In California, they're using a unique therapy for military veterans who have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Veterans are being partnered with abused horses - and together they're learning to heal each other.
Frances Read reports from Santa Clarita.
IN: "In a quiet...
OUT: California."
DUR: 2,55"
GEN: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/1116HorsesPTSD-fr-gen.mp3
PKG:
VO1: In a quiet canyon in California, these rescued horses are being lovingly trained - after years of abuse. But these animals are also helping to heal humans. The men and women who've seen the horrors of war.
"I hold out the harness and he sticks his head in there and it's like seeing an old friend every time I go up to the ranch."
VO2: Casey Graber did three tours in Iraq. He was just 19 when he first went to war.
"If you can imagine taking someone who is completely innocent and then exposing them to basically a hell scape that definitely changes you. I do have PTSD and depression and anxiety."
VO3: It's Dave Drulias who set up the programme. He has been working with horses for more than four decades. And has around a dozen veterans working alongside him every year.
"The program is called Because We Can, Because We Care, we started back in 2009. We rescue horses that have been abandoned, beaten, neglected, slaughter bound and when they come to us they have many similar symptoms to PTSD as our American veterans have returning home from combat. And we found that there's an instant link between the veteran and the horse they seem to understand each other right off the get go."
VO4: That's certainly been the case for people like Casey, helping him reintegrate into civilian life.
"When you take that horse and start working with them and he's bucking and trying to bite you and everything and then later on he's the calmest most gentle horse, it goes back to serving that higher purpose and higher cause. When you can actually see something start to heal because what you're doing with them, in a way it heals yourself."
VO5: The programme has no start or end - veterans just encouraged to help as long as they can for as long as they can and the focus is building a relationship with the horse rather than forcing the animal to do something it doesn't want to. Here's Dave Drulias again.
"We've had veterans come up within the first 30 mins and say I've never felt so calm. You will feel the soul of the horse and you're building a relationship based on trust confidence and respect. It's something you can't take or demand you have to earn it they get that - the veterans really understand that concept. The culture out here with our veterans coming home is everyone wants to help the veteran and these young men and women are taught, being in the military, you don't ask for help. So we've taken that off the table we're asking them to help us."
VO6: And so for these veterans this is a chance at a new start - healing together with the horses, both trying to live a normal life once again. I'm Frances Read in Santa Clarita, California.
Veterans are being partnered with abused horses - and together they're learning to heal each other.
Frances Read reports from Santa Clarita.
IN: "In a quiet...
OUT: California."
DUR: 2,55"
GEN: http://www.fsnradionews.com/
PKG:
VO1: In a quiet canyon in California, these rescued horses are being lovingly trained - after years of abuse. But these animals are also helping to heal humans. The men and women who've seen the horrors of war.
"I hold out the harness and he sticks his head in there and it's like seeing an old friend every time I go up to the ranch."
VO2: Casey Graber did three tours in Iraq. He was just 19 when he first went to war.
"If you can imagine taking someone who is completely innocent and then exposing them to basically a hell scape that definitely changes you. I do have PTSD and depression and anxiety."
VO3: It's Dave Drulias who set up the programme. He has been working with horses for more than four decades. And has around a dozen veterans working alongside him every year.
"The program is called Because We Can, Because We Care, we started back in 2009. We rescue horses that have been abandoned, beaten, neglected, slaughter bound and when they come to us they have many similar symptoms to PTSD as our American veterans have returning home from combat. And we found that there's an instant link between the veteran and the horse they seem to understand each other right off the get go."
VO4: That's certainly been the case for people like Casey, helping him reintegrate into civilian life.
"When you take that horse and start working with them and he's bucking and trying to bite you and everything and then later on he's the calmest most gentle horse, it goes back to serving that higher purpose and higher cause. When you can actually see something start to heal because what you're doing with them, in a way it heals yourself."
VO5: The programme has no start or end - veterans just encouraged to help as long as they can for as long as they can and the focus is building a relationship with the horse rather than forcing the animal to do something it doesn't want to. Here's Dave Drulias again.
"We've had veterans come up within the first 30 mins and say I've never felt so calm. You will feel the soul of the horse and you're building a relationship based on trust confidence and respect. It's something you can't take or demand you have to earn it they get that - the veterans really understand that concept. The culture out here with our veterans coming home is everyone wants to help the veteran and these young men and women are taught, being in the military, you don't ask for help. So we've taken that off the table we're asking them to help us."
VO6: And so for these veterans this is a chance at a new start - healing together with the horses, both trying to live a normal life once again. I'm Frances Read in Santa Clarita, California.
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