126 SIDELINES APRIL 2013
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
By Dani Moritz
For Juan Cruz, being at the barn isn’t about working toward blue
ribbons. It isn’t even always about riding. Instead, it’s about the
peace and tranquility of the barn and, above all else, it’s about the
connection he feels with horses.
A staff sergeant in the Army Reserve, Juan has been in the
service for 23 years and on active duty since 2007. While receiving
medical treatment at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, Georgia, he
began participating in a local Horses For Heroes program called
Equine Outreach.
Despite having little experience with horses outside of pony
rides and riding at his cousin’s farm, Juan took to the horses
immediately. “Just being at the barn was different,” said Juan. “It
was so peaceful.”
And Juan isn’t alone. Through Equine Outreach, located
just north of Atlanta, Leslie Olsen, RN, a PATH (Professional
Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International)
and
EAGALA (Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association)
certifed instructor, helps many heroes with Post-Traumatic Stress
Disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injuries through equine
assisted therapy.
“I’m a former navy wife and my dad was an army offcer so I
have military in my background and I saw a video on PATH... on
how they were starting to use therapeutic riding to help wounded
warriors and I thought that is defnitely what I want to do.”
Equine Outreach focuses on utilizing equine assisted therapies
Atlanta’s “Horses for Heroes”
Helps Wounded Warriors
to bridge the gap between military and civilian life. It also helps
them work through visual impairment and improve their memory.
“I love being around them,” said Leslie. “I love to see how they
respond to horses. You can tell sometimes when they get out of
the car in a dark mood and in about fve to 15 minutes they’re
smiling and it’s a complete transformation.”
The servicemen and women participating in Horses for Heroes
do Hippotherapy on Fridays with Windy Thomas, OT, and
recreational riding on Wednesdays. During the Hippotherapy
sessions, riders complete an obstacle course that mimics driving
on a street. They steer through PVC poles and interact with street
signs to get from point A to point B which particularly helps those
who have trouble driving due to visual issues.
This activity is a favorite of Juan’s since he is the one who sets
the course. “I learned how to set the course for the guys to come
do the course that we do and it’s like my little baby,” Juan said. “I
walk on that course, I put it together myself when we get there in
the mornings and I love it.”
They also enjoy other activities such as barn chores, grazing
the horses, groundwork and even painting the horses. “It is a great
outdoor therapy for us soldiers and vets that are used to outdoors.
Due to the injuries or PTSD conditions, it allows us to be outside
and be out of the hospital and doctors offce environment,” said
Juan.
For one art therapy session, they were asked to unpack their
backpacks and, on one side of the horse, paint what they wanted
to get rid of and, on the other, paint what they wanted to keep.
“Most of them painted things like getting rid of their guns and
the hate; one guy drew a picture of the World Trade Center; one
of the other guys painted love and peace,” said Leslie. “Those are
really powerful sessions.”
But for Juan, he’s just happy to be around the horses. “I love
to take the horses from their stalls back to their grass areas or
just go graze them for a while or bring them back to their stalls.
Sometimes I just like to go groom the horse,” Juan said. “There
Juan sharing a moment with Poppy. In the background is Cindy,
an Equine Outreach volunteer.
All photos by Leslie Olson, unless noted
e
Special Section - Georgia
Nate bonding with Halo.