The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1896-12-10
MAKING A HORSE JOCKEY.
lie Must Undergo Much Torture he
fore He In Fitted to Ride.

lie Must Undergo Much Torture Bc-
fore He In Fitted to Ride.
Among the many who are interested
In racing, probably but few pay any
thought to the pains and miseries un-
derg2ne by that unfortunate although
much envied class Of men, the jockeys.
Some men-very few-are really born
jockeys. They are of that small build
which is essential for their work, they
are blessed with a constitution which
does not run TO fat and at the same
time they are endowed with the nerve
and resolution necessary for their call
ing. Many lads. however, who by
their "build' give promise of making
good jockeys. are, as the turn TO man
hood. cursed with the tendency to lay
OH flesh. but having Onc tasted the eX-
element. and also, it may be, shifted
at the profits Of Il jockeys life, viii
not give it up without Il struggle, not
WithStanding the warning of the
scales.
10 these the life is one Of great mis-
cry. almost torture. from training
down. i~nteIspersed. no doubt, with
periods of gayety. which are almost, If
not quite, dangerous, tt health as
those during which the poor fellow has
TO do penance in sweating off the eff
fects Of his indiscretions. Probably no
criminal to whom hard labor is melted
out rs Il punishment undergoes such
labor on such low diet as the jockey
who is wasting" himself SO as TO
scale with another lucky fellow whose
| nature runs less to fat. In the hottest
weather he piles Oh clothes n
sharp walks. He labors hard, and II
more he sweats the more he feels he
has done his duty. Then comes h
mlzzle. After the labor there is APP
petite; after the sweating there IL
| thirst-but the food must be strictly
limited, and the drink must be for
naught. The privation is horrible.
Training for condition is bad enough
and has made many a good fellow
throw aahleticism to the dogs, but
training for weight is a far greater In
liction. There are SO many pounds to
be got off and so many days or weeks
in which to do 1t. BY physic, by sweat
ing. by hard labor and by starvation 1t
has got to be done, and that in a GER
tain time.
AS an instance Of continuous self
denial there are few positions which
will compare with that of a jockey
when he is working himself down to
scale. A man in ordinary condition
hardly varies in weight from day TO
day. whatever he may eat or drink,
and many men leading fairly irregular
lives keep their weight almost without
change for months, and ever years. 1t
is not so, however, when training has
brought down the weight far below its
| natural level. Under such circum-
| stances every cell in the body seems
hungry and athirst, and moisture Is
sucked up as by a blotting paper.
Jockeys and trainers are wont TO tell
| strange tales of the weight laid on as
the result OF small indiscretions IN
diet, and it is gravely stated that q
pint of stout imbibed by a thirsty
'waster'' is computed to put on three
or four pounds!
OF course such things cannot be, and
| the laws of nature are not altered even
for Jockeys: nevertheless, it is certain
that when trained down to a certain
mitch any excess of fluid over n min
imum which has been attained is not
excfeted. but goes entirely TO the It's
sueS and thus to the increase or
weight. 1t is unnecessary to point out
| how Injurious to health 1t must be 10
play such pranks with the constitu-
a''f
ton over and over again. Health de-
pends largely upon the maintenance or
a due and orderly relation TIVE the
| assimilative and the eXcretory rune
/ tiors. relations which are entirely per-
yerted i'm the life of the jockey. Al
one period he derives his nutriment
| from food like the rest of mankind; at
other times and for long spells he sub
sists largely upon his own tissues.
Many break down under the strain,
either in consequence of the huids
which he drinks being insufflcient 10
enable the excretory organs to per-
form their functions properly, or from
! the starvation telling on the nervous
system before it affects thei hesh,
while others throw up the effort rather
than continue the miserable system Oh
starvation which is involved III keep
ing the scales on the right slde.-brlt
ish Medical Journal.