Heartwarming

Horses Are Curing Soldiers' Trauma When They Return From War

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Soldiers return from war in a state of trauma, mentally and physically. They go to doctors physiotherapists to heal their bodies. As for their inner wounds - those aren't so easy to heal.Horses have a special healing power in working with disabled children, and there is one organisation that has been expanding that reach to veterans. The Right Path Riding Academyprovides therapeutic riding classes to military veterans. They got the programme up and running thanks to a big donation from the Disabled Veterans National Foundation.

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Source: Animal Rescue Site

Post traumatic stress syndrome can often result in veterans being hesitant to communicate with other people. The Right Path Academy's classes, called Hooves on the Ground, teams up a veteran with a horse and a meaningful relationship starts to blossom.

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Source: Right Path Riding Academy

Horses can sense when humans feel vulnerable or scared, and in this case they communicate better with each other. The Animal Rescue Site explains:

The anxious, vigilant soldier who constantly expects enemy attack shares that heightened sense of awareness with the horse, a prey animal, always on the lookout for predators.
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Source: Animal Rescue Site

In fact, horses are such amazing creatures that they can detect a human heartbeat from 4 feet away and synchronise their own heartbeat to match. A relationship between a horse and its rider is one of mutual dependance and trust. It's a beautiful way for veterans to regain their normal rhythm, and the Animal Rescue Site says:

Army veterans can feel alienated and emotionally distressed on return from combat and find it hard to communicate with their fellow beings. The healing powers of the silent, loyal horse can help to restore their faith in the world by offering comfort and companionship.
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Source: Right Path Riding Academy

H/t: The Animal Rescue Site