Horses Help Veteran with Sexual Trauma

One of our veterans is working on healing from military sexual trauma. H3 horses are used so she can start regaining the feeling of controlling her life. While the act itself is over, the lingering effects have been crippling.

To handle a 1000 pound animal can be quite intimidating and it takes a lot of courage to do this. By walking into a stall and being up close and personal with that horse, she has to reach inside of herself and find the courage to do this. This action alone starts the healing process.

Also, when stressed, she froze and didn't know what to do. She was caught like a deer caught in the headlights. She worked with the horses in the smaller, more confined space, asking them to go in and out of stalls, and pairing them up in a way that was suitable to her. There was always a way of escape if she needed it.

Through repeated exercises like this, her anxiety levels are down and she has the ability to handle more stressful situations. She can think, talk, and be able to explain to someone what she needs, instead of just crying. Through the horses, she is learning to live in the now, and not let the past control her.