Norton Healthcare working to prioritize jockey health care

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) – When it comes to horse racing, there’s always an emphasis on the health of the horse, and rightfully so. As of late, however, jockey health is starting to become just as important.

Racing on top of 1,000 pounds of muscle and power may not look too challenging to the average viewer, but it can take a toll on the body.

“To maintain control of the horse, you know it’s a fairly static position up there on the horse but it takes a lot of muscular control to be able to stay on that horse,” Dr. Luke Beggs, Norton Healthcare Sports Health Physician, said. “Stay seated on, stay centered up on it.”

And that’s just to ride.

Beggs said accidents happen in horse racing just like in any other sport and can cause serious injuries like concussions, fractures, strains and sprains. That creates difficult conversations with jockeys who don’t get paid if they don’t ride.

“We’re here for them,” Beggs said. “You know, I’m not here for Churchill Downs or the owner or the trainer or the horse. I’m really just here for them and trying to gain that trust with them so they can come to me and talk to me about injuries that they’ve got.”

It’s up to folks like Dr. Beggs to ensure they’re in top notch shape. Jockeys are required to get a physical once a year and baseline concussion testing but one of the biggest challenges for a jockey is their weight.

“You know weight plays a big factor in their sport and maintaining that weight and doing this over and over, they might be riding in some places seven days a week,” Beggs said. “You know those more chronic injuries can start to accumulate.”

Now jockey health hasn’t always been a priority, but Dr. Beggs said some of their sports health folks are working on a national level to shape some of the rules around jockey health.

“We’ve had a big push to get athletic trainers here for the jockeys, you know, to have a lot of things that we can do here on site for them and not just have to send them to clinic but be able to take care of them here,” Beggs explained.

Norton Healthcare said they’re hoping to continue working with Churchill Downs to ensure jockey healthcare improves as a point of emphasis for years to come.

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