mental health

We all have days when we feel a bit low or even depressed. For many people that feeling will pass, but for some it can persist to a point where it becomes overwhelming and perhaps life-threatening. For Keith Haggins, the latter had become the norm towards the end of his 30-year stint working in the bloodstock business, leading him, eventually, to seek help. As is becoming better known and more openly talked about in everyday life, help with mental health struggles is now fairly widely available and comes in a...

Over 60 speakers will present at the University of Arizona's Race Track Industry Program's 49th annual Global Symposium on Racing, scheduled for Dec. 4-6 at Lowes Ventana Canyon in Tuscon. The event brings together racing industry executives from around the world to explore critical issues and trends across the three racing breeds. Panels at the 2023 Symposium will include:   Computer Assisted Wagering--The Good, The Bad, and The Future Out of the Shadows--Shining a Spotlight on Mental Health and Emotional Wellness The Path Forward--Race Track Safety and the Anti-Doping &...

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) and the Jockeys' Guild have announced that they have created a Steering Committee to recommend and develop programming in support of the mental health and wellness of jockeys. The announcement comes on the heels of a symposium held last week in Saratoga. The Steering Committee will be co-chaired by Ambassador Earle Mack, a businessman, philanthropist, former U.S. Ambassador to Finland and Thoroughbred owner and breeder, and Dr. Yuval Neria, a professor of Clinical Medical Psychology at Columbia University Medical Center and Director of...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY - The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) and the Jockeys' Guild hosted a symposium on the mental health and wellness of jockeys on Aug. 1 at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in Saratoga. The event was organized after a similar discussion conducted in May at Keeneland shared the results of a survey of 230 jockeys that revealed that, among other findings, a third of jockeys had faced challenges in their daily lives over the past month due to feelings of sadness, anxiety...

Amplify Horse Racing will partner with leading online therapy platform BetterHelp to offer members of the equine industry one month of free therapy. This new benefit precedes an upcoming virtual event by Amplify Wednesday, May 24 that will include a discussion about mental health for future and current Thoroughbred industry employees. It can be attended via Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube from 12-1:00 p.m. and pre-registration is not required. The partnership Amplify has arranged with BetterHelp will give users a free month of therapy (up to four (4) live sessions with...

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority and the Jockeys' Guild have launched an industry initiative to provide jockeys and riders with mental wellness support and resources. The organizations will be sending a survey to jockeys and exercise riders relating to their mental wellness needs and will use results of the anonymous survey as a starting point for building a framework to effectively use collective resources to address riders' most important health and safety needs. "HISA is tasked with regulatory oversight for jockey welfare and we are delighted to be working...

In an industry where the hours and expectations fall far outside of the typical 40-hour work week, peers are also your biggest competitors, and the fine line of balance between work and life can be nonexistent, the struggle with mental health is prevalent among the Thoroughbred industry's participants. However, growth of understanding through research, increased discussion and an expanded network of resources is hoping to change all of that, as shared in the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders' Association (ITBA)'s Mental Fitness and Resilience in the Thoroughbred Industry online seminar, held Wednesday...

Midwest-based jockey Alex Chanchari passed away Wednesday at the age of 29. His passing was confirmed in a tweet by Canterbury Park, where Canchari had 334 career winners. "Alex Canchari achieved his dream as a jockey, following in the footsteps of his father and brother," the tweet read. "The news of this talented and genuine young man's death has deeply saddened the Canterbury Park family." Though no cause of death had been revealed by Thursday morning, it appears that Canchari's death involved mental health issues. "My heart physically hurts," his...

Happy Blue Monday, if that's not a contradiction in terms. Some of us may feel that the whole of January is utterly foul, but someone, somewhere, once decided that the third Monday of this month was the most depressing day of the year, so here we are. Fear not, however, because if you need a little pick-me-up on this dark day then you could do worse than follow the Twitter account of trainer Fergal O'Brien (@OBMRacing), head of the most upwardly mobile National Hunt stable in Britain, which is guaranteed...

A new app making it easier for people in the UK racing industry to access 24/7 support was launched by Racing Welfare on Tuesday. The Racing Welfare app offers a range of information, advice and guidance including: Mental health Physical health Careers Advice and Training Services (CATS) Money matters Retirement Housing It is available for download at Google Play and The App Store. Racing Welfare's Regional Welfare Manager, Brian Watson said, "It's a super resource for anyone who might need to access our services--all the information you can get from...

The 2022 Mental Health Awareness Week campaign--that centers on loneliness this year--kicks off May 9 and continues through May 16. Racing Welfare, supporting the British horseracing workforce, launched the initiative to mirror the national initiative run by the Mental Health Foundation. Workplaces across the horseracing and Thoroughbred breeding industries are encouraged to set aside time during their working day to take part in the #TeaAndTalk initiative. Mental Health Awareness Week aims to promote open conversations on all aspects of mental health with Racing Welfare's campaign specifically raising awareness of the...

The Leaders' Line has been launched as a confidential support system for employers, leaders and managers working or self-employed in the British horseracing and Thoroughbred breeding industries. A webinar detailing the service will take place on Feb. 24. Industry Wellbeing Chair Simon Jones said, "Leaders and managers play a crucial role across the horseracing industry, often juggling the needs of their organisations and the wider sport, alongside being responsible for the wellbeing of their staff. While there is a broad range of support available for people working across the industry,...