Horses and Veterans: Coming Together for Good

Horses and veterans...When it comes to dealing with the wounds from PTSD and war, there is no one single solution that fixes everything. Through all the years we've been out of the service, dealing with our own demons and watching others go through the struggle, we've recognized the need for a wide variety of tools in the toolbox per se. There is no solution that works one hundred percent of the time for everyone. So what have we done? We've researched and we've found ways to cope.For some, they write, others like Ryan Jensen paint, some use fitness...and yet others find their peace while working with horses. You read that correctly, horses. While dogs have long been recognized as mans best friend, horses certainly give them a run for their money. Like dogs, horses have been side by side with mankind for centuries. Whether going to war, daily transport or the numerous other roles horses have filled throughout history, horses have been side by side with mankind as faithful companions.It should, therefore, be no surprise that in a study performed by Baylor University, that veterans who participated in the equine therapy greatly reduced the negative symptoms of PTSD by a large margin. At Back in the Saddle - Equine Services for Heroes in North Carolina, veterans get the opportunity to do just that. Participate in equine therapy and greatly reduce the symptoms of their PTSD through a method backed by solid research.

As we struggle to combat the number of veterans who commit suicide, having another opportunity to give them healing is something we can all get on board with. Having something to care about and to pour yourself into that you know is bigger than you...that is where the healing happens.We're not quite sure what it is about animals that allows them to understand, recognize or empathize with our pain, we guess it's just one of those weird mysteries of life. A mystery that we're extremely grateful fur (see what we did there, it's a pun).For more information contactJessica Streamojessica@backinthesaddle-es4h.orgwww.facebook.com/BackintheSaddleES4H/