Section 2: Equipment
Jockey Safety Equipment
Under the HISA Racetrack Safety Program, every rider — in races and during training — must wear approved protective equipment that meets recognized safety standards:
- Safety helmet: A securely fastened helmet meeting an approved equestrian standard (such as ASTM F1163 or an equivalent international standard) is mandatory at all times when mounted. Helmets that have sustained a significant impact must be removed from service.
- Safety vest (body protector): An approved safety vest meeting a recognized standard must be worn during racing and training. The vest is designed to absorb impact and protect the torso in a fall.
- Boots and attire: Riding boots, breeches, and racing silks. Silks identify the horse's ownership and are registered with the racing office.
- Goggles: Multiple stacked goggles are worn so that a rider can pull down a soiled lens and continue with a clean one during a race run over dirt.
The Riding Crop
HISA enforces a uniform national riding-crop rule that limits both the design of the crop and how it may be used:
- Approved design: Only a HISA-compliant crop may be carried. The crop must be padded (shock-absorbing), within prescribed length and weight limits, and free of any feature that could injure the horse.
- Permitted use: The crop may be used a limited number of times in a race. HISA's standard limits a rider to no more than six strikes during a race, with no more than two strikes in succession before giving the horse a chance to respond.
- Manner of use: The crop may only be used in the backhand or forehand position for encouragement and correction, never on the head, and never when the horse is clearly out of the race, has obtained its maximum placing, is showing no response, or is past the finish.
Tack and Saddlery
- Racing saddle: An extremely lightweight saddle (often under 2 lb) is used so that the combined weight of rider and equipment can be brought up to the assigned weight with lead pads carried in the saddle's weight cloth.
- Bridle, bit, and reins: Standard racing bridle with an approved bit. Equipment changes such as blinkers, tongue ties, shadow rolls, and nasal strips must be reported to the racing office and are recorded in the program.
- Girth and overgirth: A girth plus a secondary overgirth secure the saddle for the demands of racing speed.
- Horseshoes: HISA's Racetrack Safety rules regulate shoeing. Traction devices such as toe grabs above a specified height, bends, jar caulks, and stickers are prohibited on the front shoes of horses racing or training on dirt surfaces, because they are associated with increased injury risk.
- Bandages and boots: Leg bandages and protective boots are permitted within HISA limits and, where they may affect identification or soundness assessment, are subject to inspection.
Horse Identification
- Foal registration: Every Thoroughbred is registered at birth with The Jockey Club, which maintains the breed registry and assigns the horse's registered name and pedigree.
- Microchip: Horses are implanted with a microchip that is scanned to confirm identity in the paddock and at sample collection. The microchip number is recorded in the horse's records.
- Registration with HISA: Covered horses, and the covered persons responsible for them, must be registered in the HISA portal before they are eligible to race or train at a registered track.
- Lip tattoo / digital identification: Older horses may carry a lip tattoo; identification is increasingly handled by microchip and digital records that link to the horse's registration papers.