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Originally Posted by brianwspencer
Let's see about that. Rider at a track making $15,000 a year. Basically what he's doing is risking his life several times a day so that YOU can get your rocks off gambling for the equivalent of $7/hr all year long.
With that established, you also want to now go ask him to take a 10% pay cut?
Awesome. Basically what I'm saying is that idea still sucks big time.
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What I'm saying is that it is the riders responsibility to pay for his/her own insurance. No one has a gun to their heads to be a jockey, and if they are only making $15,000 a year doing it, I suggest they look for another job because they obviously aren't successful doing this one.
Where is it written that everyone choosing to do something is guaranteed to make a living at it? Those that are good and lucky become successful while others not so fortunate must accept reality and find some other way to make a living.
You make the argument that just because someone chooses to ride races they should be guaranteed to make a living doing that. That is an absurd argument.
There are plenty of "risky" professions out there. No one is forced to work in any of them. If the risk outweighs the reward to you, get another job.
The inescapable fact is that is that jockey's are self-employed and as such are responsible for funding their own insurance.
Here are a few examples:
I have a friend who is a very good actor. He has been in a couple of series in minor roles. Is it up to everyone who watches television to guarantee he drives a porsche? Of course not, it's not everyone who watches TV's responsibility, nor is it the production company that developed and put out the series he is in to guarantee him anything. If he wants more than he is being paid doing that job, he gets another. When he isn't acting he works as an accountant.
A horse I own part of was given a poor ride the other day and finished fifth when with a clean trip would've been first or second. Subsequently he didn't earn enough to pay for his feed and training for December. Shouln't I be entitled to bill the jockey for my expenses relating to the ownership of this horse when he is at least complicit and at most the proximate cause as to why my expenses weren't covered last month?
The bottom line is this. No one is forcing these people to do what they do for a living. If they can't make it, they have to get another job. This includes your $ 15,000/year jockey.