A narrative review of the risk factors and psychological consequences of injury in horseracing stable staff

Abstract

Horseracing stable staff have a multifaceted role, acting as care givers, skilled athletes and equine experts, resulting in inherent high emotional, physical and mental demands. Despite these demands, and reports of significant injury risk to those working in racing at ground level, there has been no research investigating the psychological risk factors for injury in UK racing stable staff and how psychological responses to injury may affect long term mental health and wellbeing. With mental health at the forefront of industry consideration, this narrative review aimed to reflect on the current literature to propose occupational, life and social stressors that may be increasing the risk of injury in racing staff. In addition, this review aims to apply current injury theory to propose whether stable staff are at heightened risk of injury mismanagement. A literature search was undertaken to investigate the psychological aspects of injury, using five search engines and the following key words: injury, psychological responses, occupational, sport and/or athlete, equestrian, horseracing, jockey, risk of injury, rehabilitation, and injury minimisalisation. Articles were selected based on relevance to review aims, and research findings were synthesised under two primary areas: predictors of injury (working hours, job security, job control, life stressors, mental health and drug misuse) and responses to injury (positive and negative responses to injury, the role of social support, rehabilitation adherence, and injury minimalisation). Whilst there are limitations to narrative reviews, this study provides a novel interpretation of injury risk and responses specific to staff working in horseracing, where injury-related challenges are currently a key focus for sector employees, managerial staff and racing organisations. Recommendations for further research have been made to direct the advancement of knowledge in the field.

Is Injury an Occupational Hazard for Horseracing Staff?

“…In both horseracing and equestrian sport, horsemanship skills are typically learnt in apprenticeship positions [ 20 ] and in deference towards those with greater equine experience [ 17 , 75 ], thus attitudes to injury are often ‘taught’ through peer-to-peer interaction [ 107 ]. This could suggest that whilst injury minimalization culture is a concern in horseracing [ 16 ], its prevalence and impact on injury reporting may be subject to individual yard microcultures, rather than a comprehensive industry-wide problem. Further research should consider the role of individual yard culture on injury reporting practices, and design educational intervention packages to reduce the stigma associated with injury and increase awareness of the implications of injury denial on employee health and wellbeing.…”

“…Employees who ignore their own health needs may experience higher levels of physical and mental stress, which can increase the risk of occupational injury and may impact the efficiency of the workforce [ 13 , 14 , 15 ]. Previous workplace stress research has reported increased mistakes due to lack of concentration or poor decision-making, slower completion of tasks and increased absenteeism [ 13 , 14 , 15 ], which could have an impact on the demands placed upon other staff, as well as potentially on the welfare of the racehorses if standards of care are not maintained [ 16 , 17 , 18 ]. The social demand for strict welfare standards in horseracing has led to a culture of ‘putting the horse first’ [ 19 ].…”

“…The unique nature of the role of stable staff, along with the cultural considerations of horseracing as a competitive sport and industry (see [ 16 ] for full review), poses a novel situation within which to consider the effects of injury on the workforce. The result of such research could have important implications for increasing knowledge of injury causation and psychosocial risk factors within horseracing staff, as well as the design and training of targeted interventions for employers and employees to optimize workplace health and safety, and to enhance staff education around injury management.…”

Anxiety and Depression in British Horseracing Stud and Stable Staff Following Occupational Injury

“…Mental health can be defined as the "state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community" [4]. Concerns for racing staff mental health have already been reported; increased pressures due to a "relentless" fixture list [5][6][7], lack of work-life balance resulting in a reduced recovery time [5,6] and high rates of injury [8,9] have been identified as significant risk factors. An industry report suggested 72% of training yard staff experienced stress, anxiety, or depression in the prior 12 months [3].…”

“…Occupations with high physical and emotional pressure often have perceived assumptions that participants are physically and mentally strong [13], resilient and selfsufficient [14], and accustomed to working through pain [15], which, whilst required for the demands of the job [14], becomes problematic for mental health when those assumptions are challenged, for example due to injury [16]. Horseracing is a physically, mentally, and emotionally demanding occupation [9,17], and multiple risk factors have recently been identified that may increase the risk of injury for horseracing staff [8,9]. There is a high prevalence of injury in horseracing, with staff self-reporting an average of 3.3 injuries per annum [8].…”