Horses
and Heroes
By
Theresa
Chaze
The
planes and ships brought me back, but my soul was left behind.
No
words could cure.
No
arms could comfort.
No
loved one could help me heal.
Who
I was had splintered away.
I
was a memory almost forgotten.
I
walked from hell looking home, but I couldn't find the way.
No
way back.
No
way forward.
I
was lost in the land of despair.
They
wanted me to be who I was.
That
person didn't live anymore
Across
the field not far away, stood one who saw my wounds.
She
did not speak.
She
needed no words.
Yet
she comforted my wounded soul.
She
helped me see past the fear and the pain.
I
found the path that led me home.
It
has been known by many names. During the Civil War, it was called
“Soldier's Heart”. During World War II they called it "Shell
Shock". It has also been called "Combat Fatigue".
The current label is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PSTD.
In
the past, it was down played. Sufferers were told to man up. They
were medicated, but instead of healing the medication turned them
into zombies. Many have tried Talk
Therapy. Results were limited Most
military personnel thought that only one who had lived through the
experience could possibly understand the emotional and physically
toil of war. Buddy therapy is an effective, but it is also limited
by the number of veterans available.
Animal
Assisted Therapy has been extremely effective for those who are
physical and emotional challenged. It has become more widely used
in cases of PTSD, especially in cases of veterans. Although almost
any animal can be a healer, dogs and horses are the ones most
commonly partnered with veterans. Dogs have the advantage
of being accepted in both cities and rural areas. However, horses
are known to better reflect the mood of the person handling them.
This ability is helpful for the PSTD patient to learn how to
recognize their own feelings. In this way, they learn how to retrain
their mind and body reacts to stressers.
A
semi-scripted documentary Horses and Heroes has
hired a personable host, who has a diverse
military background as well as
experience working with horses. She will be
chatting with the staff of Charity Hills
Ranch and with some of
the veterans as they share their personal stories.
The Host:
Barbara (Bobby)
Kilgore enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1980. Serving 6
years she received her Honorable discharge in 1985. She attended
Brevard Community College graduating in 1989 with her
Associate of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice. She attended the
University of Central Florida graduating
in 1991 with her Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice. She is
a member of Phi Theta Kappa
Honor Society and Golden Key Honor Society
Bobby Kilgore
enlisted in the United States Army in 1995. Her assignments include
Appropriated
Funds Clerk Aberdeen
Proving Ground, Maryland, Battalion Chaplain Assistant 1/6 Calvary
Camp
Eagle, Korea, Chapel
Non Commissioned Officer in Charge (NCOIC) and Non Appropriated Funds
Clerk Fort Hamilton,
Brooklyn, New York, Chapel NCOIC Argonne Hills Chapel Fort Meade
Maryland, Chapel
NCOIC Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, Brigade Chaplain Assistant NCOIC,
10th
Combat Aviation
Brigade Fort Drum New York, and is Battalion Chaplain Assistant 63D
OD
Battalion (EOD)
Fort Drum New York. She has deployed in support of OEF VII and OIF
VII.
SSG Kilgore’s Last
assignment: 75th Field Artillery Brigade Chaplain Assistant NCOIC,
and NCOIC.Main Post Chapel
Fort Sill Oklahoma. Bobby Kilgore retired from the United States
Army 31 October 2011
Her Awards include 5
Army Commendation Medals,4 Army Achievement Medals, National Defense
Service Medal Bronze Device, Korea Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan
Campaign Medal C, Iraq Campaign Medal CS, Military outstanding
Volunteer Service Medal and the NATO Medal. Bobby Kilgore has been
requested on numerous occasions by high ranking officers to be the
narrator for Change of Command Ceremonies and Welcome Home
Ceremonies’ for units returning from overseas. She has been a
cantor for chapel services and has sung in the Bagram Afghanistan
Chapel’s Barbershop choral. She played th e piano and organ for the
10th Mountain Division Chaplain’s Change of Stole Ceremony in 2009.
Charity
Hill Ranch
Founded
in 2001, Charity Hill Ranch specializes in
Traumatic Brain injury and Rehabilitation utilizing all the assets a
farm and horse have to offer. Christine O'Connell is a PATH
International Certified Instructor of 10 Years, and specializes in
TBI as well as a Certified Brain Injury Specialist. Sarah Wilson is
a Mental Health Specialist with Degree in Psychology and Education.
She offers Tutoring and program planning at the ranch.
The
horses utilized in the programs on the ranch are mostly retired show
horses with skills and training that surpass your average horse, and
have hearts the size of Texas!
Mid-Michigan
Equestrian Center, Inc, which is located at Charity Hill Ranch, is a
non-profit 501(c) (3) corporation which believes that riding and
caring for horses profoundly affects the lives of people with
disabilities and enables them to live a more fulfilling and complete
life. Their mission is to provide programs and services where “Love
in Action” enables individual growth and achievement for people who
have special needs, through an extraordinary partnership with horses
and staff. Carefully trained and certified Instructors work with
clients to take advantage of every healing minute at the Ranch.
At-risk children develop healthy trust and relationships. Those with
disabilities learn responsibility, develop communication skills and
use this therapy as a way to create life-long passions.
Charity
Hill Ranch is a proud Member of Professional Association of
Therapeutic Horsemanship International. It
is also e a member of Horses for Heroes Inc. Based in Las Vegas and
founded in 2006, their mission is to make horseback riding affordable
for, and accessible to, active duty servicemen and women, veterans,
First Responders, and their families.
Horses
and Heroes will create a greater awareness
of Animal Assisted Therapy for civilians, military
personnel, veterans, and their families. The goal is to create an
understanding of how and why the therapy works, thereby giving those
suffering from PTSD another therapeutic option.
In these challenging times, not everyone will be able to donate.
But there are still ways you will be able to help us make this amazing
project a reality. You can share our information with your friends,
family, and on your social networking sites. If you know of someone who
has the means to help us, please send them our campaign with your
endorsement. Every little bit helps.
We are not offering
any perks for the donations. Offering perks would force us to raise the
extra funds to pay for them. We want to be able to use all the funds
raised for development. We are also asking that you go to
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/horses-and-heroes/x/94403 to donate what you can and share our information with your friends, family and on you social networking sites.
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