Horse racing behind on concussion protocol

Mike Smith knows the feeling. A headache. Maybe some dizziness.

As a younger jockey he got concussions, felt better and went back to riding.

“I’ve had several,” Smith said. “It’s just like you hit your head playing any sport.”

Smith is currently in the international spotlight as he goes for the Triple Crown on Saturday aboard Justify in the Belmont, but he’s far from alone as a jockey who has dealt with concussions. U.S. horse racing remains years, if not decades, behind other pro sports — not to mention the sport in other countries — when it comes to concussion evaluation, diagnosis and return to racing protocol for jockeys.

There’s no national concussion program from state to state or racetrack to racetrack. There is also an ongoing debate on how to implement one and who should pay for it. That leaves jockeys like Smith facing different situations along the Triple Crown trail from the Kentucky Derby to the Preakness in Maryland and Belmont in New York.

The Jockeys’ Guild last month voiced concern about the New York Racing Association’s lack of a concussion protocol, but the problem isn’t limited to one state.

Jockeys not as accomplished or famous as Smith are confronted daily with inconsistent care, especially in the area of

brain injuries and head trauma. Not every track has an on-site athletic trainer or physician to diagnose concussions.

Head injuries from a fall ended the career of jockey Ramon Dominguez in 2013. According to the British Journal of Sports Medicine, there were 36 reported concussions in U.S. racing from 2012-2016.

But it is unclear how many horse racing concussions have gone unreported.