O/T Jockeys

Not a horse racing fan, never have been, and find it a tad cruel to be honest.
I've never bet on a horse in my life, don't bet at at really.

Question is, excuse the ignorance, but what are the "skills" a top jockey requires? (I ask this because some bloke is retiring from horse racing soon).

What makes a great jockey?

Do great jockeys win on poor horses or do they just use the whip a bit more?

Any answers would be great because they go on about the great jockeys every day of the week but only remember the horses after they "retire" or have to be put down after an accident that we hope didn't have an impact on the tenner that we bet for it to win.

Michael Schumacher won the Drivers Championship in a **** car in the nineties.

Would McCoy win whatever the equivalent is in horse racing on a donkey?
Doubt it.

Jus sayin, loike.

Not a clue Newcy. My Dad and Brother were both mad for it but I hated it. However I have a story which may tell you a lot about the whole business. While working for a FTSE100 company in Wolverhampton in the '90s I was about to leave the office to visit a broker who had previously worked in that office. The Office Manager approached me and handed me a piece of paper with thes of three horses on it, asking me to hand it to the guy I was visiting (the Office Manager's brother worked in the Queen Mother's stables).
Obviously I took a punt myself, although not a betting type. All three won. I won a few quid, but this did not encourage me to bet any more. It merely confirmed to me something I already thought - that it is a pretty dodgy business. There were no more tips off the Office Manager - I think it even un-nerved her.