Wranglers and horses help veterans heal
“One of the first casualties of war is hope,” said Walt Rutherford.
As the combat post-traumatic stress coordinator for Veterans Village of San Diego (VVSD), Rutherford’s seen it all — post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), addiction, homelessness and the accompanying guilt, anger and shame. The negative effect being at war brings to individual lives does not surprise him.
Ramona resident Ellen Kaye Gehrke, Ph.D., is also no longer surprised at the effect of combat on military personnel. But together with VVSD, she believes she has found a unique way to assist the veterans.
“People with PTSD often have high anxiety levels, and my research has shown that horses help lower their anxiety,” she said. “I have nearly 10 years of research on heart rate variability and the positive effect of horses.”
Among the goals of Veterans Village is reducing homelessness among vets by treating addictions and PTSD with traditional and alternative therapies. Using equines is a new venture for VVSD.
Gehrke offered her Rolling Horse Ranch as a test site for the program, dubbed The Heart of Horsemanship.
“Our exercises range from the veterans managing their energy to basic groundwork with the horses,” she said. “It was important that the men knew how to connect to the horses and knew when they were connected.”
After two months of weekly sessions, graduation was held. A group trail ride included the wranglers and three of the veterans.
Calvin is an Army veteran who served in Iraq. Jay is a former rescue diver for the Navy. James is also a Navy veteran who saw combat in Somalia, among other sites. To protect their privacy, only their first names are used.
Neither Calvin nor James had ridden horses before taking part in the program.
The black hat James wore gave his lean frame even more height. Prior to preparing for his ride, Calvin said, “I feel excited, like I’ve really learned something and I’m proud of my progression.”
“I’m so glad I got this opportunity,” said Jay. “I was raised on a beef ranch, and it’s allowed me to reconnect with large animals and with my childhood. It’s also taught me to be more compassionate with the animals.”
“I didn’t really grasp the value of the human/animal bond before,” said James.
He traded his shoes for some western boots, but wouldn’t let go of his sunglasses.
“I do think I’ve changed a little bit,” he said. “My perspective has been changed. I think I’ve been enriched by this experience.“
Rutherford, a Vietnam combat veteran, admitted to being surprised at the ability of horses to reach some of the veterans and “help them remember their best selves.”
In a sense, it took one village to help another, he said. The Veterans Village team included the program participants, Rutherford, and interns David Floyd and Leanne Self.
The wranglers — Ray Spence, Larry Van and K.L. Osborne — are Gehrke’s friends and neighbors. Wrangler Thomas Fagan was in charge of the facilities and keeping the environment safe. Tommy Sparacino, a wrangler from VVSD, worked as facilities assistant.
“The welcome and the fellowship they’ve received here is transformative for them,” said Rutherford. “After a loss of identity and what they’ve been through, it’s a big leap to be greeted with a smile. I’ve been really impressed with the validation both the wranglers and the horses give to the veterans.”
“The most awesome part of the program is that it helps the guys remember who they were before,” said Floyd, also a combat veteran.
“The community we created here is really important,” Gehrke said. “The military has boot camps for those entering, but those leaving are often left on their own to figure things out. We let them know that we really do care.”
Kristina Dores helped coordinate the program.
“Veterans are one of our most in-need groups right now,” she said. “Ellen is a pioneer in researching the heart synchronicity between horses and humans. It’s a joy to be with her while she continues to explore this. I think we will be seeing positive outcomes from her research for a long time to come.”
Gehrke was pleased her research continues to be validated.
“Preliminary results show that the guys that went through this program had a 99.6 percent positive affect,” she said. “This is for every single person. This is a terrific result for any kind of therapy.”
VVSD is run solely on grants and donations. Rutherford hopes to receive funding from private individuals to continue the Ramona program. There is a waiting list for the next round of participants if funding can be secured.
“It costs about $500 to sponsor each person attending the program,” said Gehrke.
Donations should go to Veterans Village of San Diego, earmarked for the Heart of Horsemanship program.
For more information, contact Ellen Gehrke at 760-788-8388 or Ellen@rollinghorse.com