Spirit Horses provides services to veterans and their families at no cost to the Veteran.

Spirit Horses focuses its work on providing specialized horsemanship integration services, using horses to address the various stress related disruptions in their recovery journey. The program was created to reduce the stigma attached to any mental health concerns a veteran may have, particularly combat veterans. Spirit Horses’ program is designed to create a beneficial relationship between the veteran and a horse. The experience causes the veteran to be present in the moment, forcing the veteran to stop worrying about what happened yesterday or what might happen tomorrow. The resulting effect lasts for several days, sometimes weeks and enhances any traditional mental health therapies with which the veteran is involved.

The saga of B.W.

He came to Spirit Horses from Hawaii. He was a Marine who did a few tours in the middle-east during one of the Gulf Wars. His PTSD was so severe he lived in Honolulu Bay on a boat and did not speak to another human for at least a year. He came to the Wild Spirit Ranch allegedly to help with a youth program, but in reality, he wanted to learn about the horse program.

The first night in Montana, B.W. and I went to the corral to work with two horses. We worked for about an hour, then went to the house. The kids were playing a game on the floor, and B.W. joined them. He rolled around on the floor with the kids, laughing gleefully. The leader/teacher for the kids later mentioned she had never heard him laugh out loud before then. The next day the group left for a 10 day trip through the Blackfeet Reservation and on to Glacier National Park.

On their return to the Wild Spirit Ranch ranch, B.W. and I again went to the corral where I had him work with one horse, but no rope, no halter, no aids of any kind. After returning to the house, I went to bed, but B.W. kept the group leader/teacher awake for several hours into the early morning relaying his life story. It was the most words he had put together in a very long time.

The next day the group went for another 10 day trip, going to Yellowstone National Park and various points nearby. The morning after their return to the ranch, B.W. and I went to the corral. On this day, I decided to see about putting him on a horse. There is significant research indicating horseback riding has successfully treated TBIs (traumatic brain injuries, often the result of IED explosions). Apparently the rhythmic movement of the horse helps to rewire the brain. I put B.W. on a lovely American Saddlebred mare and I rode my little reservation mare. We rode around in the corral for about 40 minutes. I eventually sent B.W. to the house while I put the tack away. Upon arriving at the house, I was told B.W. came to the house and began crying, sobbing. He said he finally understood his pain.

Since those fateful days of working with him, B.W. sailed halfway around the world on a 35-foot sailboat and the other crew members couldn’t shut him up! He has successfully completed college, is married, and has a child. He smiles a lot, too. The specialized horsemanship integration program works. Spirit Horses helped this young soldier move through his PTSD to a successful and fulfilling life.