Maguire: Jockeys work really hard

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 23 (UPI) -- "Seabiscuit" star Tobey Maguire said he was astonished to learn how hard jockeys train for their jobs.

"I did not realize what kind of athletes that jockeys are," Maguire told reporters in California recently.

"They're just warriors, these guys. It's unbelievable," he continued. "The first time that I actually got up in the stirrups and did a bit of galloping on a race horse, and also just did some posting, I couldn't believe that after a couple of minutes my legs were noodles. I could barely stand up."

To prepare for the role, the "Spider-Man" actor also dieted down to a lower weight to give him more credibility as a jockey and even trained with retired Hall-of-Fame rider Chris McCarron.

"We brought in a mechanical horse that they call an Equi-ciser to my house and several times a week I would get up there, and Chris would coach me, and that was both for form and just to build up my strength and endurance so that I could do it."

Now available on video and DVD, "Seabiscuit" earned Golden Globe nominations last week for best drama and for best actor in a supporting role for William H. Macy.