After suicide attempt, combat veteran finds his voice
By Jeremy Schwartz
Source: Austin American-Statesman
Published: Saturday 06 April, 2013
Just before dawn, Andrew O’Brien flipped his laptop open, turned on his webcam and prepared to tell the world the most personal story of his life.
On the first try, the lump in his throat caught his voice and tears welled in his eyes. He tried again, he said, but the words kept jumbling together. His mind raced back to the night his world collapsed, to the horrible mistake he almost made.
On his fourth try, O’Brien looked into the tiny keyhole of the webcam: “So here’s the story,” he said, his voice steady now. “I snapped one day and decided to take every pill I could get my hands on.”
Four minutes and 23 seconds later, the 24-year-old finished the video. But he hesitated before uploading it to YouTube. There was a reason no other soldier he knew of had ever gone public with their suicide attempt. It’s a taboo subject in general and especially among young soldiers, who too often view talk of feelings as a sign of weakness.
For O’Brien too, a suffocating silence — the unexpressed feelings, the untold stories — had marked his return from war to his Army post in Hawaii. He came home with nightmares that had started after the night in Iraq when he disobeyed an order, looked under a tarp covering a bomb-blasted armored vehicle and saw something his mind couldn’t erase.
He kept his struggles hidden from his fellow soldiers, and even from his big brother Lee, an Army infantryman he had followed into war. O’Brien rode his pain alone, into the abyss, but unlike nearly 1,500 other active-duty service members in the past five years, he survived his suicide attempt.
read more here
Showing posts with label equine assisted therapy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label equine assisted therapy. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Sunday, February 10, 2013
How Horses Help an Army Veteran Heal from PTSD
How Horses Help an Army Veteran Heal from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
OWN.com
Brian Mancini is an Army veteran who battles post-traumatic stress disorder after having served in Baghdad. To help with his emotional recovery, he's turned to equine therapy—a practice that uses specially trained horses to help improve a person's physical and emotional states. Watch what happens when Brian enters the ring with two horses.
Go to the link to watch a great video on veterans learning to understand.
If you live in the Central Florida area, we have equine therapy right here with
16540 Lake Stewart DriveGroveland, FL 34736352-429-8387
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Healing PTSD with horse power
Yesterday I went to Groveland Florida to visit my friends at Veterans Multi-purpose Center at their Circle B ranch.
Bob and his family showed me what they do to help veterans heal PTSD.
I haven't been on a horse in 30 years and forgot what it was like sitting that high up off the ground. At my age, it was a lot different than it was when I was in my 20's and got up in the saddle without any help at all. This time I needed stairs to get my foot in the stirrup.
What this program does is teaches veterans "focus, patience, sensitivity and persistence.
Veterans, especially the young ones, forget that they had to train to go into combat and train their bodies how to react. They have to train to come home just as successfully as they were trained to go.
Watching these horses learn to trust humans was remarkable. In this video you can see one of the newer horses being trained. First the horse runs in circles, agitated, looking for a way out but soon enough, he learned how to calm down and trust the trainer when he knew what was expected out of him.
If you want to know more about this call them at 877-791-8603.
They need help to keep the ranch going and they need you to spread the word so that other veterans can heal the way they have been doing it for years. I've been a big fan of theirs for a very long time and I bet you will be one too after you discover the healing power of horses.
Bob and his family showed me what they do to help veterans heal PTSD.
I haven't been on a horse in 30 years and forgot what it was like sitting that high up off the ground. At my age, it was a lot different than it was when I was in my 20's and got up in the saddle without any help at all. This time I needed stairs to get my foot in the stirrup.
Veterans, especially the young ones, forget that they had to train to go into combat and train their bodies how to react. They have to train to come home just as successfully as they were trained to go.
Watching these horses learn to trust humans was remarkable. In this video you can see one of the newer horses being trained. First the horse runs in circles, agitated, looking for a way out but soon enough, he learned how to calm down and trust the trainer when he knew what was expected out of him.
If you want to know more about this call them at 877-791-8603.
They need help to keep the ranch going and they need you to spread the word so that other veterans can heal the way they have been doing it for years. I've been a big fan of theirs for a very long time and I bet you will be one too after you discover the healing power of horses.
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Vietnam vet trains horses to help soldiers with PTSD
Vietnam vet trains horses to help soldiers with PTSD
ELIZABETH, CO
(KUSA/NBC)
A Vietnam veteran is training horses to help other veterans deal with post traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.
John Nash grew up on a farm in North Minnesota where he trained them the old fashioned way: He broke them.
"We broke their spirit. That's where the phrase breaking a horse comes from, from breaking their spirit," Nash said.
Life and war would eventually lead Nash from his farm in Minnesota to the jungles of Vietnam.
A Specialist 5th Class with the 1st Cavalry, Nash volunteered to serve in the U.S. Army.
He did a one year deployment in Vietnam. During that year, he lived the realities of war.
The 19-year-old soldier, who grew up breaking horses, in the end, had the same thing done to him - by war.
Nash was haunted by what he had experienced in Vietnam, but worst of all for him was living with one question.
Why had he survived when so many of his friends had not?
"Was I broken? Yeah, I was broken bad," Nash said. "I was broken to the point of total hopelessness."
The hopelessness manifested itself in the form of PTSD.
In 1967, little was known about PTSD and even less was offered in the form of treatment.
John Nash and other veterans were left to deal with the demons on their own.
read more here
WALB.com, Albany News, Weather, Sports
ELIZABETH, CO
(KUSA/NBC)
A Vietnam veteran is training horses to help other veterans deal with post traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.
John Nash grew up on a farm in North Minnesota where he trained them the old fashioned way: He broke them.
"We broke their spirit. That's where the phrase breaking a horse comes from, from breaking their spirit," Nash said.
Life and war would eventually lead Nash from his farm in Minnesota to the jungles of Vietnam.
A Specialist 5th Class with the 1st Cavalry, Nash volunteered to serve in the U.S. Army.
He did a one year deployment in Vietnam. During that year, he lived the realities of war.
The 19-year-old soldier, who grew up breaking horses, in the end, had the same thing done to him - by war.
Nash was haunted by what he had experienced in Vietnam, but worst of all for him was living with one question.
Why had he survived when so many of his friends had not?
"Was I broken? Yeah, I was broken bad," Nash said. "I was broken to the point of total hopelessness."
The hopelessness manifested itself in the form of PTSD.
In 1967, little was known about PTSD and even less was offered in the form of treatment.
John Nash and other veterans were left to deal with the demons on their own.
read more here
WALB.com, Albany News, Weather, Sports
Sunday, November 4, 2012
PTSD Combat veterans lives rebuilt by a horse
Combat veterans lives rebuilt by a horse
9News
Written by
Dave Delozier
Nov 4, 2012
ELIZABETH - A horse made it possible for one man to reclaim his life.
John Nash is caring for a horse named Rain - who Nash says saved his life.
Horses are nothing new to Nash. He grew up on a farm in North Minnesota where he trained them the old fashioned way: He broke them.
"We broke their spirit. That's where the phrase breaking a horse comes from, from breaking their spirit," Nash said.
Life and war would eventually lead Nash from his farm in Minnesota to the jungles of Vietnam. A Specialist 5th Class with the 1st Cavalry, Nash volunteered to serve in the U.S. Army. He did a one year deployment in Vietnam. During that year he lived the realities of war. The 19-year-old soldier, who grew up breaking horses, in the end, had the same thing done to him - by war.
Nash was haunted by what he had experienced in Vietnam, but worst of all for him was living with one question. Why had he survived when so many of his friends had not?
"Was I broken? Yeah, I was broken bad," Nash said. "I was broken to the point of total hopelessness."
read more here
9News
Written by
Dave Delozier
Nov 4, 2012
ELIZABETH - A horse made it possible for one man to reclaim his life.
John Nash is caring for a horse named Rain - who Nash says saved his life.
Horses are nothing new to Nash. He grew up on a farm in North Minnesota where he trained them the old fashioned way: He broke them.
"We broke their spirit. That's where the phrase breaking a horse comes from, from breaking their spirit," Nash said.
Life and war would eventually lead Nash from his farm in Minnesota to the jungles of Vietnam. A Specialist 5th Class with the 1st Cavalry, Nash volunteered to serve in the U.S. Army. He did a one year deployment in Vietnam. During that year he lived the realities of war. The 19-year-old soldier, who grew up breaking horses, in the end, had the same thing done to him - by war.
Nash was haunted by what he had experienced in Vietnam, but worst of all for him was living with one question. Why had he survived when so many of his friends had not?
"Was I broken? Yeah, I was broken bad," Nash said. "I was broken to the point of total hopelessness."
read more here
If you live in Florida, there is a great center here too.
They are having an open house on November 10th, 2012. (see poster on sidebar of this blog and check their link.)
Veterans Multi-Purpose Center Davie Florida
Monday, October 29, 2012
A new program, Horse in Miracles for combat veterans
Horses comfort veterans suffering from combat-related stress
Ocala.com
By Gary Green
Correspondent
Published: Sunday, October 28, 2012
While Marion County takes pride in being known as the Horse Capital of the World, locals also are very proud of the many military veterans who call the area home.
A new program, Horse in Miracles, now offers a way to unite equines and veterans in a relationship that can help the humans cope with or overcome the ill effects of combat-related stress.
Horse in Miracles operates out of the Sugar Plum Ranch in Ocklawaha.
“This program is absolutely wonderful when it works. And when we get out of the way, it always works,” said Jennifer Elliott, a registered nurse and owner of the ranch.
Elliott was referring to the basic principle of the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association, Inc., therapy program, through which healing takes place by the therapist stepping aside and allowing the client/horse experience to take its natural course.
read more here
Ocala.com
By Gary Green
Correspondent
Published: Sunday, October 28, 2012
While Marion County takes pride in being known as the Horse Capital of the World, locals also are very proud of the many military veterans who call the area home.
A new program, Horse in Miracles, now offers a way to unite equines and veterans in a relationship that can help the humans cope with or overcome the ill effects of combat-related stress.
Horse in Miracles operates out of the Sugar Plum Ranch in Ocklawaha.
“This program is absolutely wonderful when it works. And when we get out of the way, it always works,” said Jennifer Elliott, a registered nurse and owner of the ranch.
Elliott was referring to the basic principle of the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association, Inc., therapy program, through which healing takes place by the therapist stepping aside and allowing the client/horse experience to take its natural course.
read more here
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Warrior Wellness equine assistance important part of healing process
Warrior Wellness equine assistance important part of healing process
by Tech. Sgt. Mareshah Haynes
Air Force News Service
5/30/2012
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- The relationship between man and his horse is a storied one. Winston Churchill once said, "There's something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man." The 19th century novelist Robert Smith Surtees said, "There is no secret so close as that between a rider and his horse." And the 20th century American novelist John Steinbeck said, "A man on a horse is spiritually as well as physically bigger than a man on foot."
For hundreds of years, people have recognized the healing qualities of horses. Here, on the grounds of the U.S. Air Force Academy, equine specialists have taken those healing qualities to a whole new level with the equine assisted learning experience.
As part of the Warrior Wellness Program, service members can participate in the program as a way to cope with their mental and physical injuries, especially those that are combat related. Although the bulk of the guests are Soldiers from the southern Colorado area, the program is open to service members from all branches.
The stables are tucked away in a corner of the base that used to be a family housing area. Away from the space-themed structures on the main base, modern-day cowboys, clad in Stetsons and spurs, can be seen tending to the animals. And then there's Boris; the resident mule who thinks he's more akin to the family dog than a farm animal.
"Once you cross the rock bridge, it's like a different world," said Robert Templin, an animal caretaker and equine specialist. "It's like taking a step back in time. There's the Rocky Mountains right there and the river - it's a goose bump giver."
v The staff members at the equestrian center use their old-fashioned "cures" to help treat Soldiers who are dealing with an issue that plagues many service members who are returning from combat in today's conflicts.
"I can tell you firsthand, these people save lives," said an Airman who participated in the program and asked to remain anonymous. " I know that sounds melodramatic, but make no mistake, Mr. Barrett and his team save Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, and Airmen from taking their own lives, and they allow military families an amazing venue to start healing together -- no doubt, no drama, no embellishment."
read more here
by Tech. Sgt. Mareshah Haynes
Air Force News Service
5/30/2012
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- The relationship between man and his horse is a storied one. Winston Churchill once said, "There's something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man." The 19th century novelist Robert Smith Surtees said, "There is no secret so close as that between a rider and his horse." And the 20th century American novelist John Steinbeck said, "A man on a horse is spiritually as well as physically bigger than a man on foot."
For hundreds of years, people have recognized the healing qualities of horses. Here, on the grounds of the U.S. Air Force Academy, equine specialists have taken those healing qualities to a whole new level with the equine assisted learning experience.
As part of the Warrior Wellness Program, service members can participate in the program as a way to cope with their mental and physical injuries, especially those that are combat related. Although the bulk of the guests are Soldiers from the southern Colorado area, the program is open to service members from all branches.
The stables are tucked away in a corner of the base that used to be a family housing area. Away from the space-themed structures on the main base, modern-day cowboys, clad in Stetsons and spurs, can be seen tending to the animals. And then there's Boris; the resident mule who thinks he's more akin to the family dog than a farm animal.
"Once you cross the rock bridge, it's like a different world," said Robert Templin, an animal caretaker and equine specialist. "It's like taking a step back in time. There's the Rocky Mountains right there and the river - it's a goose bump giver."
v The staff members at the equestrian center use their old-fashioned "cures" to help treat Soldiers who are dealing with an issue that plagues many service members who are returning from combat in today's conflicts.
"I can tell you firsthand, these people save lives," said an Airman who participated in the program and asked to remain anonymous. " I know that sounds melodramatic, but make no mistake, Mr. Barrett and his team save Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, and Airmen from taking their own lives, and they allow military families an amazing venue to start healing together -- no doubt, no drama, no embellishment."
read more here
Friday, May 4, 2012
'Horses And Heroes' Offers Veterans New Approach To Therapy
'Horses And Heroes' Offers Veterans New Approach To Therapy
Local Equine Therapy Program Works To Expand
Matt Lupoli, WESH.com
May 4, 2012
KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- Eight U.S. military veterans in Central Florida have taken a unique approach to therapy. They're riding horses. Over the past eight weeks, eight veterans of various ages who sustained physical injuries or post traumatic stress disorder in Iraq, Afghanistan or Vietnam meet once each week for a three-hour therapy session, thanks to the University of Central Florida, Heavenly Hoofs Therapeutic Riding Center, and S.A.D.L.E.S. Equine Therapy of Umatilla.
"This is definitely a positive, therapeutic thing for veterans and people such as myself," Navy veteran Cliff Burton said. "My comfort level has definitely changed. I can do a whole bunch of stuff. I feel good."
Dr. Manette Monroe, a UCF assistant dean and professor, hopes the schools College of Medicine can develop research that will create best practices for this relatively new form of therapy.
read more here
Local Equine Therapy Program Works To Expand
Matt Lupoli, WESH.com
May 4, 2012
KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- Eight U.S. military veterans in Central Florida have taken a unique approach to therapy. They're riding horses. Over the past eight weeks, eight veterans of various ages who sustained physical injuries or post traumatic stress disorder in Iraq, Afghanistan or Vietnam meet once each week for a three-hour therapy session, thanks to the University of Central Florida, Heavenly Hoofs Therapeutic Riding Center, and S.A.D.L.E.S. Equine Therapy of Umatilla.
"This is definitely a positive, therapeutic thing for veterans and people such as myself," Navy veteran Cliff Burton said. "My comfort level has definitely changed. I can do a whole bunch of stuff. I feel good."
Dr. Manette Monroe, a UCF assistant dean and professor, hopes the schools College of Medicine can develop research that will create best practices for this relatively new form of therapy.
read more here
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Horses give vets High Hopes for recovery
Horses give vets High Hopes for recovery
By Jennifer McDermott
Publication: The Day
Published 05/03/2012
Therapeutic riding in Old Lyme helps former soldiers cope
Old Lyme - After she rode a horse at a fast gait for the first time, Katye Zwiefka cried.
She threw her arms in the air and said, "I did it!" Zwiefka compared it to the joy she felt as a child on Christmas morning.
"It had been such a long time since I had that feeling or anything like it - just that excitement and that thrill, that joy that's untainted by the world," she said of her experience cantering last summer.
Zwiefka, who served in the Marine Corps, belongs to a women's riding group at High Hopes Therapeutic Riding. Struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder, she turned to the center two years ago. She and another veteran in the group, Khaylan Widener, said bonding with the horses and the other equestrians has helped them cope with the anxiety and isolation they have felt since leaving the military.
"It's hard to make connections with people," said Zwiefka, a 30-year-old who lives in Norwich. "It's hard to feel comfortable in my skin and my surroundings and to really just enjoy the moment for what it is.
"Being here, I'm really able to do that," she said of High Hopes. "It's beautiful out here and I'm able to enjoy every moment."
Zwiefka and Widener, an Army veteran, met in counseling at the Norwich Vet Center, run by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
With her new friend's encouragement, Widener began riding at the center.
read more here
By Jennifer McDermott
Publication: The Day
Published 05/03/2012
Therapeutic riding in Old Lyme helps former soldiers cope
Old Lyme - After she rode a horse at a fast gait for the first time, Katye Zwiefka cried.
She threw her arms in the air and said, "I did it!" Zwiefka compared it to the joy she felt as a child on Christmas morning.
"It had been such a long time since I had that feeling or anything like it - just that excitement and that thrill, that joy that's untainted by the world," she said of her experience cantering last summer.
Zwiefka, who served in the Marine Corps, belongs to a women's riding group at High Hopes Therapeutic Riding. Struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder, she turned to the center two years ago. She and another veteran in the group, Khaylan Widener, said bonding with the horses and the other equestrians has helped them cope with the anxiety and isolation they have felt since leaving the military.
"It's hard to make connections with people," said Zwiefka, a 30-year-old who lives in Norwich. "It's hard to feel comfortable in my skin and my surroundings and to really just enjoy the moment for what it is.
"Being here, I'm really able to do that," she said of High Hopes. "It's beautiful out here and I'm able to enjoy every moment."
Zwiefka and Widener, an Army veteran, met in counseling at the Norwich Vet Center, run by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
With her new friend's encouragement, Widener began riding at the center.
read more here
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Horse Therapy Helps Veterans Break Through PTSD
Horse Therapy Helps Veterans Break Through PTSD
By Terri Moon Cronk
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, April 5, 2012 – A Pentagon Channel documentary sheds light on how military veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder are finding help through the power of horse therapy.
"Recon: Unbridled" highlights “Horses for Veterans,” at Flag is Up Farms in California, an intensive three-day program designed to help veterans of all ages who have PTSD, free of charge.
“I think No. 1 is to work with veterans who have given up on life,” said Monty Roberts, a renowned horse whisperer. Roberts uses his horse-friendly “Joining Up” techniques on abused and mistreated horses, and adapts it for self-isolating veterans who have post-traumatic stress.
Roberts’ program is about learning to trust people by choosing to, rather than by force, he said. By using the language of the horse or the stress of the veteran to communicate, he added, his program engenders trust.
“When they trust you, they will migrate toward you, rather than going away [out of fear],” he said. “Horses are flight animals. They are frightened of everything they don’t understand. If they don’t trust it, they need to get away from it, and that’s how a veteran feels, too.”
The old style of “breaking” horses often involved using violence to force them into submission, but Roberts' style, which he calls “gentling” or “natural horsemanship,” is nonviolent.
“They get nothing from the fight, so they literally give up,” he pointed out.
Veteran Alejandra Sanchez is on her fourth visit to Flag is Up Farms, but remembers her first time like it was yesterday.
“I have never been so scared in my life,” she said. “I wasn’t even that scared when I was in Iraq. My anxiety was through the roof, because I had to face that I had post-traumatic stress.
“Every night you knew when the sun set, action was going to happen,” she continued, recalling her service in Iraq. “I remember coming to the oddly weird term of ‘I might not make it.’” Sanchez faced her fears head-on in the “Horses for Veterans” program.
“You have to work with people you don’t know, and you already have trust issues,” she said. “It definitely brought out all of the symptoms I face, but at an intense level I normally haven’t dealt with.” Sanchez said she had to learn to calm herself down for the horses to learn to trust her. “The horses would not respond to me if I was anxious, angry or violent,” she said.
read more here
If you live in Florida, there is a great program here for you too!
Equine Assisted Psychotherapy South Florida Veterans Multi-Purpose Center
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Veterans bond with horses in therapy program
Veterans bond with horses in therapy program
DAVID TARRANT, The Dallas Morning News
Published 12:05 a.m., Sunday, February 5, 2012
KELLER, Texas (AP) — Just blocks from suburban sprawl sits an oasis of rolling green pastures and grazing horses, where seldom is heard a discouraging word.
Or so it must seem to the war veterans who arrive here for therapy.
Robert MacTamhais, a medic in Iraq from December 2008 to July 2009, started coming here shortly after a fire alarm at work sent him into a panic attack. The alarm sparked a flashback to the warning sirens that sounded when his base came under mortar attack in Iraq.
"I had to go home," MacTamhais said. "I couldn't concentrate on anything, much less work."
Rocky Top Therapy Center recently received a $290,000 state grant to serve military veterans and their families dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other psychological issues, including those associated with combat deployments and adjustment to civilian life.
Over the last decade, about 2 million troops have deployed to war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Studies show that about one in five has symptoms of PTSD, depression, traumatic brain injury, or some combination of the three.
In 2011, the number of suicides among active-duty soldiers hit an all-time high of 164, up from 159 in 2010, according to data recently released by the Army. Both the defense and veterans affairs departments have been putting more resources into behavioral health programs aimed at active-duty service members and recent war veterans.
read more here
DAVID TARRANT, The Dallas Morning News
Published 12:05 a.m., Sunday, February 5, 2012
KELLER, Texas (AP) — Just blocks from suburban sprawl sits an oasis of rolling green pastures and grazing horses, where seldom is heard a discouraging word.
Or so it must seem to the war veterans who arrive here for therapy.
Robert MacTamhais, a medic in Iraq from December 2008 to July 2009, started coming here shortly after a fire alarm at work sent him into a panic attack. The alarm sparked a flashback to the warning sirens that sounded when his base came under mortar attack in Iraq.
"I had to go home," MacTamhais said. "I couldn't concentrate on anything, much less work."
Rocky Top Therapy Center recently received a $290,000 state grant to serve military veterans and their families dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other psychological issues, including those associated with combat deployments and adjustment to civilian life.
Over the last decade, about 2 million troops have deployed to war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Studies show that about one in five has symptoms of PTSD, depression, traumatic brain injury, or some combination of the three.
In 2011, the number of suicides among active-duty soldiers hit an all-time high of 164, up from 159 in 2010, according to data recently released by the Army. Both the defense and veterans affairs departments have been putting more resources into behavioral health programs aimed at active-duty service members and recent war veterans.
read more here
Monday, January 9, 2012
Widow using horses near Joint Base Lewis-McChord to heal others
Yelm widow uses her horses to help returning war veterans heal
THE OLYMPIAN • Published January 08, 2012
An Army Iraq war veteran loses it and shoots several people in Skyway before fleeing to Mount Rainier and killing a park ranger. A former Army Ranger stabs another man outside an Olympia bar and receives a 10-year prison sentence.
Joint Base Lewis-McChord records a record number of suicides in 2011 and opens up a 408-bed barracks for its Wounded Warrior Transition Battalion. Combined with the Air Force’s Medical Flight, the number of JBLM soldiers and airmen suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury often swells to around 700.
The ruins of war are all around us in the South Sound, so how humbling would it be for a solider to say to you, “I was going to end my life, and now I’m not, because of what you did for me”?
Debbi Fisher of Yelm hears that almost every week.
Fisher lost her husband of 30 years, Randy, to a head-on car crash in 2006. He was a lieutenant colonel stationed at McChord Air Force Base, having served for 28 years.
To recover, she turned to the couple’s seven horses on their 5-acre farm. But her husband’s horse, a 16.3 hand, 1,500-pound giant named Root Beer, was riderless. So Randy’s superior officer rode with her every day for 30 days.
That experience of healing through horsemanship took three more years to gel, but Fisher retired from her 20-year career at U.S. Bank in 2009 and took what she calls a “step of faith.”
read more here
Rainier Therapeutic Riding
THE OLYMPIAN • Published January 08, 2012
An Army Iraq war veteran loses it and shoots several people in Skyway before fleeing to Mount Rainier and killing a park ranger. A former Army Ranger stabs another man outside an Olympia bar and receives a 10-year prison sentence.
Joint Base Lewis-McChord records a record number of suicides in 2011 and opens up a 408-bed barracks for its Wounded Warrior Transition Battalion. Combined with the Air Force’s Medical Flight, the number of JBLM soldiers and airmen suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury often swells to around 700.
The ruins of war are all around us in the South Sound, so how humbling would it be for a solider to say to you, “I was going to end my life, and now I’m not, because of what you did for me”?
Debbi Fisher of Yelm hears that almost every week.
Fisher lost her husband of 30 years, Randy, to a head-on car crash in 2006. He was a lieutenant colonel stationed at McChord Air Force Base, having served for 28 years.
To recover, she turned to the couple’s seven horses on their 5-acre farm. But her husband’s horse, a 16.3 hand, 1,500-pound giant named Root Beer, was riderless. So Randy’s superior officer rode with her every day for 30 days.
That experience of healing through horsemanship took three more years to gel, but Fisher retired from her 20-year career at U.S. Bank in 2009 and took what she calls a “step of faith.”
read more here
Rainier Therapeutic Riding
Monday, September 5, 2011
New center could offer equine therapy to disabled veterans
New center could offer equine therapy to disabled veterans
UCF medical school, Osceola County may partner on project
By Jeannette Rivera-Lyles, Orlando Sentinel
7:34 p.m. EDT, August 31, 2011
An emerging partnership between UCF's College of Medicine and Osceola County could result in an unusual center that useshorses to help disabled veterans from across the country.
UCF wants to establish an equestrian center to help rehabilitate soldiers through therapeutic horse riding, also known as equine therapy. The program would draw patients from the Veterans Affairs hospital under construction at the Medical City at Lake Nona, which is also home to the college.
"What we would want to do is become the national center for this kind of therapy and its research," said Dr. Manette Monroe, a dean of students at the college who is developing the equine program.
UCF medical school, Osceola County may partner on project
By Jeannette Rivera-Lyles, Orlando Sentinel
7:34 p.m. EDT, August 31, 2011
An emerging partnership between UCF's College of Medicine and Osceola County could result in an unusual center that useshorses to help disabled veterans from across the country.
UCF wants to establish an equestrian center to help rehabilitate soldiers through therapeutic horse riding, also known as equine therapy. The program would draw patients from the Veterans Affairs hospital under construction at the Medical City at Lake Nona, which is also home to the college.
"What we would want to do is become the national center for this kind of therapy and its research," said Dr. Manette Monroe, a dean of students at the college who is developing the equine program.
Jim Sursely, a past commander of the Central Florida chapter of the Disabled American Veterans, said the center would be "wonderful" for disabled veterans, who don't have many local options.read more here
"Not just for the young soldiers coming back from Iraq but for others, like me, who were wounded in Vietnam and other conflicts," said Sursely, who lost both legs and an arm in Vietnam. "Many of the older soldiers could benefit from additional therapy."
Monday, July 5, 2010
Horse rescue group comes to Marine's aid
Horse rescue group comes to Marine's aid
By Bob Hallmark - bio email
LONGVIEW,TX (KLTV)- 23 year old Michael Attaway grew up with a boyhood dream.
"I had asked for a horse ever since I could speak really," says Attaway.
While he was serving in the Marines in Iraq, he got a letter from his father explaining a new girl named Lucy, was waiting for him.
"I was over there in Iraq, and opened up my letter, and he had all these pictures in there of Lucy and another horse and he said 'well I finally got you your horse son,'" he says.
After he got out, Attaway came home and started a family, including Lucy, but struggled financially. When Lucy had a severe leg injury, he had to face facts.
"And I was really short on money and didn't know what to do I wanted her to go to a good home. I was caught between and family and a horse I loved and really wanted to hang on to her," Attaway says.
But that's when Safe Haven Equine Rescue stepped in.
go here for more
http://www.kltv.com/Global/story.asp?S=12755038
By Bob Hallmark - bio email
LONGVIEW,TX (KLTV)- 23 year old Michael Attaway grew up with a boyhood dream.
"I had asked for a horse ever since I could speak really," says Attaway.
While he was serving in the Marines in Iraq, he got a letter from his father explaining a new girl named Lucy, was waiting for him.
"I was over there in Iraq, and opened up my letter, and he had all these pictures in there of Lucy and another horse and he said 'well I finally got you your horse son,'" he says.
After he got out, Attaway came home and started a family, including Lucy, but struggled financially. When Lucy had a severe leg injury, he had to face facts.
"And I was really short on money and didn't know what to do I wanted her to go to a good home. I was caught between and family and a horse I loved and really wanted to hang on to her," Attaway says.
But that's when Safe Haven Equine Rescue stepped in.
go here for more
http://www.kltv.com/Global/story.asp?S=12755038
Friday, March 19, 2010
'Horses for Heroes' helps injured, traumatized war vets adjust
'Horses for Heroes' helps injured, traumatized war vets adjust
12:00 AM CDT on Friday, March 19, 2010
By AVI SELK / The Dallas Morning News
aselk@dallasnews.com
Saddle up, soldier.
The horses of Stajduhar Stables in Colleyville have long been helping children bear the burdens of debilitating diseases. The animals' rhythmic gait can calm the nervous systems of kids with autism and strengthen the muscles of those with cerebral palsy.
Now the therapeutic riding stable is looking for injured or traumatized veterans to get on the horse – no charge. They call it "Horses for Heroes."
The stable has booked five soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder for its pilot class this spring, but it's still searching for at least one physically disabled veteran to participate. The success of the class will help determine whether the program gets grant money to continue into the future. DFW Case Management Society of America is funding the pilot class with a donation to the stable's nonprofit foundation.
"We can help them regain their strength, regain their balance," said Lisa Stajduhar, a physical therapist who owns the stable. "If they use a prosthetic, we can help them get up and start walking again."
read more here
Horses for Heroes
12:00 AM CDT on Friday, March 19, 2010
By AVI SELK / The Dallas Morning News
aselk@dallasnews.com
Saddle up, soldier.
The horses of Stajduhar Stables in Colleyville have long been helping children bear the burdens of debilitating diseases. The animals' rhythmic gait can calm the nervous systems of kids with autism and strengthen the muscles of those with cerebral palsy.
Now the therapeutic riding stable is looking for injured or traumatized veterans to get on the horse – no charge. They call it "Horses for Heroes."
The stable has booked five soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder for its pilot class this spring, but it's still searching for at least one physically disabled veteran to participate. The success of the class will help determine whether the program gets grant money to continue into the future. DFW Case Management Society of America is funding the pilot class with a donation to the stable's nonprofit foundation.
"We can help them regain their strength, regain their balance," said Lisa Stajduhar, a physical therapist who owns the stable. "If they use a prosthetic, we can help them get up and start walking again."
read more here
Horses for Heroes
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Army’s top horses help heal America’s wounded Vets
Army’s top horses help heal America’s wounded Vets (US)
2009 October 20
by tuesdayshorse
Injured Soldiers Attend Weekly Riding Sessions
For more than 60 years, members of the Army’s Caisson Platoon and their horses have escorted America’s fallen to their final resting places in Arlington National Cemetery…with honor and pride.
The Caisson Platoon is part of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, the nation’s oldest active infantry regiment and the Army’s “premiere ceremonial unit.”
And now, this “old guard” is taking on a new role by helping to heal America’s wounded veterans with the help of the horses.
Injured soldiers are transported from Walter Reed Army Medical Center each Thursday morning to the platoon’s base in Fort Myer, Va., for weekly horse riding sessions.
Some soldiers are just learning to walk again; others are on prosthetics.
For them, the riding has proven to be therapeutic and shown dramatic results , according to the program’s directors.
“The horses have done magic for them,” Mary Jo Beckman, co-founder of Caisson Platoon Equine Assisted Programs, told ABC News’ Bob Woodruff. “They tell me they look forward to Thursday morning… this is what makes life bearable for them,” Beckman said.
go here for more
Injured Soldiers Attend Weekly Riding Sessions
2009 October 20
by tuesdayshorse
Injured Soldiers Attend Weekly Riding Sessions
For more than 60 years, members of the Army’s Caisson Platoon and their horses have escorted America’s fallen to their final resting places in Arlington National Cemetery…with honor and pride.
The Caisson Platoon is part of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, the nation’s oldest active infantry regiment and the Army’s “premiere ceremonial unit.”
And now, this “old guard” is taking on a new role by helping to heal America’s wounded veterans with the help of the horses.
Injured soldiers are transported from Walter Reed Army Medical Center each Thursday morning to the platoon’s base in Fort Myer, Va., for weekly horse riding sessions.
Some soldiers are just learning to walk again; others are on prosthetics.
For them, the riding has proven to be therapeutic and shown dramatic results , according to the program’s directors.
“The horses have done magic for them,” Mary Jo Beckman, co-founder of Caisson Platoon Equine Assisted Programs, told ABC News’ Bob Woodruff. “They tell me they look forward to Thursday morning… this is what makes life bearable for them,” Beckman said.
go here for more
Injured Soldiers Attend Weekly Riding Sessions
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Veterans Groups using horse sense
NWS Vail Veterans Program 1 DT 7-31-09 Dominique Taylor/dtaylor@vaildaily.com Army specialist Keith Maul, center, gets a hand getting off his horse from volunteer Cricket McLaren, during the Vail Veterans' summer program Friday at Yarmony Creek Lodge along the Colorado River Road. Miller, who lost his leg and his arm while serving in Iraq in Feburary, was enjoying getting back on a horse after his own horse bucked him off a few weeks ago.
Vail vets: ‘Best treatment out there'
Vail program take 14 injured vets fishing, horseback riding, rafting and camping
Lauren Glendenning
lglendenning@vaildaily.com
Vail, CO Colorado
VAIL, Colorado — Less than six months ago Keith Maul had two arms and two legs — now he's learning to get around with a prosthetic right arm and right leg after a grenade exploded on top of his vehicle near Baghdad.
You'd never know it happened so recently — Maul is moving around almost effortlessly and his attitude is positive.
“I just try to be happy and cheerful around everybody,” he said.
Maul is one of 14 of veterans in town for the Vail Veteran's Program. Different groups of injured soldiers come to Vail in both the winters and the summers to get active and realize their injuries can't stop them from doing whatever they want to accomplish, said Cheryl Jensen, the program's founder.
read more here
http://www.vaildaily.com/article/20090731/NEWS/907319946/1078&ParentProfile=1062
These programs are wonderful and Florida has our own program taking care of wounded veterans
Welcome and Thank you for Visiting SouthFloridaVets.org
The South Florida Veterans Multi-Purpose Center (VMPC), is unique. It was started by Veterans in 1989 out of a single desire to help and benefit all Veterans and their families in South Florida.
Since the granting of its IRS 501(c)(3) Tax Exempt status in 1991, the Center has been involved in a broad base of Veteran services. The Center works closely with the VA and other government agencies as well as the public and private sectors to provide quality services and benefits to Veterans throughout Florida.
We are proud that we are the only Veterans organization in South Florida with an IRS 501(c)(3) status that:
Provides professional referral and outreach services to Veterans utilizing public, private, and government organizations.
Owns and operates a Mobile Veterans Center that travels throughout the state and participates in community based Veterans' events.
Funds food programs for Indigent Veterans and their families.
Partnerships with other non-profits for the sole purpose of providing transitional housing for homeless veterans.
Provides a substance abuse and recovery program for Veterans.
Doesn't have special eligibility requirements for veterans to receive services.
Our position is to work towards making a change in the life of veterans who have suffered from the trauma of war or any other duty-related issue. Our goal is to provide veterans of all ranks, backgrounds, and socioeconomic statuses with the services they need and deserve.
We recognize that substance abuse and alcoholism is alarmingly prevalent among veterans. For this reason we dedicate a good portion of our programs and projects to those suffering from the trauma of war (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD) and those who may need ongoing counseling and special assistance.
They need donations to keep providing help to our wounded!
On a personal note, last year, when I was about as depressed as I could get, I received an email from Bob offering to help with the work I do. He found my videos on YouTube and thought they would be very helpful. He is a dear, caring man focused on making life better for our wounded veterans. Bob also made a donation to the work I do. This was at a time when the IRS had me so confused I didn't know what the hell I was doing. I know a lot about PTSD but not the rest of this cluster of bureaucratic mess. I asked for a tax exempt number. It took almost a year to figure out what I was told on the phone by the IRS rep was wrong. Working alone, it has been extremely difficult to figure out exactly what I had to do but I'm learning. The IFOC and I set up a Charter for me. While I have the certificate of Charter from the IFOC, I found out there is more needed to be done before I am registered with the IRS. Donations made to me after July 1 will be tax exempt but I'm asking you not to donate to me right now. Please donate to the South Florida Vets instead. (Believe me, I'll be asking for all the help I can get once everything is done with the IRS because I'm flat broke and really tired of going to H and R Block to be told I can't keep taking a loss and still be considered a business.)
People doing this work not only face very stressful and heart tugging times, they also have to face a mountain of paperwork to provide the work they do. I have a greater appreciation of groups like the South Florida Veterans than ever before after understanding what kind of other things they have to go through to provide help to our veterans. Working with veterans is what we have been called to do and it one of the most gratifying pleasures to see their days a little easier. It is also expensive. The South Florida Veterans not only have to pay the usual expenses, they also have to care and feed their horses. Even is you only have little to spare to donate, please do it and support this organization that is helping so many of our veterans.
Thank you for your interest in donation to the South Florida MPC. Please make a donation using any of the following methods:
Mail us your donations:
South Florida Veterans Multi-Purpose Center
4311 SW 63rd Avenue
Davie, FL 33314
Phone: 954-791-8603
They also have a PayPal button on site.
Our Director: Mr. Robert Bambury
Veterans Affairs Field Services Representative
Mr. Bambury is the Executive Director of the Center and is accredited by the Department of Veterans Affairs. He is assigned responsibilities involving the coordination of benefits and other related services for eligible veterans and their dependents and as legal representative/Power of Attorney on their behalf before U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (USDVA) federal boards. Serves as an advocate for veterans in order to maximize services and benefits for eligible veterans and their families in a designated geographical area. Serves as a liaison to other federal and state agencies in matters related to veterans services and benefits. Interviews veterans and families assessing their needs and eligibility as related to receipt of state and federal benefits in the areas of medical treatment, disability compensation, insurance, pension, debt management, education, training, rehabilitation and housing placement.
Performs case management duties throughout the processes of assessment, researching information, compiling reports, filing claims, formulating appeals, and obtaining benefits; interprets laws, rules, regulations and procedures and provides assistance in the completion of required forms; counsels and assists clients in utilization of appropriate resources, identifies deficiencies and develops a strategy to initiate actions necessary to obtain maximum benefits; advises clients of documentation required to support benefit claims; and makes referrals to other agencies and resources.
Reviews rating board decisions insuring compliance with Title 38 U.S. Code of Federal Regulations; determines if appeal is warranted; initiates the appeal process by preparing a written brief outlining the basis of disagreement; and obtain client's Power of Attorney to utilize as necessary.
Prepares financial statements and interprets the correlation of Social Security, military retirement, other income and net worth affecting USDVA pension and compensation; assists clients in dealing with USDVA Debt Management Agency; prepares financial reports to support client's request for waiver, postponement, compromise offers, or repayment plan for benefit overpayments.
Independently reviews client USDVA files, evaluates evidence including veterans' service and post-service medical records, as well as service histories; researches laws, regulations, policies and case law/precedent decisions from USDVA Board of Veterans Appeals and US Court of Veterans Appeals to prepare for hearings; and writes appellant briefs on issues that were previously adjudicated at a lower level.
Acts as claimant's legal representative during informal hearings before USDVA decision review officers, formal hearings before USDVA administrative hearing officers and Board of Veterans Appeals administrative law judges; presents oral arguments during hearings; obtains sworn testimony during formal hearings through a series of questions that are supportive of the issues on appeal.
By Direction of the Board 2008
Monday, June 22, 2009
Maryland Therapeutic Riding needs money, horses and volunteers
Tough soldiers find gentle care at riding center
Annapolis Capital - Annapolis,MD,USA
Maryland Therapeutic Riding needs money, horses and volunteers
By EARL KELLY, Staff Writer
Published 06/21/09
A disabled soldier, back from fighting in Iraq, leaned forward and rubbed the small gray mare's neck. He whispered to the horse, as if confiding in a girlfriend.
Across the arena, another injured warrior, a larger man, was leaning back in his saddle and actually appeared to be dozing off as the gelding named Dakota walked along gently in the arena at Maryland Therapeutic Riding in Crownsville.
"Talk about being in the moment - when you are up there, everything else is blocked out, everything else goes away," the group's founder, Naomi Parry, said as she looked out over the riding area.
Tears came to Parry's eyes on one occasion as one of the disabled riders leaned forward and put his arms around the horse's neck.
"That's enough to make you cry," she said.
A week later, on the following Wednesday, these soldiers were back at MTR, ready for more riding therapy.
The soldiers were from Fort George G. Meade's Warrior Transition Unit, an outfit consisting of about 145 soldiers, half of whom were injured fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.
click link for more
Annapolis Capital - Annapolis,MD,USA
Maryland Therapeutic Riding needs money, horses and volunteers
By EARL KELLY, Staff Writer
Published 06/21/09
A disabled soldier, back from fighting in Iraq, leaned forward and rubbed the small gray mare's neck. He whispered to the horse, as if confiding in a girlfriend.
Across the arena, another injured warrior, a larger man, was leaning back in his saddle and actually appeared to be dozing off as the gelding named Dakota walked along gently in the arena at Maryland Therapeutic Riding in Crownsville.
"Talk about being in the moment - when you are up there, everything else is blocked out, everything else goes away," the group's founder, Naomi Parry, said as she looked out over the riding area.
Tears came to Parry's eyes on one occasion as one of the disabled riders leaned forward and put his arms around the horse's neck.
"That's enough to make you cry," she said.
A week later, on the following Wednesday, these soldiers were back at MTR, ready for more riding therapy.
The soldiers were from Fort George G. Meade's Warrior Transition Unit, an outfit consisting of about 145 soldiers, half of whom were injured fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.
click link for more
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Horses help returning soldiers
Horses help returning soldiers
RYN GARGULINSKI
Tucson Citizen
Soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are finding horses can be a man's best friend.
A group of horses called The Warriors in Transition Unit are helping soldiers with their return to their home turf.
For soldiers coming back from Afghanistan or Iraq, the transition back into society can be a tough one.
As strange it may sound, horses are helping them overcome survivor's guilt, battlefield nightmares and the transition back into society.
go here for more
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/ss/fromcomments/116768.php
RYN GARGULINSKI
Tucson Citizen
Soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are finding horses can be a man's best friend.
A group of horses called The Warriors in Transition Unit are helping soldiers with their return to their home turf.
For soldiers coming back from Afghanistan or Iraq, the transition back into society can be a tough one.
As strange it may sound, horses are helping them overcome survivor's guilt, battlefield nightmares and the transition back into society.
go here for more
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/ss/fromcomments/116768.php
Monday, August 11, 2008
War-torn Troops Soothed by Horses’ Spirit
War-torn Troops Soothed by Horses’ Spirit
By Emily Oz
August 8, 2008
MIAMI -- The science of the human-animal bond is proving very effective in a new arena: on the home front of a new war. Returning veterans are finding help, as well as healing in therapy that involves a saddle and a set of reins.
"It feels pretty good. I feel tall," said U.S. Marine Gene Calonge, who recently returned from his deployment.
Learning to ride again is strengthening the bodies and minds of young vets here at the South Florida Veterans Multi-Purpose Center in Davie, Fla.
The last time Calonge mounted a horse, was his service with the Marine Corps. This time around it's Sam, a 4-year-old Arabian, giving him a much-needed boost.
"It's different bonding with an animal, you feel like you're not going to be judged so much about anything so ... you and him just have a good time,” said Calonge.
A crowd of people recently gathered to celebrate the grand opening of a new facility. It's got all the features needed to accommodate a growing Equine Therapy Program that started one year ago. Professional horse trainers and mental health experts work with the Veterans, using a very powerful tool: the love and respect of a horse.
"A horse is a prey animal,' said Bob Bambury, the executive director of the South Florida Veterans Multi-Purpose Center. “So it's used to being attacked by predators. So it has a ‘stand-offish’ effect. You're going to have to bond with that horse before you're going to develop any kind of relationship.”
go here for more
http://www.zootoo.com/petnews/wartorntroopssoothedbyhorsessp
You can view the video on the top of the side bar.
By Emily Oz
August 8, 2008
MIAMI -- The science of the human-animal bond is proving very effective in a new arena: on the home front of a new war. Returning veterans are finding help, as well as healing in therapy that involves a saddle and a set of reins.
"It feels pretty good. I feel tall," said U.S. Marine Gene Calonge, who recently returned from his deployment.
Learning to ride again is strengthening the bodies and minds of young vets here at the South Florida Veterans Multi-Purpose Center in Davie, Fla.
The last time Calonge mounted a horse, was his service with the Marine Corps. This time around it's Sam, a 4-year-old Arabian, giving him a much-needed boost.
"It's different bonding with an animal, you feel like you're not going to be judged so much about anything so ... you and him just have a good time,” said Calonge.
A crowd of people recently gathered to celebrate the grand opening of a new facility. It's got all the features needed to accommodate a growing Equine Therapy Program that started one year ago. Professional horse trainers and mental health experts work with the Veterans, using a very powerful tool: the love and respect of a horse.
"A horse is a prey animal,' said Bob Bambury, the executive director of the South Florida Veterans Multi-Purpose Center. “So it's used to being attacked by predators. So it has a ‘stand-offish’ effect. You're going to have to bond with that horse before you're going to develop any kind of relationship.”
go here for more
http://www.zootoo.com/petnews/wartorntroopssoothedbyhorsessp
You can view the video on the top of the side bar.
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