What do jockeys and apprentices of all ages need to know about the NHA Rules of Racing on race day? The crop, weighing out and in, medical books, safety gear, the jockeys' room, riding offences, and alcohol and drug testing.
The crop itself (Rule 58.10): only NHA-approved crops, maximum 68 cm, minimum 1 cm diameter, no more than 160 g, with a smooth, shock-absorbing paddle and no binding within 17 cm of the end. You must not misuse it, use it unnecessarily or excessively, or use it on the horse's head.
Appendix E guidance: show the horse the crop and give it time to respond; use it in rhythm with the stride and close to the horse's side. Only use it forward of the saddle backhand down the shoulder with both hands on the reins (not on consecutive strides), or for safety or when your crop hand is in restricted room.
Penalty guidelines (May 2026), Rule 58.10.2:
| Breach | Penalty |
|---|---|
| Causing injury | R10 000 and/or 7 days |
| Hitting on the head | R5 000 and/or 7 days |
| Hitting while dismounted | R2 000 |
| Arm above shoulder height; excessive force; no time to respond; horse not responding; out of contention; clearly winning; past the post; out of stride; flank or stomach |
| R1 000 each |
| Consecutive strikes | R1 000 plus R500 per strike over 3 |
| Forward of the saddle (max 2 strikes where circumstances permit) | R1 000 plus R500 per strike over 3 |
Guideline (m), more than 10 hits in the race, is dealt with under a separate NHA document. The stewards also weigh distance, the horse's experience and response, and force used.
Under Rules 56 and 57 of the NHA Rules of Racing:
May 2026 penalty guidelines: late reporting R500; leaving the room without consent R500; phone in the room R2 500 (switched off), investigation and R5 000 or more (switched on), R10 000 (used).
Under Rule 59 of the NHA Rules of Racing:
After weighing out, stay in the weighing room or jockeys' quarters until the clerk sends you to the parade ring. Failing to weigh out at carded weight: R1 000 (May 2026 guidelines; a 4th offence brings an automatic riding weight restriction).
Under Rule 66 of the NHA Rules of Racing:
If the stewards accept you were incapacitated and the horse carried the correct weight, it is not disqualified for that reason. May 2026 penalty guidelines: failing to weigh in correctly R1 500; overweight R1 000.
Under Rule 25 of the NHA Rules of Racing, every rider (including registered apprentices) is issued a medical record book and must:
You may not weigh out unless your book shows you free of any embargo, or the racecourse medical officer has declared you fit. If you can't produce it, you must be examined. If you are declared unfit, you may not ride again until examined and cleared by the racecourse medical officer, and only a registered medical practitioner may make entries in it.
If you miss a ride through illness or injury, you may not ride for 2 days after that meeting without stewards' permission, and must give the clerk of the scales a fitness certificate before riding again (Rule 25.12). Failing to present the book: R250 (May 2026 guidelines).
Under Rule 58 of the NHA Rules of Racing:
Penalty guidelines (May 2026): no skull cap R500; no chin strap R500; not wearing a body protector R2 500.
Because body protectors are compulsory, your riding weight is treated as 1.0 kg less than the scale reading (Rule 59.8).
Rule 62.2 of the NHA Rules of Racing says you must not ride in a careless, negligent, improper, reckless or dangerous manner; must take all reasonable precautions to stop your horse crossing another and interfering; must not let your horse interfere with or jostle another horse or rider; and must not cause interference, bunching or intimidation. You must also ease up gradually after the finish, not pull up abruptly, and never abuse or mishandle a horse.
Penalty guidelines (May 2026):
| Offence | Guideline penalty |
|---|---|
| Careless riding | Caution, warning or reprimand, or 3 to 7 days (minimum 1 meeting) |
| Negligent riding | 7 to 14 days (minimum 2 meetings) |
| Horse crossing another | Warning, R5 000 fine or 7 to 14 days (minimum 1 meeting) |
| Interfering or jostling | 7 to 14 days (minimum 1 meeting) |
| Interference through negligence | 7 to 21 days (minimum 1 meeting) |
| Reckless interference | 21 to 30 days (minimum 3 meetings) |
In races worth R500 000 or more, a fine may be added. Your horse can also be placed behind the horse it interfered with, or disqualified, if an objection is upheld.
Rule 62.2 of the NHA Rules of Racing requires you to take all reasonable and permissible measures to give your horse a full opportunity to win or get its best possible placing, ride in a competent and professional manner, ride out to the end of the race where circumstances permit, ride to the instructions you are given, and keep hold of your crop where possible.
Penalty guidelines (May 2026):
| Offence | Guideline penalty |
|---|---|
| Not giving a full opportunity to win or place | Minimum 90 days, escalating to 120 days, 180 days and 1 year |
| Not riding out to the end, horse unplaced | Fine R1 000 to R2 500 |
| Not riding out, cost 1st place | 30 to 180 days |
| Not riding out, cost 2nd place | 21 to 45 days |
| Not riding out, cost 3rd place | 14 to 30 days |
| Not riding out, cost 4th place | 7 to 14 days |
| Not riding out, cost 5th or lower | Fine equal to the place stake |
| Failing to ride to instructions | R2 000 |
| Minor offence, e.g. dropping the crop or reins | R250 |
Only the owner (or authorised agent) can complain that you did not ride to instructions, in writing with a R500 deposit (Rule 62.7).
Under Rules 77 and 78 of the NHA Rules of Racing:
Banned substances include alcohol at or above 0.05 g per 100 ml of blood (or 0.024 mg per 100 ml of breath), cannabis (carboxy-THC above 50 ng/ml in urine), amphetamines (excluding ephedrine, pseudoephedrine and similar), barbiturates, LSD, PCP, cocaine, opiates (codeine allowed below 2 000 ng/ml in urine), benzodiazepines and similar, diuretics including furosemide (Lasix), and GHB. It is an offence to present yourself to ride if any sample that day contains one.
Testing: a stipendiary steward or the NHA Chief Executive can select any rider for a sample at any time.
Medication: if you are on any prescribed or self-prescribed medication, you must fully disclose it to the stipendiary stewards before the meeting. If you do not, a prescription is no defence.