Photo Gallery: Da Silva implementing horses into wellness program

Long before learning how to harness the raw power of a thoroughbred racehorse, champion jockey Eurico Rosa da Silva experienced the therapeutic powers of the animal’s inner strength.

Da Silva, 50, was verbally abused and tormented by his father growing up in Brazil, driven to the brink of suicide. As early as age four or five, da Silva fondly remembers experiencing a horse’s gentle nature.

Not only did da Silva decide then that he ultimately wanted to be a jockey, but finding solace in the animal gave him much-needed calm and inner peace.

“The horse has the ability to feel what you’re feeling inside yourself,” da Silva said. “They bring it into their body and release it.

“They’re like sponges, they have that ability to release everything.”

It’s that ability da Silva channels these days as he supports mental health healing with horses. Through the Equine Experiential Connection, da Silva connects clients with horses at LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society, a 100-acre facility in Hillsburgh, Ont., that specializes in matching retired thoroughbreds with new owners for a second career.

Da Silva retired as a jockey in 2019 with 2,942 career wins — including two King’s Plates. He was named Canada’s top rider seven times.

Here is a look at some scenes from the facility in Hillsburgh, Ont.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 23, 2025.