BODY PROTECTORS - THE CALL FOR A REVIEW

By Graham Potter | Tuesday, March 29, 2022

In a recent interview, jockey Michael Cahill, who is close to returning to riding following a lengthy, four-month recovery period from a fractured C4 injury, mentioned that there seemingly has been a spate in jockey’s back and neck injuries in recent times. He referred to what he thought was as much as six such incidents since his own accident in December last year.

Significantly, and remember Cahill is a very seasoned rider with tons of experience, he also offered the opinion that … “I put it down to the body protectors we have to wear. Most of the jockeys are of the opinion that these body protectors hold you too rigid in the neck area.

“I obviously can’t speak for everyone,” added Cahill, "It is just my opinion, but I believe that is the general feeling amongst jockeys … and we are just hoping that there can be some sort of study to look into it so something can be done to maybe reduce these injuries. There are just too many of them.”

Jason Taylor, another vastly experienced jockey who suffered horrendous injuries a little over a year ago from which he has thankfully recovered, has echoed Cahill’s view.

“I do agree with Michael, for sure, because a lot of us have spoken at length about it with suggestions being made that since the introduction of the vest, there have been more neck and lower back injuries,” said Taylor.

“We were thinking of the possibility that it is to do with the body protectors making it more rigid when your hit the ground … not being flexible enough.

“I’ve had falls with the vest and I had falls without the vest … prior to it coming in … and there is no doubt that, with the vest you are far more rigid when you hit the ground … you are not rolling up into a ball. Rolling can often help you come out of some trickly situations better than might otherwise be the case.

"The other consequence of a serious neck or back injury to the jockey is the recovery time. It is normally a massive recovery stint … that is if you do recover from it at all.

“It is obviously a difficult one,” acknowledged Taylor. “It is a very fine line and there are two sides to the story.

"Obviously, you do need a body protector because it does serve a purpose and it is something that has been proven to protect you in certain types of fall.

“I know first-hand. I think in my accident my body protector helped. I still ended up with quite a lot of broken ribs and both lungs punctured … but it’s always been a thought in the back of my mind that things could have been a whole lot worse if I hadn’t had a body protector.

"So, again, it’s not that we don’t need a body protector … we don’t want to get rid of it at all … but it would be nice if the body protector can be refined a bit so that we can have one that can fold or cup with our body when you fall.

“All we are really asking is that they do a little bit more research into the body protectors and a little bit more study into the material that is used. We’d just like to know more about it,” concluded Taylor.

Jockey Larry Cassidy, who has seen it all, is another looking for a change for the better.

“I have been telling them about it for fifteen years,” said Cassidy.

Clearly there is common ground on this matter amongst those who should know best what the ideal requirements for a body protector would be … the jockeys themselves.

So, the big question now is … has there been any movement in terms of putting this matter under review?

Kevin Ring, the Australian Jockey’s Association’s Work, Health and Safety Officer, confirmed that he has approached Racing Australia about this matter.

“I have already approached Racing Australia on this. I approached them last year about a review on the vest, with regard to falls and injuries,” said Ring.

"Racing Australia is not meeting at the moment, so the Jockey’s and Participant’s safety Committee that I am on hasn’t been meeting … because Racing Australia aren’t meeting, naturally.

“So, to put it in a nutshell, if Racing Australia don’t get together in the next six months or so … they do assure me that they are going to get together soon … then there is every chance that the Australian Jockey’s Association will do their own review.”

The current vest, as has been roundly acknowledged, even by those looking for a review, is playing a very important part in rider safety at this time. As Ring put it, “there are those who have been crushed by a horse and, if it wasn’t for the vest, they could be dead.”

So, nobody is denying that the vest has value and is important. It is an added value factor that these jockeys are looking for ... being simply a case of trying to identify further room for improvement to secure the all-around safety factor ... just as anyone would want done for all of the horses that the riders take out onto the track.

Jockeys are merely expressing their concern, rather than any criticism, and they are hopeful that their improvement they seek can ultimately be realised.

“Personally. I feel the vests are better than they used to be,” continued Ring. “I think it was 1997 or 1998 when the jockeys were first made to use vests.

"The original vests were very stiff. It was like having a surfboard or an ironing board on your back, and at least the vests they use now do have a lot more flexibility that they used to have.

“I know the English vests have opened the neck area and under the arms to create more movement … which is good, because that has been the problem.

“The jockeys would all love to wear the Japanese vest … but it has no standard, so it can’t be used here as it doesn’t pass the standards test in Australia.

“There was a review done some years ago, which I was part of, and the results were not conclusive. There wasn’t enough data around then because the vests weren’t that old.

“Whether there be more or less neck and spinal injuries with the vest, without the vest (or a refined vest) … we don’t know," said Ring, aptly summing up the crux of the matter.

"That’s why we have got to have this review.”

And so say many of the jockeys.