The Georgia Equine Rescue League (GERL) is excited to announce a brand-new program that will promote and support therapeutic equine services to our veterans. This program, much like GERL’s other programs, will be part of the Equine Get Well Plan that was written and designed to fix Georgia’s unwanted horse problems. The mission of GERL’s “Horses Heal Veterans” program is to support and promote non-profit equine therapeutic organizations that cater to veterans with PTSD.
The 2019 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Report shows a staggering rise in veteran suicides from fourteen to seventeen per day. Twenty out of one hundred veterans are currently suffering from PTSD. There is a need to help heal visible and invisible wounds and help our heroes adapt their lives back into civilian society.
Rescue horses are exceptional therapy animals for veterans because they share a keen sense of their surroundings for survival. Most also share a history of trauma. Just as soldiers are taught to be aware of their environment at all times for their safety, horses share this hypervigilance as a prey animal. Dependence on the herd for survival makes the horse an expert at relationships. Their authenticity and ability to mirror a human’s behavior can help teach a veteran how they come across to others and to recognize and acknowledge their own emotions. Veterans tend to isolate themselves. The purpose of rehabilitating a rescue horse shows them they are needed and gives them the ability to put their skills to work.
The number of returning veterans suffering from PTSD who could benefit from this type of therapy is staggering. The number of equine therapeutic organizations in Georgia are few, causing a long backlog of veterans who could benefit. For some, they may not have a lot of time. GERL thinks that giving back to our veterans is a worthwhile endeavor and has budgeted monies in 2020 to help support and promote existing and start-up non-profit equine therapeutic organizations that work with veterans. We hope that our members and supporters will join us in this wonderful endeavor!
The Georgia Equine Rescue league Ltd.’s Horses Heal Veterans Grants are available to qualified 501-c3 organizations. Georgia Equine Rescue League Ltd. (GERL) is offering five (5) one-thousand-dollar ($1000.00) grants for veteran equine assisted therapy sessions in 2021. These grants are designed to provide assistance in covering the cost of Equine Assisted Therapy Sessions for veterans.
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Horse Heal Heroes
The Georgia Equine Rescue League (GERL) partnered with Equine Immersion Project (EIP) from New Hampshire, to host a four-day event September 7-10, for our military at Ft. Stewart utilizing the healing power of horses.
Last September my friend, Amy Cox, and I participated in an “equine immersion” event sponsored by EIP at the Ranger Camp in Dahlonega. (See cover story in our July Aug Sept 2022 newsletter found in our archives.) It was a wonderful experience, but this program and what it does for humans, especially those who may be suffering from the stresses of life, really resonated with me during this 4-day event.
The actual purpose of the event was to show the value of the horse stables at Fort Stewart that are in jeopardy of being closed. The stables have never been used for equine assisted therapy or anything similar in the past. We wanted to show the Army the value of such a program, while demonstrating the proof of concept.
Tara Mahoney is the CEO and founder of EIP and who came up with this brilliant way to help our military, their families, and caretakers. Her contacts were the Chaplains of each Division, including WINN Hospital, which is the location of the Soldier Recovery Unit (SRU) for wounded warriors. The invitation was directed to the caretakers at the hospital to participate in the first two days. The second two days were soldiers who would be deploying in September and their spouses. Each day we had 8 to 10 participants and it was our job to make sure that they were comfortable with their horse and having a good time.
We started with breakfast and a short meet and greet under the tent each morning, where the participants gave a short dissertation of their horse experience and reported on how they were feeling. The horse handlers would leave the tent to go get the horses and meet everyone in the arena. Tara often let them pick the horse they wanted to work with. She stood in the middle of the large circle, giving instructions on how to approach, holding the lead line, picking feet, etc.
As horse handlers, we were instructed “not to instruct” (unless it was a matter of safety). Tara insisted that we let them have a day where they do not have someone giving them orders and constant instructions. Accomplishments are so much more meaningful when you figure something out yourself and we could clearly see that happening when we met back at the tent an hour and a half later. Our job was to praise and encourage. The participants who were scared to death to be around horses that morning, were wearing big smiles and spoke with so much more confidence by lunch.
Leading a horse is something that experienced horse people don’t give a second thought about. But for someone who has never had that experience, moving a thousand-pound animal is a big accomplishment. As were all the tasks they were asked to do, including, riding bareback around the round pen a couple of times.
Chris and Bobbie Mosley from Metter, GA, brought their two horses and buggy and provided everyone with an opportunity to experience a ride over the stable property and some even got to drive the team.
After a break for lunch, we were all back out in the arena with the horses saddled. It had been a hot, grueling day and going on a ride was their reward. Big smiles and a more confident participant emerged when we met under the tent for the final time. Tara’s team passed out blank pieces of paper and instructed them not to write their name, but to write about their experience that day. They also had an opportunity to speak to the group about their experience. So many remarks went directly to our hearts, and you could see tears in the eyes of all the volunteers who witnessed the transformation.
We had several people who enjoyed their day so much and really connected with their horse that they asked to come back the next day. Luckily, there was a horse available, and we were able to spend another day sharing our horses and spreading the love. By the last day of our event, people driving by were honking their horns and waving to us. I think that is testimony to the fact that we were successful in making the stables’ existence known to our military. This experience opened a door to something that will follow them forever, in many ways. It was a wonderful lesson about “Me Time” and the importance of that for our well-being.
After everybody left and we had picked up and prepared for the next day, we would all retire to the VRBO that we had rented for GERL and EIP staff. Of course, we were all sharing special moments that we had experienced with this couple or that person that day, and after dinner we gathered and one-by-one, read the notes aloud. We all had tears. It was the moment we all knew that we were over the target and making a difference with the power of God’s most spectacular creature.
We plan to rejoin with EIP in 2024 to sponsor as many as 3 of these types of events for our military. Stay tuned for more updates!
