Jeopardising jockeys, harming horses - damaging health in the racing industry

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No doubt aspiring models, celebrity aspirants and would-be movie stars could learn a thing or two from the jockeys.

Regulations outlaw drug use in horse racing – both for horses and jockeys. Under Victorian racing rules, prohibited substances include 'Nandrolone' (anabolic steroid) and dexamethasone 21-isonicotinate (a corticosteroid). Under the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Act 1981 (Victoria) therapeutic substances can be administered to horses under registered veterinarians' authority only. Albeit these laws can be breached, they nonetheless exist to control industry abuses. Other jurisdictions have been less vigilant. In the United States, after Eight Belles died in the 2008 Kentucky Derby, and steroids were discovered in the victor Big Brown, New York introduced tougher drug rules.

However, jurisdictions vary, and drugs – therapeutic and performance-enhancing – continue to feature, while everywhere this so-called 'sport of kings' is performed, therapeutic drugs can effectively act as performance enhancing drugs, when used to keep injured horses on the track.

Yet not only prohibited substances and prohibited use of substances should be in issue. Perhaps in addition to attention paid to racing industry drugs, it is time to focus on methods used to make jockeys attractive as riders. Just as starvation diets and over-reckless exercise regimes used to 'enhance' catwalk-appearance are recognised as damaging to women – and male models, such methods employed to enhance jockeys' employability-by-weight on the race track should be recognised, too, as potentially damaging to their health and well-being.