mental health

Speaking publicly for the first time since he was caught on video striking the horse National Law (Constitution) in the face with his whip after the field crossed the wire in Tuesday's fifth race at Parx, jockey Paco Lopez posted a tweet Thursday in which he admitted he was at fault. "I take full responsibility for my actions," Lopez wrote. "I am aware that our sport is under a lot of scrutiny and I fully apologize to everyone involved in our sport--fans, horsemen, management, racing commissions, HISA and of course,...

Keith Haggins has been named the new Racing Welfare community engagement officer, the charity announced on Thursday. Haggins will focus on the thoroughbred stud and breeding sector to raise awareness of and increase access to the charity's services. He have almost 30 years of experience in the thoroughbred breeding industry, and managed Waddesdon Stud for the late Lady Rothschild. His role is part of a three-year project made possible by funding from the Gerald Leigh Charitable Trust. Already, progress has been made in the project's first year, with a survey...

Proceeds from the 2024 Jess Clark Memorial Silks & Satins 5k Race will benefit the nonprofit Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga, the group announced via presser Friday. Set to start and end at the Fasig-Tipton grounds Saturday, July 13, the race will run through the streets of Saratoga Springs, which will be closed to traffic for about an hour. Proceeds donated to the group will go toward their mission of retraining retired racehorses to aid in therapeutic work by way of contribution to mental health programs and providing support to individuals...

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...