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What is a Jigger in Horse Racing?

BySam
By Published Updated
On this page 6 sections
  1. An Electrical Problem for Horse Racing – The Jigger
  2. Why Do Jockeys Use Jiggers in Horse Racing?
  3. Are Jiggers in Horse Racing Illegal?
  4. The Broader Context of Prohibited Equipment in Racing
  5. Another Side of the Jigger Issue
  6. Read an Equipment Case Through Its Official Record

jigger-in-horse-racingOne of the most controversial topics in the world of thoroughbred horse racing is the use of electrical devices to stimulate horses in a race. If you have ever wondered what is a jigger in horse racing, this article will explain what the device is and how it is used. We will also examine some of the ethical concerns surrounding the use of jiggers, buzzers, and batteries in horse racing.

An Electrical Problem for Horse Racing – The Jigger

In 1999 Louisiana jockey Billy Patin was literally riding high. He had secured the mount on a horse named Valhol in the prestigious Arkansas Derby. It was quite an achievement for the Louisiana rider who had spent his career on the smaller racing circuits. Even though the horse was a longshot, Patin could not see beyond the possibility that the horse could win and carry the jockey to the Kentucky Derby. The Arkansas Derby is considered one of the most important prep races for the Triple Crown series.

Patin grew up on the small bull rings and bush tracks of Louisiana where jockeys learn to ride not long after they are able to walk. On those small tracks jockeys are also known to use an electrical device to gain a competitive edge. Known as a jigger in Australia and other European racing circuits and as a buzzer in the United States, the device is a small handheld unit that is designed to deliver an electrical shock to a horse as it runs in a race. It is most often concealed in the jockey’s hand and placed against the neck of the horse.

The documented incident concerns the device carried in that particular race. He chose to carry one on the day he raced in the Arkansas Derby aboard Valhol. The official result addresses this race; it does not establish whether Patin had ever carried such a device in another event.

Everyone was surprised when the 30-1 longshot Valhol passed up legitimate contenders for the Kentucky Derby and bolted for the stretch to win the Arkansas Derby. Patin and the winning connections celebrated in the Winner’s Circle and proclaimed their intention to head to Kentucky. But the celebration was short-lived. Patin had made a serious error, one that has haunted his career from that day forward.

The investigation involved evidence from the televised race and a device recovered after the event. A broadcast can help document visible conduct, but a viewer should not identify an electrical device solely from an unexplained sound. The official finding and amended result are the relevant records for this case. Separate those records from a dramatic retelling of what viewers supposedly heard.

Even worse, video footage from the 1999 Arkansas Derby clearly showed Patin dropping the jigger to the race track as the horse galloped out after the win. The evidence was hard to dispute and Valhol was disqualified from the win. There would be no Kentucky Derby for Valhol, Patin, or trainer Dallas Keen that year.

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Separate from the horse racing scandal in Arkansas. the earlier account described a 2015 arrest involving his brother and another jockey on race-fixing allegations at Evangeline Downs in Louisiana.

Why Do Jockeys Use Jiggers in Horse Racing?

The jigger, buzzer, or machine in horse racing is used for one purpose. It is applied to make a horse run faster than it would under normal circumstances. A surprising result does not itself prove that a device was used or explain its effect. The integrity issue is the prohibited conduct and the evidence supporting a finding, rather than the winner’s odds. Claims about motivation need evidence about the specific case, not an assumption based on a jockey’s income or career.

Financial pressure, riding ability and stable relationships are sometimes offered as explanations for rule-breaking. Such general theories cannot establish why a named person acted in a particular event. Likewise, an allegation that every rider carries a device is not a prevalence estimate. Distinguish commentary, an accusation, an official charge and a completed finding.

The article does not establish a measured performance effect, a rate of use across circuits or the absence of lasting harm. An unrecorded injury is not proof that a device is harmless. Welfare questions require appropriate evidence, while disciplinary questions depend on the rule and facts of the case. A known violation can be discussed without extending it into an allegation against the entire jockey colony.

Are Jiggers in Horse Racing Illegal?

The use of a jigger in horse racing is expressly prohibited by the rules of racing. Jockeys that are caught using the device can be suspended from racing. Repeated violations could mean a jockey getting banned for life from horse racing.

Aside from giving a horse an unfair advantage against its rivals, a jigger also deceives the betting public. When bettors do not know that a jigger is being used, they are not being given all the information to fairly handicap a race. This is one reason that racing stewards take such a hard stance against the devices. They are trying to preserve the integrity of horse racing as a betting game.

The Broader Context of Prohibited Equipment in Racing

The jigger represents one extreme of a broader category of prohibited equipment and practices that racing authorities work continuously to identify and eliminate. The evolution of cheating methods in horse racing has historically outpaced the ability of regulators to detect them, creating a persistent cat-and-mouse dynamic between bad actors seeking competitive advantage and officials working to maintain integrity. Modern anti-doping and equipment testing has significantly raised the cost and risk of cheating compared to previous eras, but the financial incentives remain substantial enough that some individuals continue to attempt prohibited methods.

For bettors, the existence of prohibited equipment and practices is a reminder that form lines — particularly those from less rigorously regulated racing environments — may not always reflect purely natural ability. The industry’s ongoing investment in detection technology, from advanced drug testing to more sophisticated equipment inspections, improves the reliability of form analysis over time by ensuring that what happened in past races more accurately reflects the horses’ genuine capabilities. Supporting regulatory reform and maintaining awareness of integrity issues in the markets you bet on is part of being a responsible and well-informed horseplayer. For more on racing integrity, our articles on why some people say horse racing is fixed and do race horses get treated well address the integrity and welfare dimensions of the sport.

Another Side of the Jigger Issue

There is a small but vocal minority in horse racing that believes the jigger should actually be legalized. These individuals believe that jiggers are more humane than the use of a whip in horse racing.

Horses are typically stimulated in a race with a jockey’s whip to encourage their best effort. The horses may be flagged around the shoulder area with the whip, or they may be hit harder on the flanks. This is an accepted practice in horse racing that is often questioned by animal rights activists. Groups like PETA believe that hitting horses with a whip is abusive.

This has led some people to question whether a jigger poses the same type of pain to a horse. Some of these people even go so far as to say that jiggers should be legalized and listed in the racing program when a jockey carries them in a race. They believe that this would make the bettors happy, and some handicappers agree. They believe that jiggers are okay as long as the bettor knows when they are being used.

This side of the issue opens up many questions and concerns. For example, how could a race be accurately handicapped when no one knows for sure the effect a jigger will have on a horse? Who would make the decision to carry a jigger? The owner, trainer, or jockey? It seems that there are simply too many concerns to justify the use of a jigger in horse racing.

What are your thoughts on this issue? EZ Horse Betting would like to hear from you. Take a moment to leave us your thoughts in the comments. See our Bovada racebook review, Twinspires review or even our Betamerica review. All great choice if you are in the US. online racebook comparison for folks anywhere!

Read an Equipment Case Through Its Official Record

Scroll horizontally to view the full table
Different records answer different questions
Record What it establishes What it does not establish
Rule in force Which equipment or conduct is prohibited What every rider elsewhere carries
Charge or allegation The issue under investigation A completed finding of guilt
Stewards’ decision The finding and stated sanction Undocumented incidents in earlier races
Amended race result Official order after disqualification A universal performance effect of a device

The CHRB rulebook identifies Rule 1690 for prohibited equipment. For any named case, read the applicable authority’s decision and its date. Do not infer an equipment violation from an unexpected winner, a noisy clip or a regional stereotype. The Valhol account concerns an official disqualification, not a basis for accusing an unrelated rider.

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