Learning to Thrive

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 variety of formats. What works for some may not be so beneficial for others.

Haggins was not so keen on the idea of therapy in its traditional counselling format, but happened upon an eight-week online course called the Thrive Programme. Its website promises “a totally fresh approach to achieving lasting happiness, health and success” through focusing on managing thoughts, emotions and behaviour. 

Sounds too good to be true, right? This is what Haggins thought initially too, but he found the course so beneficial to his own situation that he left stud work to retrain as a coach on the programme in the hope of helping others.

“I must emphasise how much I loved working in the industry and I want to pay something back to an industry that has given me so much,” he says, while admitting that there is plenty about the racing and breeding business that he misses. 

“I worked in the industry for 30 years and then retrained as a Thrive coach, but I'm still absolutely passionate about everything horsey and the whole industry, not just the horse side, the agricultural side. That's obviously a huge part of it.”

The Irishman, who now lives in Sussex, England, worked at Kildangan Stud and then spent six years assisting Jacqueline Norris before moving to the UK, where he later worked as manager of the late Lady Rothschild's Waddesdon Stud.

He says, “A few years ago I struggled with my mental health and found myself in a deep dark hole for a while and that's when I discovered the Thrive Programme. There's some incredible support out there and some great help, but it seems to be geared for people who are in crisis or who are in the depths of depression, feeling suicidal, suffering from drug addiction or whatever it is. The message is 'when you get to that point, give us a shout and we'll help you'. 

“But the Thrive Programme is based on learning and education, developing a skill set, so to speak. You don't need to be very academic to understand the programme as it is delivered in a simple way, it strips away all the complex terms we so often hear and delivers it in plain English. You also don't need to be in trouble to do it. You don't need to have a major significant issue going on in your life right now.”

One of the hardest parts of seeking help if you are struggling is having to admit the fact to those around you. Thrive makes it easier in that regard as the course can be completed at home and doesn't requite participants to be off work or travel to appointments. 

“Asking for help is the hardest part, because that's the day you have to accept the fact that something's not quite right,” says Haggins. “That's difficult for a lot of people to get to that point. What drew me to the Thrive Programme is it's not therapy, it's not counselling. It's a training programme and it's structured with a start and middle and an end. And you can either do it at home on your own or with a coach, and then you become your own coach effectively, or whatever you want to call yourself at that point, but you learn the skills you need to do it yourself.”

Through years of experience, Haggins recognises the specific pressures involved in working with horses. 

“It's not a nine-to-five, 40-hour-a-week job, especially at management level,” he says. “To be able to fulfil that role and have quality of life when that life revolves around the stud season can be hard. The calendar is very unsocial for parents, impossible really, sometimes. When the children are off on holidays, it's sales, preparation, and so on. And it is a never-ending cycle of, 'I can't go in October half-term because we're in Book 1, Book two. I can't go at Easter because we're foaling.'

“I know the industry, and when somebody comes to me and tells me about their struggles or battles, it's not that I understand it, I've walked in those shoes.

“People have said, 'Why did you give up on that industry?' I did it for 30 years. I don't think I gave up, really. That's a full lifetime career.”

The next stage of Haggins's career is vastly different, but through his more recent experiences he hopes to be able to help those still working in the racing and breeding industry. 

“The Thrive Programme is already established in the Metropolitan Police, in a couple of leading companies, and it's in many schools up and down the country,” he explains. “I'd love to see it available to kids in the likes of the racing schools to National Stud courses, and any other training establishment where people can benefit from it. I don't want to appeal just to people in crisis. I want to appeal to everybody.

“It can be tailored to any individual or groups in a variety of different ways. It's a lot of questioning, a lot of understanding. Where did that come from? Why do you think that or how could you think that differently? And when people start talking about that, it can inspire others.

“People don't tend to look for help until something's wrong but making this something that people can come across and do when things are good, it's much better. But obviously it is also there for people when they are struggling.”

The learning-based approach was what drew Haggins to the Thrive Programme initially, and in a time in which mental health is spoken about almost as frequently as physical health, then this is perhaps as important as educating people in the benefits of eating your five-a-day, or why too much sugar is bad for you.

“For me, that's how the world works,” he says. “Life is a journey of learning, and what I learned by doing the Thrive Programme is what got me better and got me to the point I'm at now where life is amazing.”

 

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60 Speakers Announced For Global Symposium on Racing

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 & Medication Control Program
  • Strengthening Your Simulcast Content–Maximizing Handle in Diverse International Betting Markets
  • From Data to Dollars–Understanding Horse Racing's Economic Impact as Racing's Future is Questioned
  • Land for Sale. How Will Race Track Closures Impact the Industry's Long-Term Sustainability?

 

One of the highlights of the Symposium will be the “Legends of the Game–Racing's Iconic Turf Writers” featuring esteemed journalists Steve Crist, Andy Beyer and Jay Privman.

Pre-conference sessions will set the stage for the Syposium's opening evening reception on Dec. 4 and will include:

 

  • HISA Workshop for State Regulators and Stewards
  • 3rd Annual Racing Secretaries Summit
  • Track Surface Regulatory Requirements
  • NTRA Handicapping Contest Workshop

 

Prospective attendees are encouraged to register by Nov. 17 to take advantage of a $100 discount and Ventana Canyon is offering reduced room rates of $189 for attendees. Registration for the Symposium and hotel reservations can be completed at RacingSymposium.com, where a list of the speakers may also be found.

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HISA, Jockeys’ Guild To Implement New Jockey Wellness Initiatives

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 Trauma and PTSD at the New York State Psychiatric Institute. Data recently collected by a HISA and Jockeys' Guild-commissioned survey, as well as other independent research, will be used to develop specific guidelines to better support and protect rider mental wellness.

“We salute HISA and the Jockeys' Guild for initiating this very important dialogue regarding the mental health and welfare of our beloved jockeys,” said Mack. “Despite my decades of experience in the industry, I was not fully aware of the mental health challenges our professional riders experience until today. Raising awareness is critical, but taking concrete steps to seek out and implement effective solutions for our riders' mental health concerns is imperative–not tomorrow, but today. Jockeys give their all to our horses every time they step on to the track. Let's afford them the care they deserve in return.”

“Jockeys in the exhilarating and sometimes dangerous sport of horseracing are repeatedly exposed to stress and trauma,” said Dr. Neria. “Physical injuries and concussions, coupled with hunger and lack of nutrients associated with weight management, place the rider at high risk for severe mental health problems, including depression, PTSD and addictions.”

Dr. Neria suggested that the industry work towards establishing a national evaluation and treatment center that can comprehensively address these very real and concerning issues.

Last week's symposium was hosted by retired jockey and noted TV personality Donna Brothers who led a panel discussion that included Eurico Rosa da Silva, jockey Trevor McCarthy and FOX Sports'/NYRA's Richard Migliore in addition to Dr. Neria. Attendees also heard from HISA CEO Lisa Lazarua and Jockeys' Guild President and CEO Terry Meyocks.

“The Jockeys' Guild appreciates all of the input and interest by industry participants to address jockeys' mental health and wellness,” said Meyocks. “The Guild has long advocated for the industry to recognize the stress and everyday challenges jockeys face. The Guild looks forward to partnering with HISA in the formation of the Steering Committee to develop recommendations and programs which will demonstrate that we as an industry are able to support not only the jockeys but their family members as well and eventually all others in our industry.”

Added Lazarus: “As Thoroughbred racing's national safety regulator, HISA is deeply committed to safeguarding the mental and physical wellbeing of jockeys and riders across the country. We owe it to these athletes, who dedicate so much of their time and talent to racing, to do everything we can to support them– including by mitigating mental stress factors as well as the risk of injury and chronic health issues.”

HISA will work with HEADCHECK Health, a digital concussion protocol management platform, to allow racetrack personnel to use data-driven insights to improve the care they provide riders with a suspected concussion. Through the HEADCHECK platform, riders will gain access to a new, secure system to store their medical records, which will be easily available to physicians in an emergency.

HISA also announced a partnership with NovaCare Rehabilitation, a nationwide physical therapy network with nearly 2,000 outpatient physical therapy centers and more than 7,000 licensed therapists. NovaCare will provide jockeys with routine physicals and baseline concussion examinations at a discounted price nationwide.

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Jockeys’ Mental Health and Wellness Symposium Held in Saratoga

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 and depression. The survey also reported that the jockeys' biggest pressures included making weight, the pressure to win and not making a livable wage.

The meeting at Keeneland was a wake-up call for many of its attendees, so much so for Dan Waits, the Executive Director of the Race Track Chaplaincy, that he initiated an immediate plan for all of his chaplains across the country to go through a suicide prevention training called QPR.

Waits was one of several speakers at this week's symposium in Saratoga hoping to spread awareness and make a difference in the lives of jockeys. Emceed by Donna Brothers, the event hosted nearly 100 attendees including riders like Johnny Velazquez, Javier Castellano, Junior Alvarado, Jose Ortiz, Kendrick Carmouche and Luis Saez, plus retired jockeys Angel Cordero Jr. and Ramon Dominguez.

Randy Grimes, a former NFL player and an addiction recovery advocate, was the keynote speaker while a panel featured former jockeys Richard Migliore and Eurico Da Silva and current jockey Trevor McCarthy, as well as racing analyst and podcast host Jonathon Kinchen and Dr. Yuval Neria, the co-director of the Man O'War Project–which explores the use of equine-assisted therapy to help individuals suffering from mental health problems.

Throughout the afternoon, the conversation was open and at times deeply personal as participants discussed the lives of jockeys, leading Dr. Neria to remark that he was amazed at the presenters' willingness to share and believed it to be “a moment of paradigm shift” for the sport.

Several topics regarding the difficulties athletes experience were brought up by both Grimes and the panel. Chief among those issues was the struggle to share what they were going through with others.

Grimes described how he played his last two years of professional football in a complete blackout and referenced how at the time, he believed self-medication was “a necessary evil” every athlete participated in, but that he was “suffering in silence” because his teammates never discussed exactly how they were able to push past injuries in order to remain on the playing field.

Migliore echoed a similar experience during his time riding.

“There is kind of an unspoken thing in the jocks' room–don't show weakness,” he said. “You play hurt. If you're in a slump, you don't talk about the slump because that will perpetuate the slump.”

Fellow jockey Da Silva shared how he had been ashamed to seek help when he was dealing with depression and anxiety. He began going to therapy early in his career, but when he moved his tack to Canada, he did not go to therapy for over a year because he was afraid others at the racetrack would find out about his struggles.

In his In The Money podcast, Jonathon Kinchen dedicated an episode earlier this year to discussing these challenges jockeys experience and bringing mental health problems to the limelight (find the podcast here).

“If you hear the conversation, that's when you'll start asking for help,” he said. “If someone that [a jockey] looks up to says that they struggle, then when [the jockey] struggles, they won't feel isolated and maybe they'll find the help they're looking for.”

Kinchen also addressed the negative impacts that criticism, particularly negative feedback on social media, can have on jockeys.

“The number one thing is that you're not alone,” Migliore said when prompted to give advice to the jockeys in the room. “I think all riders battle through those type of things throughout their career, but the more you isolate, in your mind the harder it is to overcome the things you're dealing with because now you're alone. The more you seal off and keep people at arm's length, the harder it's going to be to pull out of it. It doesn't make you weak for getting help or asking for help or bringing it out into the light. You're even stronger for that.”

Near the conclusion of the program, the families of two young jockeys that died earlier this year from suicide gave heartfelt messages to the program's participants. Ashley Canchari, sister of Alex Canchari who passed away in March, and Lyman and Dr. Salli Whisman, the parents of Avery Whisman who died two months earlier, both shared how it had been meaningful to listen to the panel open up about some of the struggles that their loved one had also dealt with.

Dr. Whisman talked about how, following the passing of her son, the Whisman family had posed the question of how the racing industry may have contributed to Avery's mental health issues. Months later, she received a call from Dr. Peter Hester, HISA's medical director, about how HISA was working on plans to improve upon the resources available to jockeys.

“It surprised me,” she said. “I didn't expect to hear that HISA had been working on this. Avery had been in their minds and their hearts and their eyesight and that one simple curated comment that we thought the industry needed to look at this had taken some root. There had been work done. It wasn't going to be dropped or left alone and it wasn't up to us to make sure that something was done.”

During the 'Q and A' portion of the event, attendees expressed how easy access to resources like mental health professionals and nutritionists would benefit jockeys, especially because many cannot afford these resources themselves.

HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus reported that HISA is working with the Jockeys' Guild to address these ideas.

“We have some of the initial components in place,” she said. “We want to make the commitment that there will be outcomes and there are a number of things that we are looking at around nutrition, therapy, and financial education.”

Lazarus also announced two new initiatives by HISA that are set to launch in conjunction with the Jockeys' Guild.

The first, HeadCheck Health, will provide a concussion management platform for jockeys.

“The platform is designed to improve the management and care of riders with a concussion or suspected concussion,” Lazarus explained. “HeadCheck will also provide a secure HIPAA-compliant system for jockeys to store medical records and make them easily available to physicians should an emergency arise.”

The second new initiative is a partnership with the healthcare company Novacare. Lazarus explained that HISA has been working with Novacare for the last six months to identify trained medical staff at locations closest to each racetrack to provide HISA-required healthcare services to jockeys.

“Jockeys can now go to any one of these locations, get an athlete physical and complete a concussion baseline during one appointment at a discounted price,” she reported. “Novacare has also set up a phone number for jockeys to call, in English and Spanish, that will help schedule appointments at the closest racetrack. “

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