Mental Health Resources
A growing number of mental health resources are available through both national equestrian federations and non-profit organizations to provide support to survivors and the people around them. Take advantage of these resources—they’re here to help.
DARKNESS2LIGHT
You are not alone — if you encounter child sexual abuse, resources and support are available. Call to have questions answered or chat with a trained crisis counselor, 24/7 at no charge. All conversations are confidential.
CALL 866.FOR.LIGHT OR TEXT LIGHT TO 741741
Courage First Athletic Helpline
Call, text or chat with our crisis counselors who will provide support and guidance for athletes of all ages; former athletes, parents, coaches, admin, and anyone tangentially related to a sport community.
Call or text: 1-888-279-1026
live chat available at: athletehelpline.org
United States Equestrian Federation (USEF)
US Equestrian has partnered with the McLaughlin Young Group to offer free, confidential counseling services for mental health first aid for all federation members. Professional counseling services are available for personal, work-related, and family concerns for up to three visits or sessions through a third-party licensed provider.
All providers are state-licensed, with a graduate degree and five years of post-graduate clinical experience, and are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year.
Call to reach a counselor: 1-800-633-3353
USEF also offers education resources for parents, including Toolkits, which can be found by clicking the button below.
Equestrian Canada (EC)
The Canadian Sport Hotline is available to the equestrian sport community in Canada for advice, guidance and resources—and to be directly connected to Brian Ward, Equestrian Canada’s Complaint Manager.
Call the Canadian Sport Hotline: 1-888-837-7678
All active EC Sport License Holders have free access to the Fostering Healthy Equestrian Environments courses via the ECampus. Fostering Healthy Equestrian Environments was designed to help equestrian coaches, trainers, officials and sport leaders learn how to create and support a safe and respectful environment for all participants.
The Equestrian Canada Abuse Policy can be found by clicking the button below.
Non-Federation Members United States
In the United States, the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) is available to learn more about options in your area. You’ll be connected to a staff member from a local sexual assault service provider who will talk you through the process of getting help.
You can find a local RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) affiliate by clicking the button below.
Need help with funding? All U.S. states have established State Crime Victims Compensation programs to reimburse victims for crime-related expenses, including mental health counseling. Each state compensation program is administered independently. To apply for this program, visit the National Association of Crime Victims Compensation Boards' (NACVCB) website to locate the one for your state.
Non-Federation Members Canada
You are not alone — if you encounter child sexual abuse, resources and support are available. Call to have questions answered or chat with a trained crisis counselor, 24/7 at no charge. All conversations are confidential.
In Canada, Abuse-Free-Sport.ca was created to host the Canadian Sport Hotline and is a centralized hub of information for sport participants of all levels. For more information, contact info@abuse-free-sport.ca.
