MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WTVF) — As conversations about PTSD and veterans evolve, one group tells us a certain form of therapy has truly changed their lives. They've just had a chance for a public showcase.
This is just how it is. You're going to need a peppermint, maybe a few peppermints, if you're spending time with horse Owen.
"Look at him!" laughed a veteran, feeding Owen a peppermint. "He's licking on my finger! It's gone, Owen!"
Will work for peppermints. Those are the rules for Owen. Nobody knows the rules better than the man with the green beard.
"Ha! Dyed it for St. Patrick's Day," smiled Wade Hinson.
Long before he was keeping his pockets packed with peppermints, Wade entered the Army in 1999.
"Did my first deployment in 2003," he said. "Came out of Iraq, not really knowing I had PTSD. Dealt with it on my own for a very long time. Finally figured out that it was me that needed to do the work. Mental health is not something that you have surgery."
It was almost three years ago Wade met Owen.
"He's a big ole boy, but he's one big puppy," Wade said, Owen nudging at him for more peppermints.
"I know you're looking for your treat, aren't you?"
The VA Murfreesboro Veterans Recovery Center has this partnership with MTSU.
"The VA calls it Equine Assisted Services," said recreation therapist Sarah Howard. "With that, we use the horse as an alternative means of therapy."
"When I first came here, I was struggling with a lot of different things," said Wade. "Horses just kinda sense it."
"With a horse, they actually hear your heartbeat up to four feet away," Sarah continued. "The horse knows exactly how they're feeling. They really build that bond and connection."
Learning these skills with Owen was so life changing for Wade, he now mentors other veterans.
"I've actually become a certified peer support with the state of Tennessee," he said. "The barn is a safe place for a lot of us. We can come down and work with the horse, and we can kinda be free. Our mind is kinda released without all the noise from outside."
This was an especially big day. A show was being held featuring the Center of Equine Recovery for Veterans.
"He's looking for that candy!" a veteran said, as Owen nudged Wade's pockets.
"They show love in a very huge way," Wade said. "Once you get to know the horse, and they know you, they get to know your emotions. You just start feeling and seeing how that horse cares for you. It's something you can focus on for the day."
"Sometimes it's a life saving experience with a lot of our veterans," Sarah said. "They're able to find joy in life again which is what we're all about."
For a job well done, well, you know the rules. Owen chomped down on a handful of peppermints.
"I didn't realize equine therapy was going to be what it was," Wade said. "I didn't realize how big equine therapy would be to your mental health recovery."
Do you have a positive, good news story? You can email me at forrest.sanders@newschannel5.com.
I believe there are angels who walk this earth, and without a doubt, Ms. Donna Neal is one of them. She saw the need for foster parents and never looked back. She is a great example of being the change you want to see in the world.
-Carrie Sharp
