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Mission Mustang: healing veterans & wild horses
At the Equicenter in Honeoye, New York, trainers and volunteers have created a variety of programs that all hinge on the fact that veterans deserve to heal in ways that work for them as individuals.
As the saying goes: you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.
But what is there to say about leading itself? Prior to any drinking, when there is only the language of contact, what then?
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One of the most notable programs hosted at Equicenter is called, “Mission Mustang.”
Mission Mustang is a series of treatment classes that pairs veterans who have Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS), and other sorts of wounds, with captive mustangs who are experiencing similar feelings of anxiety and loss. The end goal is for participants to be better suited for civilian life and for the horses to be more equipped for living in captivity.
Evidence of success
Commenting on his own success within the program, retired Airman Mike Whybra said, “You will be surprised what standing next to a horse, walking with a horse, the simplicity of working with a horse could do for your mental state; it changed mine, and I couldn’t be more thankful.”
Like Whybra, many other vets have sought Equicenter’s various veteran-centered programs as an option for treating pains that were acquired during their military service.
Aside from Mission Mustang, Equicenter also offers therapeutic horticulture classes, cooking classes, and beekeeping courses, all of which cater to the needs of veterans struggling post-service.
According to Equicenter’s own summary of Mission Mustang, the growth that coincides with the program stems from the process of soothing the wild horses. By gentling them, veterans are able to achieve the same inner calm as the mustangs, and, in turn, develop their lives according to that newfound peace.
The program has already helped multiple veterans and Mustangs to become content with their situation. This ensures that the pairs will be able to grow further and be ready for anything in the future.
To read more about Mission Mustang, or any of Equicenter’s other veterans programs, click here.
