Post-traumatic stress disorder is a debilitating mental condition that impacts the lives of many retired servicemembers. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 11-20 percent of veterans who served in operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom experience PTSD in a given year.
The PTSD Foundation of America noted that nearly 40 percent of those affected by the condition do not seek the help they need. Reaching out to the servicemembers in need of assistance with enhanced therapy methods is important to reducing the impact that PTSD has on the veteran population.
New stress reliever for PTSD
ABC 57 News explained that Tammy Stackhouse opened Magical Meadows Therapeutic Horseback Riding Center in Warsaw, Indiana, to children and adults with special needs seven years ago. She wanted to create a place where people could find themselves through their connection with the horses.
This year was the first time that the ranch was opened to veterans as a sanctuary where they could leave behind their PTSD symptoms. The horses and the natural beauty of the farm help veterans to enjoy the simple aspects of life in order to fully relax. All retired servicemembers can sign up to use the horses free of charge.
"[They] have therapy that helps them recover from their visible and invisible battle wounds that they might have suffered while they have served our country," Stackhouse told ABC 57 News.
The ranch plans to hold a Flag Day celebration on June 14 in honor of the country's veterans.
Vets find companionship in horses
Ted Grubbs, an Army Reserve veteran, has been relying on the horses as therapy. He told ABC 57 News that life after service can be lonely and that the horses have served as companions during difficult times.
"When you get released into civilian world, you lose your battle buddy," he told ABC 57 News. "Your battle buddy is the guy to the left and right of you who you can always count on."
Grubbs was afraid of Sebastian, one of the horses, when he first started the therapy. Riding him made Grubbs extremely uneasy. However, the two are now good friends.
"He's my bud now, I love him to death," he told the news source.
Sebastian has helped Grubbs overcome the negative effects that the war had on him, providing him with a chance to relax and think about other things, a task that can be challenging after returning to civilian life.