The subject is a dirty word in the rarefied world of the people involved with horses. It doesn’t get spoken of easily even if you are a partner or best friend… ”closed up” is usually the approach to deal with it, and “jeez I never knew he/she was in trouble” is often referred to after the fact. 

I believe it’s mainly because it is a lonely sport, profession or even hobby… early mornings late nights  long days in a horse truck etc. etc. Lots of time on your own in your own headspace and then add into that equation the multitude of stresses that come with training Horses whether it’s Racing or any other competitive Equine sport. 

Unless you are on the top of the sector pyramid and even there you have a very different set of stresses and challenges that will also affect your mental state of mind, but in this piece I am generally referring to the smaller operator who survives close to or at the bottom of the scale in relation to looking after Horses. 

I see many small trainers who are suffering alone with this multitude of challenges on a 7 day week basis with no relief or even anyone they could share it with. Challenges generally relate to finance and trying to do the job right on the smallest budget….ie. feed horses first and the fridge empty is not too far from the truth in some cases. Again looking after Horses is a 7 day week ‘Job’ so to put it into perspective, if you are stressed at work on your 9 to 5, five day week position then you might understand what it would be like to feel like that 24/7 all week…its very different then isn’t it. 

While some people are built to deal with this most are not and will struggle but they plough on  through it until something happens and it all implodes. 

In 2021 a Study was completed by many industry Experts and is seen as a blueprint for Mental  Health in the Racehorse Training Industry.  

This Study is an absolutely fantastic read for anyone that is genuinely interested in the Mental  Health Issues within the Equine Industry as it is a great benchmark to work from and with. I see these issues first hand when I meet Trainers and once I get past the niceties and ask them how they are really going…the novel starts. What I struggle with myself is that how the hell are they keeping going with no support or even a chink of light for their future.  

The HAY campaign touched on this and I would like to hope that it can influence change and become a start point for people to engage and create positive change on their path out of this. The problem now is that it might be bigger than we already had believed but that is where we must keep it going and develop to the next level. This needs to be supported with a second phase where we look at a Counselling Service and ‘chat line’ that can work in conjunction with other methods and approaches. This could be funded centrally through a collaborative HSE/Local Gov/National initiative. What I am saying is that the HAY Campaign is and was fantastic to create awareness but to truly deliver we should now look at how to move it forward to be a really helpful tool and place for people to go for help.

Link to study completed by the Journal of veterinary Science referring to: 

Racehorse Trainer Mental Health: Prevalence and Risk (Factors 2021) 

I have taken synopsised some key points and conclusions from this report below which will give you  a flavour of the content. 

The purpose of the present study was to explore the prevalence of symptoms related to common  mental disorders (CMDs) and their associations with specific risk factors for CMD. Participants  completed an anonymous online questionnaire. CMDs were assessed including distress, depression,  generalized anxiety and adverse alcohol use. The risk factors examined included career dissatisfaction, social support and financial difficulties. 124 participants (28% response rate) completed the questionnaire. In total, 45% met the threshold indicative of at least one CMD. Specifically, prevalence of symptoms associated with depression (41%), adverse alcohol use (38%), psychological distress (26%), and generalized anxiety (18%) was observed. Career dissatisfaction  (28%) and financial difficulties (64%) were identified. Career dissatisfaction, lower levels of social support and financial difficulties all increased the likelihood of trainers meeting the criteria for at least one of distress, depression or generalized anxiety. The study was the first to highlight prevalence rates of symptoms associated with CMDs among racehorse trainers in Ireland and identify certain risk factors which may increase the likelihood of racehorse trainers meeting the criteria for a CMD. Assessment of risk factors can aid early identification of CMDs among racehorse trainers. Such benefits may include early diagnosis or signposting to professional support. Further research is required in examining other occupational stressors experienced by trainers and the impact these may have on symptoms of CMDs. 

Trainers work exhaustive schedules, on average nearly 65 hours per week. Associations between  lengthy working hours and adverse health outcomes have been identified. Two-thirds of trainers never or rarely had 1 day off per week. Trainers also face increased pressure from owners (e.g.,  pressure to win competitive races), shoulder the burden of responsibility for keeping horses healthy and sound, as well as financial difficulties. Racehorse trainers costs primarily relate to staff, feed for the horses, fixed overheads (rent, mortgage payments) and maintenance costs for the yard such as machinery or gallop repairs. Financial aspects associated with this highly demanding role were  reported as the most prevalent work-place challenge to the point that trainers often explored other avenues of employment, with the main reason cited as a lack of income earned from training racehorses. 

Prevalence of symptoms of Common Mental Disorders (CMD’s) among racehorse trainers in Ireland  varied for depression (41%), adverse alcohol use (38%), psychological distress (26%), and generalized  anxiety (18%). In total, 45% of participants met the criteria for at least one CMD, 32% for at least two  CMDs, and 21% for at least three CMDs. One fifth (21%) had accessed a mental health professional  for support with their personal or emotional problems, with a doctor/GP the most commonly selected  (15%). 

Of the limited data available, findings from our study suggest that depressive symptoms may be that the number of trainers seeking help for personal or emotional problems was relatively low in this study, with 21% reporting seeking help from a mental health professional. 

Sixty-four percent reported experiencing financial difficulties within the past year.

Two-thirds of trainers reported financial difficulties. Trainers were between five and 16 times more likely to meet the criteria for distress, depression, or generalized anxiety if experiencing financial difficulties. 

Key findings include the prevalence of symptoms of Common Mental Disorders (CMDs), with nearly  1in 2 trainers (45%) meeting the criteria for any CMD, the most prevalent being those meeting the criteria for depression (41%). 

Read the report and digest the resultant challenges and problems within our Industry.