It’s another day at war, another day of fighting off ruthless insurgent attacks in the name of your country. You get up, clean your weapon, and prepare for patrol. You spend all day walking through the blazing deserts, shooting at threats and getting shot at.
At the end of your watch, you return to base, clean your weapons, and sit through more briefings so you can get up and do it all over again the next day.
After 12 to 16 months of fighting, you’re sent home. But instead of feeling closure and solace, you feel only fear and disconnection with this calmer way of life. After spending the last year or more of your life trapped in a bloodier, more gruesome version of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, you’re suddenly expected to be civilized and act like nothing ever changed. And on top of everything else you’ve endured, you’re diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
In an article printed last November, the Sun cited reports from the RAND Corporation stating that close to 30 percent of veterans returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan show symptoms of PTSD. Additionally, reports from the United States Department of Veteran Affairs revealed that about 18 veterans commit suicide every day.
Perhaps because of these disturbing and devastating statistics, more non-traditional treatments for PTSD are now being explored.
One of these newer treatments is equine-assisted therapy.
Earlier this month, Monty Roberts, the famed “horse whisperer” and best-selling author, once again invited veterans to his ranch, Flag Is Up Farms in Solvang, for three days of healing through forging bonds with horses.
Roberts, a resilient man and a cowboy through-and-through, is no stranger to PTSD and violence as a means to an end. Roberts said he grew up in an abusive home and can remember many nights when he would seek refuge in the family barn.
“I used to hide and sleep with my horse, Ginger,” he said.
Roberts discovered there was something very therapeutic about working with horses, and the animals could be trained (or broken) in a more gentle way. Those realizations led to a program called Join Up, a method of communicating with horses by using body language signals that mimic the species’ own language. The technique requires no whips or physical aggression. It’s about forming a bond of trust rather than demanding subservience. Over the years, Roberts has used Join Up to help women, children, and even prisoners.
Now he’s set his sights on helping veterans suffering from PTSD and other conditions. Although Roberts never donned a military uniform, he understands the needs of these veterans.
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“Vets are taught to be killers and then they are supposed to come back and be civilized. It’s very hard,” Roberts said.
Roberts held a Join Up seminar July 8 through 10 for veterans of all ages at his picturesque ranch in Solvang. Veterans spent some time in the Monty Roberts International Learning Center, where they learned about Roberts, traditional breaking methods, and the Join Up technique.
The first day of the seminar, Roberts gave a demonstration using the Join Up technique. Veterans and ranch hands gathered around the enclosed training ring where they watched Roberts work with Gladiator.
The horse, who was recently purchased from Montana and who has been ridden minimally, accepted a saddle and rider in about 30 minutes.
After completing five revolutions in the ring, the horse gradually circled closer to Roberts.
According to Roberts, this gradual closing of distance between man and horse means that the horse wants to be closer to you. When the horse comes to a stop and bows his head, it means he trusts you and is willing to let you lead.
So, how does this work for war veterans with PTSD?
By using Join Up, veterans learn to use language as a means of communication, rather than aggression and violence. They learn to meet their own emotional needs, as well as the needs of their loved ones.
Retired U.S. Air Force Staff Sergeant Alicia Watkins first learned about equine therapy on a documentary called Women at War. When she heard about the seminar that Roberts was holding, she made plans to travel all the way from Washington, D.C., to attend.
Watkins was discharged from the Air Force after sustaining multiple traumatic injuries while doing tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. She also suffers from PTSD.
Watkins, who is treating her PTSD with a more holistic approach, decided to give equine therapy a shot.
“I don’t want to go through the traditional treatments. There is no difference,” she said, adding that she liked Join Up because it’s interactive and not the kind of therapy where you sit around and tell your story to a group.
“[Roberts] creates a peaceful, safe atmosphere where you want to put your guard down and open up. It was over too soon. I don’t want to go home,” Watkins said. “More people who are suffering from PTSD need to know about this program.”
The farm plans to continue offering Equine therapy to veterans and to extend the program to civilians.
For more information, visit montyroberts.com.
Contact Intern Kristina Sewell at intern@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Jul 14-21, 2011.
