In a week where South African horseracing has had its own questions about jockeys and their pressures, Australian rider Glen Boss has spoken openly about his mental health battles.
Boss was a speaker at the 39th Asian Racing Conference in Melbourne, encouraging those in the industry who are struggling to reach out.
Racing.com reports that the three-time Melbourne Cup-winning jockey candidly shared his battle, which at its worst included thoughts of suicide.
“It’s not something I enjoy speaking about, but I think it’s necessary,” Boss said after his powerful speech.
“I went through some troubles through my personal and professional life and I know others are going through the same thing.
“It’s ok to be vulnerable and be scared. Once you do that, it’s like you’ve shed your skin.”
The 53-year-old spoke about the pressures of a non-stop racing industry on jockeys, with the expectation to perform while malnourishing your body.
Boss also shared the impacts of social media, but also put himself in the shoes of trainers and owners who may find themselves struggling.
“Racing is like no other industry I’ve ever seen,” he said.
“I’d hate to be a young trainer starting out these days with the amount of knowledge you need to know from a business side of things. And then you effectively become a bank because you have to purchase these young horses and syndicate and sell. It’s so much pressure and then you have to go out there and perform with these individuals and you don’t even know what you’ve got.Even owners, some spend too much and get in too deep.”
Boss believes the racing industry has made positive strides in the past five years to raise awareness on the issue of mental health and strongly advocates to continue to equip all participants in the industry with the right tools, both professionally and personally.
The Asian Racing Conference wound up today.
