They also learn how to care for and handle the horses, although no riding is included, she said. In this case, the fronts of the stalls needed to be stained and participants spent an hour or two a day on that, Parker said. Part of the agreement with the facility owners is for the vets to do a project the owner needs. “Each activity they do is different,” she said of the three-day program held at the stable owned by John and Francine Knop in Hambden Township.Ĭommunication and problem-solving are just two of the skills she hopes to instill in fellow vets during the programs she organizes across the U.S. The lesson in communication and the success it can achieve was just one of many designed to help veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder to build skills for dealing with their issues, said OHH founder Susan Parker. Given the assignment to have the participants keep the horses out of the bag, one veteran directed the rest of the group to set up a perimeter and hold out their arms to shoo the horses away from the area.Īfter assessing the situation, the horses went to the gate, looking to go back to their stalls or paddocks. When the therapist gave a few general directions in a scattered fashion, the group was unable to understand, much less follow the orders. Gathered around the bag were a handful of military veterans and two equine psychotherapists, holding another session in the Operation Horses and Heroes program. The two 1,000-pound bays reared a bit and trotted around while the miniature horse watched the show. 23, trying to decide how to get to the open bag of grain in the middle. Three horses milled around the Hambden Hills indoor arena Sept.
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