‘J2M vision has designed the safest set of starting gates in Australia, delivering a whole new standard for horse and rider welfare, never before seen’.
J2M BARRIERS
J2M is the innovation of Australian thoroughbred trainers Julien Welsh and Michael Kent. J2M Barriers have been purposely designed to achieve the highest standard of safety and comfort for horses and, in turn, jockeys and barrier attendants. J2M Barriers are a new generation of barriers, revolutionising the current design, which has remained unchanged for decades.
Safety of horse and rider is paramount in racing, and the highest potential risk of injury lies in the start of a race – at the barriers. The effect on the industry as a result of late scratchings is betting turnover loss, immediate re-scheduling of race times/televising nationwide and cost and disappointment to owners. The key to preventing late scratchings is ensuring that horses are comfortable and relaxed in this high-pressure, confined situation. The most common reasons for late scratchings are horses refusing to enter the gates, rearing over and getting cast in the gates and bursting out the front of the gates prior to the start being effected. In Julien’s experience with re-educating barrier ‘rogues’, the majority of horses hate feeling the steel sides on their stifles – it’s painful and is often why they are not keen on entering the gates.
The most common causes of injury to the horse are the result of it striking the steel sides on jumping away or getting their legs over the front of the gates. The most common cause of injury to jockeys, besides as a result of their horse becoming fractious and cast is hitting their heads/necks on the overhead bars if their horse rears. J2M Barriers addresses all of these risk factors.
Current barrier designs typically have internal steel side steps, narrow entry gates, low overhead bars, no rear gate padding and are lightly framed. This means that a horse in gate 7 will feel the movement in the gates caused by a horse being fractious in barrier 1 and often causes a chain reaction.
Renowned horseman Monty Roberts designed the Barrier Blanket in an attempt to make the horse more comfortable in the barriers, but in fact, it is not addressing the cause of the problem.
The critical change in J2M’s design is the internal structure of the barriers. They are built with the horse’s comfort as a priority above anything else. When horses are comfortable in the stalls, there is a massive reduction in incidents, injury, and late scratchings.
BARRIER FRONT
BARRIER SIDE
BARRIER TOP
BARRIER REAR
THE KEY ADVANTAGES AND BENEFITS OF J2M BARRIERS INCLUDE ;
Dense, vinyl-covered padding on the insides of the barriers
- No steel protruding
Increased internal stall width
- More comfortable for the horse, especially when there are delays in the start
Increased width at the rear entry point
- Gives a horse greater confidence in entering a small space
- Large, dense foam pads on the back of the barriers dulls any noise from kicking. When a horse kicks the non-padded back gates, the other horses think the start has been effected, and they tend to lunge forward, anticipating the front gates opening.
Increased height of front gates – 300mm higher
- Horses would find it extremely difficult to get their leg caught over something this high
Increased overall height of the barriers (3m)
- Reduces the chance of riders hitting their head if a horse rears on jumping away
Increased weight in structure
- More sturdy and less movement
J2M Barriers have been used both at Cranbourne Turf Club and Pakenham Racing Club in trials and night racing meetings with no
incidents whatsoever
ABOUT
JULIEN WELSH
MICHAEL KENT
Michael C Kent is himself a highly successful,
premiership-winning trainer, having trained multiple Group 1 winners during his illustrious career spanning over 30 years. He has enjoyed success not only in Australia but also in Singapore and Macau. He has proven himself as an extremely accomplished trainer by continually producing racehorses competing at the highest standard. Michael is a well-respected and trusted horseman and is highly regarded amongst his peers within the industry. He is on the cutting edge of technology as far as horse racing is concerned and devotes extensive research to every aspect of his training operation. This wealth of experience has given him the knowledge to contribute and collaborate with Julien to design J2M Barriers to improve the safety and welfare of both horses and industry participants alike.
TESTIMONIALS
CHAMPION JOCKEY - CRAIG WILLIAMS
“Being a jockey is one of the most dangerous sports in the world. We are always looking for initiatives and products to make our job safer. The J2M barriers have been designed to ensure the welfare of horses and the safety of Jockeys and attendants, which is paramount. Having used them, I thoroughly endorse the J2M barriers”.
MELBOURNE CUP WINNING JOCKEY – JYE MCNEIL
“Recently had the pleasure of testing out the J2M Barriers, and in my opinion, they are a great balance in maximising comfort and safety for the horse, jockey, and barrier attendant. A lot of time and knowledge has gone into the creation, which is a great initiative and important to be a part of racing in the future”.
CHAMPION JOCKEY – DAMIEN LANE
“I am certainly for the J2M Barriers, with more room upon entry and inside they are more comfortable for horse and rider. The addition of padding to the back gates and inside of the barriers is welcomed. With more room and a more comfortable feel than standard barriers, it is a step in the right direction for barrier safety for horse, jockey, and barrier attendant”.