, which was first adopted in about 1900, has led to improvements in racing performance. For example, substantial decreases in the winning times of the Epsom Derby were recorded in the 10-year period from about 1900. The researchers, led by Thilo Pfau, analysed 17 routine training sessions of five high-quality racehorses ridden by three jockeys, using inertial sensors, GPS speed loggers and data loggers. They showed that using conventionally seated riders and sandbags led to an increase in the mechanical and metabolic costs to the horse, which was proportionate to the load being carried. In contrast, when the jockey was crouched over the horse, the cost of load carrying was reduced. ‘Our research shows that it would be difficult or impossible for jockeys to isolate themselves from the movement of the mount were they seated or adopting an upright, straight-legged posture,’ Dr Pfau said. ‘We surmise that a jockey in the crouched position uncouples himself from the horse by moving relative to his mount. Interestingly, we also found that, in adjusting his position, the jockey slightly overcompensates for the horse’s motion. So, the fluctuations in the displacement and velocity of the combined horse and jockey may be slightly smaller than those of the horse alone. It could be said that the jockey is “driving” the horse.’