Equine therapy: Horses help veterans with PTSD
Equine therapy in Oakland.
OAKLAND, Calif. - A horse is a horse, of course, but they can be valuable in fighting Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Tuesday was family day for veterans and their families at Oakland's City Stables.
The point: equine therapy; using horses to help those suffering from PTSD, or those who need anger management.
"We create an environment here with the horses where people can really feel safe and they feel like they're getting support they need," said Melanie Diamond of Diamond Equine Services, an avid horsewoman, healer and activist.
Oakland-born Bobby Johnson is a U.S. Marine Combat veteran, who has PTSD and brought himself and his kids to Oakland Stables. "I'm very withdrawn. So, getting this opportunity to come out here, this is the first day but, I do feel more inclined to engage," said Johnson, whose Marine code name is Reaper Made.
The non-profit Veterans and Equines Together helps many veterans. "Many of our veterans come out to us with symptoms of PTSD and working with the horses, it can really calm their symptoms," said founder Kim MacLean. "They love touch and it can really help calm somebody down and it can make you feel good about yourself," said U.S. Navy veteran Rebecca Carlson.
And, get this. "We'll often time take blood pressures before and after sessions and most of the time the pressure drops 10 points," said MacLean.
In a sense, horses and humans become soul mates. "Most of the horses that you see here are horses that I rescued from various situations and rehabilitated them. So a lot of them coming in here have been traumatized themselves," said Diamond. "We retrain them with love and with that love and connection, that we've established, they become more calm and usable for the program," said Sabrina Lewis, Miss California 2023, and an accomplished competitive horsewoman. Lewis is chief fund-raiser for the Metropolitan Equestrian Preservation Society than manages and is restoring Oakland City Stables. "We welcome any and all donations and volunteers, any sort of support," said Lewis.
Marine Bobby Johnson and his children has a great time. "So, this is a barrier that I've just leaped over in helping me reintegrate myself back into society," said Johnson.
(Photo by Ty ONeil/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
But to get this kind of treatment, the horses have to be treated well and fed well. If you believe in fight PTSD with animals, then you just might want to donate.
If you would like to donate here are the links:
Veterans and Equines Together
https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=R4A234DW5TPVJ
Metropolitan Equestrian Preservation Society
