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Jockeys toes in the irons

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  • 09-04-2014 9:47am
    #1
    tipptom
    Registered Users Posts: 4,219 ✭✭✭


    Lads,I rode on the track back in the early eightys and we always rode with the full foot in the irons,everyone now seems to ride with their bare toe in the irons now(except Richard Johnson).


    I was wondering when this came in and how the style changed so comprehensively and I have seen discussions in Australian racing against this style after some bad falls.


    I have a young lad(12) going flapping in June and I encourage him to put his foot in a little further and hope to get a pair of riding boots for him with a good grip(any second hand ones out there?)or should i leave him as he is.


    I don't seem to remember any serious incidents from back then from riding with the full foot or even any discussion about it.


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    #2
    irish_major
    Registered Users Posts: 525 ✭✭✭irish_major


    From my limited experience of riding it was always hammered into me that toes only are best, if you took a fall, theres more potential for being dragged by the horse if you have the full foot in


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    #3
    kencoo
    Registered Users Posts: 212 ✭✭kencoo


    toes/ball of foot gives alot more control than having the whole foot.


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    #4
    brandon_flowers
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,657 ✭✭✭brandon_flowers


    There is a documentary about Jim Bolger on youtube where he says Paul Carberry used to ride with his full foot in the irons when he joined him first and Jim claims the credit for making Paul change.

    So if Jim Bolger says to do it, and Paul Carberry does it then it is good enough for me.


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    #5
    tipptom
    Registered Users Posts: 4,219 ✭✭✭tipptom


    brandon_flowers wrote: »
    There is a documentary about Jim Bolger on youtube where he says Paul Carberry used to ride with his full foot in the irons when he joined him first and Jim claims the credit for making Paul change.

    So if Jim Bolger says to do it, and Paul Carberry does it then it is good enough for me.
    Jim is a bit of a tyrant,dont think Paul would have had any choice in the matter,Tommy would have trained Paul and if Tommy told him it was good enough to have the full foot in it would have been good enough for me,Tommy was much a better rider than Jim lol.


    Im really just playing devils advocate here lads because I know everyone now is for the toes in the irons but even now on the rare occasion I ride out I would have have the ball of my foot in and feels more right.


    But taking your point on Jim and paul it would seem to be around when Paul was a flat apprentice that the change over came in.


    I would have served my time at the same time as Mick Kinane and the likes and I was wondering why he would have made such a big adjustment to his riding style when he was at the stage that no trainer would be telling him how to ride.


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    #6
    brandon_flowers
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,657 ✭✭✭brandon_flowers


    tipptom wrote: »
    Jim is a bit of a tyrant,dont think Paul would have had any choice in the matter

    That is my point, if anyone else told Paul to change his riding style they be told fairly impolitely where to go. And now he is the most stylish in the business with his arse cocked in the air.


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    #7
    cack_handed
    Closed Accounts Posts: 287 ✭✭cack_handed


    Just as well Jim did as it helped mould the most perfect stylist on a racehorse I have ever seen. Although as a general rule i believe apprentices are taught to keep the ball of their feet well in. I guess it all started pretty much with Lester Piggott and gradually became the fashion and I wonder if there are more U's in a horse's form nowadays that would be the case in the old days of heel well in and whip the bejaysus out of em


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    #8
    tipptom
    Registered Users Posts: 4,219 ✭✭✭tipptom


    Richard Hughes reckons Paul based his style on his,dont know what Paul would have to say about that bit I don't think a jockeys style would relying on his toe or foot in the iron and I would say that just the toe in would probably have you a bit deeper in the saddle so less shorter leg to cock the dock.


    Going back a long time now but we would have been looking at Lester,the tragic late Tony Murray and Tommy Carmody over jumps style wise.


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