Andree-Anne Brunet and Laurel Jarvis met when they joined forces as equine photographers, shooting photos at horse show venues around Ontario, Canada.
That was more than four years ago. The two life-long equestrians were forced to put their own riding on hold at various points during their lives – usually because of school or work commitments – but found a way to stay connected through their passion of photography.
“We’ve always been photographers, and that’s what kept us connected to the equestrian community,” explained Laurel, 29. “We grew up riding and wanted to stay part of it in some way.”
But both women yearned to find more ways to feel apart of the sport and community they loved so much. Through their individual photography ventures, they began donating to horse-related charities via their social media followings. These campaigns were successful, and Laurel and Andree-Anne dreamed of doing even more.
That’s how Ringside Media was born.
Laurel and Andree-Anne launched the initiative this year after witnessing how so many within the equestrian industry struggled with anxiety, depression and other mental health factors. Horses had always been a safe space for them personally – and they wanted to create a resource that would help others in a time of need.
“This is a sport where you literally pay people to judge you,” Laurel put it plainly. “That takes a toll on your mental health.”
So they came up with the hashtag #HorsesAreMentalHealth. The social media campaign aimed to donate $1 to the Centre For Addiction and Mental Health every time someone shared it on Instagram. (Because they are considered a small business, they capped their goal at $300 – which was mentioned in the original social media post). Within a matter of two hours, the Ringside Media account had surpassed 300 hashtag uses, with equestrians from Canada, the U.S. and Europe helping raise awareness. Overall, the post received more than 3,500 shares, mentions and tags, explained Andree-Anne, 26.
“The response was overwhelming,” she said.
To keep the momentum going, Laurel and Andree-Anne invited other businesses to join in, and with their help, they were able to raise $3,250 for the charity. Along the way, Ringside Media created its own “Horses Are Mental Health” T-shirts, with all proceeds from shirt sales going directly to the charity.
“We really wanted to do our part to help our community,” Laurel said. “This was a way for us to give back to those who supported us and to help others in need.”
It’s important to mention that while Laurel and Andree-Anne say their inbox is always open to anyone who needs help, they are not licensed mental health professionals. Ringside Media aims to raise awareness and end the stigma surrounding mental health in the horse industry, and they’re already hard at work at putting together a comprehensive list of resources on where riders and horse enthusiasts can find proper help.
“This is still a taboo topic that people are quiet about in our sport. No one wants to talk about it and we want to change that,” Laurel said.
Going forward, Laurel and Andree-Anne want to use the platform as a way to host open discussions about difficult topics and how they apply in the horse world, like being inclusive to riders of all sizes, backgrounds and skin color.
“We think it’s important to hold the community accountable for being more inclusive, and that starts with mental health,” Andree-Anne said.