On the island of Sumbawa in the archipelago of the Sunda Islands in Indonesia horse races are regularly held on the occasion of national or local holidays. The jockeys are young children aged five to twelve. They are out of school most of the year to train and participate in fourteen one-week meetings held annually. During these races the safety rules are nonexistent. Children ride bareback and barefoot. Wearing a helmet is optional and there is no reins to control the horses. Many accidents are regularly lament and children die each year from these race meetings.
There are voices to end the scandalous exploitation of these children but they clash with traditions, the weight of lobbies punters and horse owners but also to the parents of jockeys that derive significant revenues from these races.
