Noteboom The Law Firm

Matching Veterans with Horses for Therapy

April 15, 2010 - The Horses for Heroes program is a recent therapy program run in conjunction with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the White River Junction, Vermont VA center, and the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association to help veterans (NARHA) stables. The Horses for Heroes program was developed by the NARHA in 2007.

The NARHA has been using equine-based physical therapies for the last 40 years to assist disabled people. The Horses for Heroes program, however, is particularly customized to serve the needs of military veterans; it is much different getting a World War II veteran in the saddle than getting a standard rider into a saddle.

Conventional horse therapy programs do not include the complex infrastructure required to accommodate multiple sized riders required in the Horses for Heroes program.

The program helps veterans both physically and mentally. The therapeutic riding program at Water Tower Farm, 1 of 4 farms participating in the Horses for Heroes program, consists of at least 8 sessions. The entire process is very smooth and there is no way a rider will be left without assistance before being ready to "go solo."

Beyond the riding itself, there is a camaraderie that develops when veterans help veterans. One of the volunteers is a Vietnam Veteran who, before going through the program, had no experience with horses. Now he is a regular volunteer so that he may help other veterans as he was helped.  The Horses for Heroes program is a very low impact yet beneficial therapy program. It is still in its infancy, but there is much room to grow.