Obviously not everyone. That is precisely the argument you have made. I'm not telling anyone to take a 10% pay cut. I'm suggesting that they pay their own insurance which you say is unattainable for such a "risky" profession. I say here is a logical, simple way for that to be accomplished.

i just think the jockeys should be covered by the governing racing association or possible the owner of the horse they are riding........

I think the owners are paying enough in insuring their horses. I can understand why someone like Cash is King thought twice about insuring Afleet Alex for another year.

your probably right about that.......

I have to agree with JFELD on this topic. As a trainer i am bombarded with workmans comp for my employees. I can accept paying those premiums, they are my employees and dedicate themselves at the barn 24/7. What i can't understand is how NYRA charges me $650 for jockeys insurance. The owners are also charged the same amount. That's not even including what the host tracks are putting up for insurance. And another thing that ticks me off about this issue is that when i run horses at Finger Lakes i have to put up another $650 for the jocks......Take a walk by the jocks parking lot at Aqueduct sometime and see what kind of vehicles these guys are driving.. Trust me, they can afford their own insurance...

good post....good info on the subject.

Your description of your reasoning sounds much more logical -- it at least made me think. It doesn't seem fair for you to get gouged that way.

With that said, while I'm not trying to insinuate that I know anything about anything compared to you, what about a track like Fairmount Park or Portland Meadows? Perhaps riders riding for $46000 allowance purses can afford nice cars and their insurance premiums, but how about the guy or girl in Oregon or who rides a win in a third level allowance and pockets $200 for it? They work their asses off out there, but there's no glamour and no money at all. Are they less deserving of insurance than a rider at a major, high stakes track, even though they've made their own personal decision to be a rider?

If you were paying attention, WHICH OBVIOUSLY YOU WEREN'T, the 9% plan covers ALL the riders everywhere. That $20.00 (ONE PERCENT) payment from the guy at Fairmount will buy him EXACTLY the same insurance that Norberto Arroyo paid $400.00 (ONE PERCENT) for by winning the stake at Aqueduct yesterday aboard the outofthe box trainee. It just doesn't get any fairer than that.

Go back a few pages and read.

Yes, I am paying attention to your awesome plan JFeld. However, when you get angry and write insulting things, people tend to stop giving much credence to what you say.

Outofthebox said everything you'd like to say in 10% of the space and without contempt or insults.

Good Lord, if we just had single-payer national health care this entire conversation would be moot wouldn't it? Too bad.

What kind of car do you drive. I am sure these "trainers" could afford to pay a share of the insurance. Without the jock, you don't make any money. Seems like you would want to make sure the person riding your horse is properly covered.

Well,I see jocks blow rides (and cost people money) all the time.What is hard to understand about somebody being upset about it? How is it that these people are somehow immune from their job performance being judged? Sure,most horses lose because they weren't good enough.I also see races where 2 horses have about the same amount of run,and the one who gets the 1st place check is the one who gets the the better ride.Not every race has one horse who is simply better(which is pretty much the argument made when people say riders don't matter.)The only reason why somebody shouldn't complain (about a blown ride) is because it won't change the results.You could argue it is a waste of energy.

I drive a 98 Toyota Tacoma thank you. The jock should be properly covered. Thats not the issue. You don't seem to understand that they want everyone but themselves to cover the cost of insurance. They are independent contractors, yet they want (owners, trainers, and tracks) to pay.

Stop whining...sell that car and buy 'em some insurance!

Yes i know, i am a whiner. I would love to sell the truck but the blue book is real low. I love Euros comment on without the jockey i wouldnt get paid..Well without the horse to ride he wouldnt have a job either. You can go around in circles on this topic. It's mute, theyve got us by the balls, those pinheads...

It is simple, everyone should pay. It isn't that hard of a concept. Trainers, jocks, tracks, etc etc all pay the same portion and are covered under the same policy. I don't know why it is so hard to understand.

When you give your rider a leg up do you tell him, "Now don't blow it, pinhead?"

As an aside, I love the late 90's Tacoma. Have a 1988 small Dodge with 200k I have tried but cannot destroy.

I'm looking at Tacoma's, actually. How do you like it? LOL :D

Lol..Usually it's good luck and safe trip..Yes Euro, i agree on the national health coverage. As a nation we desperately need it.. Cajun the Tacoma is a great truck 170k miles and just runs super. I depend on it for my many trips to the hay fields..

How much is the insurance we are speaking of here?

If the jockeys were to pay the insurance 100% themselves, about how much a month would it cost them?

This topic may or may not have been addressed before -- but I can read.

You are clearly unable to understand the difference between what/how he says something and what/how you say things. It's human nature to read things differently based on the tone in which they are spoken/written. Word to the wise -- when you respect other people and treat them respectfully, like them or not, they will treat you the same. If someone were to post like a jerk, they will be treated like a jerk.

People, by and large, respect OOTB. That is a big difference. It is very possible to agree with you on a topic like this and simultaneously be viewed in an entirely different way....even taken seriously! So while in your raving earlier in the thread, you may have proposed a similar idea -- it doesn't come across very well when you're lacing it with contempt and disrespect.

I'm not going to sit here and piss on the fire you seem to so desperately want to start around here anymore. I'm going to act like a big boy and just remind you that respect breeds respect.