It`s time to talk about men`s mental health

Mental health matters and yet few people like to talk about it, especially men, who are less likely to seek help.

Mental Health UK reports that only 36% of NHS referrals for psychological therapies are for men and that 75% of deaths by suicide are males. So why aren’t people talking more about men's mental health?

BGA member Alex Jones is a 19-year-old from Pembrokeshire in Wales, he is currently based in Gloucester studying equine sports coaching at Hartpury University.

You may recognise Alex’s smiley face from the BGA social media images as he took part in a photo shoot for the BGA. Throughout the day Alex was always upbeat, friendly, and super helpful, it would have been impossible to tell that he had a secret.

Alex tells his story to normalize male mental health issues and help other men start a conversation….. 

“Last year on paper looked like an amazing year for me, I qualified for finals, got to work with the British Grooms Association, lots of amazingly talented horses and a huge British equestrian company.

Despite all those opportunities, last year was the lowest I have ever felt. 

I lost who I was as a person, I suffered hugely from depression.

Depression doesn’t just affect one part of your life; it affects everything. This was very noticeable when it came to the horses. I was exhausted physically, but more so mentally exhausted. 

I had low self-esteem and was in a constant battle with myself, questioning every little decision. Was I doing my horse justice? Am I too big for him? Why am I not a good enough rider? Why is everyone else progressing and I am not?

We can get so caught up with what we see on social media, everyone showcasing their ‘best life’ and portraying that everything’s great with horses. When the reality is that it’s not always amazing and that owning horses is so much more draining than is shown. It’s so hard to keep up with the perfect images that are all over the internet.

It’s so rare to see a post of someone sitting in the stable crying because they don’t feel good enough for their horse, or they have a huge vet bill to pay or can’t cope with their situation. When in real life, all of this stuff does happen!!

In the equestrian industry, men’s mental health isn’t addressed enough, there is a huge percentage of people who have suffered from poor mental health, at some point within their equestrian journey.

It’s time to start talking.”

Alex Jones

Thanks, Alex for speaking up about this important issue.

Main image: Alex with Minty - Photo Credit Alessa Kim Photography

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