Sonya McAleer has taken the heart-wrenching decision to close the Irish Equestrian Mental Health Project (IEMHP) after nearly four years of unwavering dedication. This is more than the closure of an initiative—it’s a glaring signal that the equestrian world is still miles away from addressing mental health with the urgency it demands.

The IEMHP wasn’t just an idea; it was a lifeline for so many. A safe space in a community where vulnerability often feels like a luxury no one can afford. From peer support to awareness campaigns, Sonya built something that truly mattered. Yet here we are, watching it end—not because it didn’t work, but because we didn’t do enough to make it last.

This isn’t just about one project folding. It’s about the lives we’ve already lost—the people we’ve failed because the supports they needed weren’t in place soon enough. These aren’t hypothetical tragedies; they’re real. The names and faces may not always make the headlines, but they should weigh on every one of us.

We have a serious, systemic problem when it comes to mental health in the equestrian world.

The pressures in this industry are immense. Riders, trainers, and grooms work under relentless strain—financial, emotional, and physical. The isolation alone can be crushing, and the culture still leans too heavily on silence and stoicism. And while the need for mental health support is undeniable, the resources to meet that need simply aren’t there.

The HAY How Are Ya? campaign—a straightforward initiative encouraging people to check in with one another—is relaunching this January hoping to build awareness again this year.

This isn’t a new problem though. The Equestrian Mental Health Summit broke our hearts, still believe it could have been a turning point for the industry. It was shelved when the weight of making it happen became too much. We couldn’t get the support either. Lots of talk. Not a lot of action. These efforts could have transformed the conversation, but they were met with the same inaction that has now led to the closure of the IEMHP.

We have to stop pretending that awareness alone is enough.

Projects like these don’t just need applause; they need resources, commitment, and ambition.

Just some steps we could take. A 24/7 Text or Call line for Equestrians should be up near the top. There is a long list but we need to be ambitious here. Real investment into mental health for real results.

• Funding for mental health initiatives that meet people where they are.
• Events – just focused on mental health but themed to focus on key areas e.g. Anxiety, Depression, Addiction.
• Dedicated qualified mental health officers in every governing bodies – community focused, people first.
• Analysis – we need to know the size of the challenge we face. We need data to back this up.
• Training for coaches and trainers to recognise and respond to mental health challenges.
• Peer support networks that ensure no one faces these struggles alone.

Most of all, we need cultural change. It means breaking the stigma that still hangs over mental health in this industry. It means recognising that addressing mental health isn’t just an “extra”—it’s a necessity.

And this cultural change needs to happen soon. We regularly been told when speaking around mental health that we need to take smaller steps… smaller steps ARE NOT WORKING!! I repeat… smaller steps ARE NOT WORKING!

Sonya’s decision to close the IEMHP is devastating, it’s heartbreaking but it shouldn’t be the end of the story. We’ve already lost too much as a community—too many lives cut short, too many people left to struggle in silence. If we don’t learn from this, if we don’t act now, those losses will only continue.

The time for polite gestures and surface-level solutions is over. We need a seismic shift—big steps, big investments, and big ambition. Anything less, and we’re just prolonging the cycle.

Until Next Time,

Shane