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Today's Racing :

Valuable addition to jockey academy

David Thiselton
The South African Jockey Academy at Summerveld has acquired a state of the art equisizer that looks set to add immense value to the learning process of the apprentice jockeys. The equisizer is the equine equivalent of a flight simulator that teaches airline pilots how to fly. The acquisition was made possible by the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund.
Unlike the Academy’s previous equisizer, the new one simulates a race situation through software settings, a big screen that is placed in front of the equisizer and through sensors that transmit information from the equisizer to the screen. All in all it enables a rider to experience the stress of a race situation, the rider’s performance is evaluated and the apprentices are also able to compete with each other to see who can perform best in a specific simulated race. The software has certain racecourses programmed in.
New racecourses can be added and in fact the Summerveld one had Greyville racecourse programmed in after videos and pictures were taken of the actual course. The Summerveld equisizer has three race distances programmed in for Greyville, 1 000m, 1 800m and 2 400m. The going can be selected with seven options ranging from firm to heavy and there are also options for wind speed and direction. The sensors on the equisizer include balance sensors, a bit sensor, speed control sensors which are positioned on the neck, saddle sensors, steering sensors and whip sensors. A lack of balance will slow the horse down, the bit sensor can slow or stop a horse, the speed control sensor records the jockey’s driving of the horse and the saddle sensor will slow the horse down.
The whip sensor will slow the horse if excessive force is used, if the incorrect part of the horse is hit and if there is excessive frequency.
In each simulated race there are six horses with varying abilities and styles of racing. For example horse one might be a type who prefers to be dropped out, but finds a good finish and runs on resolutely. The programme might also expect him to win the race. Another of the horses might be expected to finish third, while another might be expected to finish last. The three important factors that are recorded are effort, energy and speed. The speed must be kept up with as little effort so that as much energy can be reserved for the finish.
The jockey is able to monitor these levels and give the horse the best chance. The riding masters also stand aside and give advice. A weaker horse will provide a hard ride as more effort is likely to have to be used to keep the speed up so the factors like balance, saddle movement and speed control will need to be at a premium. Interference can happen and the riding masters feel this is important to teach apprentices just how much ground they will lose in such cases. Horses can also be programmed to be boxed in to teach patience and precision in waiting for and taking a gap. After the race is completed the screen will show a graph recording the places where the balance was out and will also show the speed and race position throughout the distance. It also records a time and this allows the apprentices to compete to see who can record the best time on the same horse in a specific race. Head riding master, Rhys van Wyk, said that the apprentices’ ultimate role models should be the likes of Piere Strydom, who is able to control a horse’s speed throughout the race while remaining immaculately balanced. He added that the equisizer is a valuable asset for race fitness. “You can ride as much as you want, but only a race will get you fit,” he said. “Jockeys like Anthony Delpech and Kevin Shea, who are often involved in the finish, are superbly fit.” Frankie Dettori in fact has one at his home and uses it to maintain fitness or improve fitness when returning from injury. Van Wyk added, “The equisizer is also very good for balance and for raceriding thinking.” Riding master Laurence O’Donoghue said that the chief aim of the equisizer was to “get a technical type of riding into their heads.”

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