I kent someone would pop up with a post like that!
Aye I heard about the jockey too after I heard about the horses. In all honesty I have less sympathy for the jockey because they can appreciate and evaluate the risks. The horses are given less of a choice. I agree they're fantistic creatures. They've put up with so much shit from all man kind! From charging on the front line in conflicts to getting whipped relentlessly in races. Perhaps you're right, though, and I would appreciate it more if I'd seen it close up.
I completely agree with reducing the hight of the fences and I also think there should be harsher penalties for "excessive use of the whip".