When deciding how to bet at the racetrack, you could look at
a horse's past performance and lineage, or by observing the jockey's position
and applying simple physics. With the
opening of the summer meet at Saratoga Racecourse in upstate N.Y., now is a
good time to brush up on another handicapping technique!
Center of Balance
Why does the jockey ride with his knees up to his nose while
perching over the horse's neck? One
reason has to do with the horse's center of balance. The less the rider interferes, the faster the
horse can go.
The location of the equine center of balance can vary
depending on several factors:
- Speed – Slower speeds place the center of balance further back
behind the withers (bump at the base of the neck). Increased speeds, like a racing gallop,
move the center of balance forward toward.
- Collection – Some equine sports require the horse to
"collect". In plain English, the
horse is coiling its energy like a spring and in advanced movements,
almost going up and down like a merry-go-round horse. Collected movements place the center of
balance further back than extended movements, like the gallop.
- Saddle – There are different types of saddles for different
types of riding disciplines. A
dressage saddle for "dancing on horseback" places the rider further back
for collected movements. A jumping
or racing saddle moves the rider further up.
 The Racing Crouch – How
Effective is It?
Jockeys have it tough enough between having to keep their
weight down to the absolute minimum and riding up to 10 or more horses per day,
some that they've never seen before. But
the job also entails spending one-to-three minutes per race (not counting the
rides to the post and from the finish line) in a relatively uncomfortable
position, while a thousand-pound animal pulls their arms with many pounds of
pressure.
The crouched position may not look so bad to someone who
hasn't tried it, but I've talked to friends who say they couldn't make one lap
around the track. I personally use a
similar technique (with a longer stirrup length) to strengthen my legs and
train them to stay in the proper position.
It's tough to do and you certainly feel it the next day!
So why do jockeys use it?
According to a study conducted using GPS units in jockeys' helmets along
with inertia sensors on the riders as well as on the horses, the following
discoveries were made:
- The horse does most of the
moving – push off to accelerate, move up and down, repeat
- Jockey's legs act like a
spring to help move rhythmically with the horse
- This movement helps the
jockey stay at a constant speed
Sometimes (especially right out of the gate or after the
completion of a race) a jockey will seem to be standing straight up. This is to slow the horse and gain
control. It does show that this way
would not help the horse to go faster!
What do you think?
Have you ever bet on a horse race?
What technique works for you?
Resources:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2009/07/jockeys_using_physics_to_make.html
http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=821334&category=NATIONAL
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Center_of_balance_(horse)
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