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Veterans work with horses at Spring Reins of Life in Franklin Township, Warren County, to ease problems such as post traumatic stress disorder.
(COURTESY PHOTO)
By AMY HERZOG
For The Express-Times
Straw knows trauma.
The horse suffered what should have been life-ending injuries several years ago, breaking two legs and her neck. She has recovered, although one leg is shorter than the other and deformed, and two of her vertebrae are fused.
Veterans brush Straw, a horse that works with service members at Spring Reins of Life in Franklin Township, Warren County.
The horse's experience is not unlike the post-traumatic stress disorder suffered by the military veterans with whom the animal works.
And through her work in equine assisted psychotherapy, Straw demonstrates that just because you may feel broken, you don't have to live broken, said program founder Christianna Capra. Working as partners, horse and man learn to trust one another, she said.
The nonprofit Spring Reins of Life uses Straw and three other horses to provide equine therapy at a farm off Whites Road in Franklin Township, Warren County. Capra has run the program since its founding in 2011 and serves veterans, at-risk youths and children in bereavement.
Capra said this form of therapy provides an option for veterans for whom traditional therapy is not working.
The sessions provide a safe place for veterans to express themselves and explore their emotions without having to put those emotions into words, Capra said. They learn from the horses how to calm themselves, she said.
"Hippotherapy has proven to significantly help participants rebuild self-confidence, communication and trust," said U.S. Army veteran Phil Pesano, a mental health professional with Lakewood Veterans and member of the fundraising group for Spring Reins of Life.
"Trust is one of the major issues PTSD victims experience and a horse's large and somewhat intimidating appearance aids participants in regaining trust as they mutually bond," he added.
During a session, veterans are split into small groups of six or eight who enter the ring with Capra and interact with horses to perform a task. The aim is to promote interaction between the veteran and the horse even if the task is not completed.
Some veterans build an obstacle course, for instance, and then lead the horse through it without the aid of a bridle or lead line. The horse must trust the veteran, and the veteran has to trust the horse to be successful, Capra said.
"I have observed that there is a calming presence that happens during the first session," she said. "It's the first time in a long while these men can take a breath and relax and be present in the moment, open the ability to trust the horse or have the horse trust them to work with them."
"Almost immediately those hesitant and fearful began to trust the horses as they reached out and touched them," Pesano said.
Veterans who participate in the program are not asked to talk about what happened while serving in the military but rather let the interaction between them and the horse do the talking.
Members of the group are asked to give one word about how the session went or what they felt during the therapy. Some of the words heard over and over again are "peace" and "gratitude," Capra said.
There are equine assisted psychotherapy programs similar to Spring Reins all over the country, according to Polly Beste, chairwoman of Equi-Librium, a Bushkill Township equine therapy center that serves riders with cognitive, physical, behavioral or psychological disabilities.
"Horses are very powerful tools for lots of different issues," she said. "It's wonderful that these programs are helping veterans."
Spring Reins of Life is obtaining necessary certifications to be a licensed military service provider and would like to eventually expand to another facility in Hunterdon County.
The facility is currently working with the VA New Jersey Health Care System in Somerset County, and the group hopes to expand into more facilities, provided it can secure more funding.
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For more information about Spring Reins of Life or to make a donation, visit springreinsoflife.org.