jockeys height affecting horse performance

Question
hello sir, does height of the jockey affect the horse performance during the race? i mean to say, if the jockey is too tall, lets say 5feet 10inches and horse is barely 15hh, will the horse be able to perform well if it prepared well as well as the jockey putting maximum efforts on it? or it feels burden and has to strive harder to win the race?

Answer
A good jockey is a good jockey regardless of his height. The problem with taller riders is there struggle with weight more than anything. If they try to cut too much weight then they may ride week. A rider of any height needs to be balanced and strong. I feel a healthy taller rider may be advantaged as he has longer arms which gives him more leverage in helping a horse pick up his head as the horse tires in his final strides. Some will tell you a smaller rider is at an advantage as he is able to concentrate his weight better over the withers as well he can retain his strength because cutting weight is not a problem for him. All great riders come in all sizes and shapes. good riders are able to stay out of the horses movement and actually help him mechanically whereas poor riders rely on the horse to carry them and also rely primarily on the whip. A poor rider will throw a horse off balance and cause more of a hindrance than help. Over whipping by a poor rider may also throw a horse off as too much pressure may mentally casue a horse to fold.