Have you heard about this emerging option, equine therapy? It is specifically geared toward veterans dealing with post-traumatic stress, traumatic brain injuries, or other issues adjusting to civilian life. Equine-assisted therapy has been around for nearly 60 years has been shown to have a significant positive impact on various types of psychotherapy patients (reference). There are different variations, but in most cases, no riding is involved. Rather the veteran is spending time with the horse, connecting with the animal and in turn themself. And in most cases, it is free or very low cost.
An internet search for “equine therapy veterans” will turn up a variety of programs across the country, things like:
- New Freedom Farm in Buchanan, Virginia – Their motto is “Healing Heroes Through Horses”. Not only are veterans and first responders always welcome to stop by and help around the farm, but New Freedom Farm also serves as a horse refuge, rescuing neglected horses who are at risk of slaughter.
- Freedom Ride in Orlando, Florida – A therapeutic riding center helping those with disabilities grow and experience life in new ways. Their Veterans program, similar to Alatheia’s (described below), does not involve riding.
- Hope for Heroes Horsemanship Center in Yelm, Washington – Designed specifically to help Veterans through post-traumatic stress without counselors while learning the ropes of working with horses, the Center offers their services free-of-charge.
- Operation Equine in Boulder, Colorado – With licensed mental health professionals and experienced, credentialed coaches, Operation Equine works with Military, Veteran, and Emergency Responders and their families, caregivers, and supporters. They also provide unique Military cultural competence training by partnering with various organizations.
- Veterans Equine Therapeutic Services (V.E.T.S.) in southeastern Connecticut – Another program entirely free for Veterans, this location provides opportunities for growth through equine and educational engagement.
There are lots of programs out there with different methods but all still working toward the same goal: improving the lives of veterans and first responders by interacting with horses. You can search at the PATH International EAS for Veterans website to find other options around the country.
Locally, Alatheia Therapeutic Riding Center has a program called Warriors & Horses. This Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy program is an experiential form where horses are involved in the sessions. Participants in the program will be involved in hands-on experiences with the horses designed to reflect things going on in their life. The process is about providing the opportunity to experience, explore, problem solve, discover, be creative, gain insight, and experience practical applications in the moment. Horses are, by nature, both social and prey animals. Because of this, they have an extraordinary ability to read our nonverbal communication, picking up on messages we are sending even unconsciously. They then respond in familiar ways, reminding us of other people and things in our life, becoming metaphors or symbols that allow us to work through different aspects of our lives.
Having visited Alatheia for a preview of the program myself, getting to be around the horses and hear from Nancy just what the program is designed to do and how it works, I can say that this can be a very solid and grounding opportunity that I would encourage folks to consider. Often the idea of “talking through feelings and thoughts” can be daunting, uncomfortable, and otherwise unpleasant. Having something like a farm environment and a large animal to connect with brings the task of dealing with ones own inner processes much more “down to earth”…
The program at Alatheia is free for veterans and their dependents. You can learn more by contacting Jim Cook, the Veteran Coordinator at veterans@alatheiaridingcenter.com.
