Horse stumbling

Question
I instances that horses stumble during a race what percent of the time is that due to the jockey not maintaining his position for the horse to maintain stride and balance? Also, what is the most weight a jockey is allowed to be?

Answer
Russell,

There really are no statistics on how often a jockey causes a horse to stumble, but probably quite often.  After all, the only person who could actually tell you that it had happened that way is the jockey, and they're not likely to admit it, are they?
The place that it happens most often is out of the gate.  Minor shifts in weight coming out of the gate can really affect how a horse breaks.  Also, if the horse breaks and the rider isn't prepared, and falls back on the horse's mouth, it can cause a real problem with stride, causing the horse to stumble.

Asr as maximum weight for a jockey, there really isn't any hard and fast rule, but it is very unusual for a jockey to weigh more than about 115 pounds.  A maiden horse usually carries 121 lbs, and you have to allow for tack.  (When the program says that a horse carries a particular weight, that is the weight of the rider and all of his tack, minus the bridle.)  When a rider is new, they usually need to weigh even less, due to the apprentice weight allowances.  Many apprentices weigh as little as 105 or even less.

Thanks,
Stephanie Frost
www.alchemybloodstock.com