a question for the group

[senortout]

This is just a general observation and perhaps I'm becoming a bit 'gun-shy' but doesn't it seem like almost every race, some jock dismounts for seemingly no reason whatsoever, and why is this allowed....110-115 lbs off seems an unfair advantage is this something jockeys are hoping helps their horse? It sometimes happens with a horse that seemed quite calm going to the gate, otherwise, I could understand the occurence. In the race just off, Gomez came off and remounted again almost immediately, to no benefit that I could see. (Fifth at Belmont)

[Overlay]

I'm no expert in equine physiology, but it would seem to me that having the jockey dismount at the gate and then remount again (especially if there were no apparent reason -- as you mentioned, to calm the horse down, for example -- for doing it,) would be more physically stressful/taxing for the horse than if the jockey had just maintained his position on the horse's back.

[senortout]

What you say makes sense but its still a nervous narvis sorta manuever and I don't like seeing it so much...

Another way of stating it...would you get off the bet you just made on the horse if you saw that happening?

[Stillriledup]

This is just a general observation and perhaps I'm becoming a bit 'gun-shy' but doesn't it seem like almost every race, some jock dismounts for seemingly no reason whatsoever, and why is this allowed....110-115 lbs off seems an unfair advantage is this something jockeys are hoping helps their horse? It sometimes happens with a horse that seemed quite calm going to the gate, otherwise, I could understand the occurence. In the race just off, Gomez came off and remounted again almost immediately, to no benefit that I could see. (Fifth at Belmont)

It is an interesting question, how are we to know that the 30 seconds of "no weight" on that runners back won't be the difference of one billionth of an inch at the wire?

I think you are SUPPOSED to carry all your assigned weight to the post, but they always make "Exceptions" for horses who unseat jocks. I dont think you ought to be allowed to hop off the horse, but some that are not wanting to go in the gate do it so the horse can load easier as well as avoiding injury.

Sometimes you will notice that if a horse is dismounted while loading, the jocks who are in the gate will stand up on the sidebars to take the weight off their own horse...you know, depending on how long the delay seems to be.

It is certainly something that you can't plan for the night before as this stuff isnt listed in the PPs and we also don't know if it matters at all, if a horse gets a 1 or 2 minute break weighless while loading.

[RunForTheRoses]

IMHO this is no issue at all. You saw what happened to Rajiv Maragh at Woodbine today? These are big high strung animals being put very unnaturally into a starting gate. I bet jockeys get banged up all the time in the gate and just keep quiet.

[senortout]

And you are probably right as well. Just so many things to consider. Is R. M. ok?

[therussmeister]

It is an interesting question, how are we to know that the 30 seconds of "no weight" on that runners back won't be the difference of one billionth of an inch at the wire?

That's OK, I don't think the photo-finish camera can resolve a one billionth of an inch difference.

[Stillriledup]

That's OK, I don't think the photo-finish camera can resolve a one billionth of an inch difference.

They call dead heats if two horses are even in the VICINITY of each other so yeah, you're right, a billioth of an inch is a dead heat in most juristictions.

http://www.paceadvantage.com/forum/showthread.php?t=103673&highlight=dead+heat

[turninforhome10]

If a jock jumps off at the gate and it is the first time riding the horse it is a different ball game if a) it is a switch from high % to low % jock b) the animal shows a gate work since the last out.
If the jock and horse have a relationship from previous and this is normal and the two have run well before then I will think less about a dismount.
During my last stint of getting a horse ready to run from scratch, it was found after 3 weeks of my horse getting worse and worse about learning the gates that the auxiliary power source was not grounded properly and for 2 weeks most of the gate trainers had been getting shocked. The gate crew blew off the trainers and not until one of the crew got zapped did they say "gee, we have a problem". Some are adept at figuring out gate problems, some do not have the knowledge or the patience.