How much does a horse jockey make

How much does a horse jockey make

Introduction

I never understood the allure of horse racing until I attended my first race in person. As I sat there, watching the horses thunder down the track and listening to the excited cheers of the crowd, it felt as though I was a part of something momentous. For those competing riders on top of each horse, though, that feeling is more than an exciting day out — it’s their livelihood. Riding horses professionally sounds like a dream job for anyone who loves animals, but it requires a lot of hard work and dedication. Let’s take a look at how much money jockeys make and what you need to do to join their ranks:

The average yearly salary of a horse jockey was $46,260 in 2017.

As you can see, jockeys are paid on a percentage of the total purse. The average percentage is 10%, with most races paying out around $1 million in prize money. This means that if you were to place first in each race, you’d be earning about $100,000 per year. However, most jockeys don’t win every time they ride and this is where their wages come from: only winning as many races as they can while still keeping up with their expenses.

The average yearly salary of a horse jockey in 2017 was $46,260—averaging at just over $8,000 per race (which includes training fees). Of course these numbers vary depending on how often you win or lose.

The majority of prize money offered to jockeys each year comes from North American and European horse racing.

The majority of prize money offered to jockeys each year comes from North American and European horse racing. The U.S., Canada, France and Japan are the biggest markets for horseracing. In fact, these countries account for more than 80% of all horseracing-related bets worldwide.

The average salary for a jockey in Europe is about $30,000 per year; however, this figure varies greatly depending on where you live and which races you win. For example: if you’re an apprentice jockey in England (the most expensive country), your starting salary could be as high as £18,000 per year ($24,300). However if you are an apprentice jockey in Ireland (the cheapest country), then your starting salary will be €10,000 ($11k) or less each year

Because of their weight requirements, jockeys have one of the most dangerous jobs in the world.

In order to keep the balance of power in their favor, jockeys carry up to 100 pounds in weight. This is more than half their body weight and a lot more than an average NFL football player carries on his helmet during a game. Jockeys have been known to gain as much as 30 pounds during training season due to this requirement.

The additional weight they carry gives them an advantage over other riders when it comes to controlling horses, staying on horses and even getting past competitors without getting unseated from their mounts altogether.

Jockeys are responsible for paying their own taxes.

You are not an employee of the horse owner. You are not an independent contractor. You are not a freelancer or a contractor.

You, as the jockey, are responsible for paying your own taxes and social security contributions just like anyone else who works for themselves in the United States—which is most people! This means that you must keep track of your income and expenses and pay estimated quarterly taxes throughout the year. If you have deductions (like training fees), you will need to file additional forms during tax season so that your money can be adjusted accordingly by the government.

Jockeys must be in impeccable physical condition.

Jockeys must be in impeccable physical condition. They have to sit on a horse for hours at a time, and be able to lift its leg at the same time. Jockeys have to be able to hold their balance as they ride around the track, which can sometimes mean sitting sideways on a horse that’s going full speed as it turns corners or jumps over other horses. Finally, jockeys need to be strong enough to pull up an animal’s head if necessary.

A jockey’s career is short-lived and can end due to injury.

If you’re reading this, chances are you have a reasonable understanding of the sport of horse racing. You may even know that jockeys ride the horses and steer them around the track, but do you know how much they make?

A jockey’s career is short-lived and can end due to injury. The average jockey career is 5-7 years, according to Jockeys’ Guild Executive Director David Israel. Compare this to NFL players, who usually play for about 3 seasons before retiring; NBA players who typically play for 7 years in total; and MLB players who can often last for decades in their sport (though most retire after 10 years).

Horse-racing is a lucrative sport for jockeys but it does come with risks.

Horse-racing is a lucrative sport for jockeys but it does come with risks. Jockeys have to be in peak physical shape and maintain that fitness throughout their careers, which can last as little as five years. They also have to deal with the occasional animal injury. Injuries are part of any sport, but when it comes to horses, they’re particularly dangerous because many racehorses are trained to kick or bite when they’re stressed out—which is exactly what happens when they’re hurt while racing.

Jockeys are paid based on how well they perform; if you win races easily every time out, you get more money than someone who has trouble getting his horses across the finish line at all. But being a top jockey also comes with extra responsibilities: paying taxes on your income (and growing up without an allowance), managing your own finances (no allowance here either), and being responsible for keeping yourself in fighting shape year after year until retirement age hits around age 35 or so—after which most top jockeys switch over into other careers like horse training or breeding because those jobs don’t require such intense physical activity anymore!

Conclusion

There are several reasons why the jockey profession does not receive the attention it deserves. It is a profession which requires long hours, hard work, and dedication from its practitioners on a daily basis in order to succeed at their job. The pay is not great either and many jockeys do not have any other means of income outside of racing which can make it difficult for them financially when they cannot ride. They also do not get much time off between races so there isn’t much opportunity for them to enjoy life outside the track either. However despite this, jockeys tend to have strong work ethic and are willing to put themselves through whatever it takes in order make sure that their horse wins every single race because this will help them earn more money in prize money which will then go towards paying off their taxes too!