(LEX 18) — Those involved in horseracing report that physical and mental health of a jockey is often overlooked compared to the actual racehorse. In response, a local doctor and a national authority are hoping to get the word out about the physical and mental toll racing could take on an athlete.
Dr. Pete Hester is both a physician at the Lexington Clinic, and the director of the HISA, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority.
HISA is an organization designed to improve the betterment of jockey health and safety, and it was formed a few years ago. It focuses on the physical, mental health, and nutrition of jockeys as they fight to make weight for races.
"These jockeys weigh 115, 120 pounds. They're holding onto a 1,400-pound horse going 40 miles-per-hour," Hester told LEX 18.
"These athletes, they're high stress. They don't eat. They don't drink a great deal. They're often away from family. They're often injured. They're often dealing with a lot of pain, but if they don't compete, they don't ride. They don't get paid," he added.
LEX 18 spoke with Jeff Johnston, who was a jockey for 21 years. Looking back at this experience, he said the sport was plagued with injuries.
"If you're riding here for five days, there's another track that's open on the two days off and you're traveling to ride. So, it's nearly a 365-day job," Johnston said.
"I was very lucky. I just had a few minor injuries. I had some severe falls but minor injuries, broken bones in my foot from hitting the starting gates, a thumb. My worst one was a broken pelvic bone when a horse flipped over on top of me," he added.
When asked if those injuries are considered minor in his field compared to other jockeys, Johnston agreed.
"Compared to other jockeys you ask, yes. Some of them have broken almost every bone in their body," he told LEX 18.
Unlike other professional sports, Hester said concussions in jockeys weren't previously being tracked.
"We have established a concussion protocol, which was never in place before. The jockeys have to do a physical before they compete. They have to do a concussion baseline evaluation before they compete, and it goes into a database we created that follows jockeys nationwide," Hester said.
HISA started a mental health hotline where jockeys can call anonymously and talk to an athlete who understands the pressure.
Leaders of the organization also took the reins and started a national nutrition program to teach jockeys how to maintain weight in a healthy way. Keeneland is participating in the program.
