Healing power of horses: Equine camp offered for veterans and their families in Sandwich
SANDWICH — For the 10th year, military veterans and their families attended a Cape Cod equine camp to benefit from the calming effect of horses organized by the nonprofit group Heroes In Transition.
Families In Transition (FIT) is a one-week summer program at the Alliance Equestrian Center in Sandwich designed for veteran and military families dealing with various issues. They have the chance to relax, connect and experience the healing nature of horses by spending an hour with them each day.
From June 27-Aug. 5, Heroes In Transition (HIT) hosted three, weeklong camps with daily sessions starting in the afternoon. The FIT camp was expanded to three weeks this year to give more families a chance to experience equine therapy.
“Families spend time with themselves, with other families and with the horses. It takes away the stress and trauma for most veteran and military personnel,” HIT Executive Director Nicole Spencer said. “Several families come back every year to participate. For some, it is the first time, for some it is the second time joining, and some families even come back three years in a row.”
Camp for veterans and their families
HIT, a Mashpee-based nonprofit group, helps veterans, retired or active, deployed around the nation and the globe through several services such as financial assistance, support group therapy, assistance dogs and home modifications for disabled veterans.
Co-founder Cyndy Jones lost her son, Eric, during combat in Afghanistan in 2009. While dealing with the grief, Jones visited a stable and connected with the horses. It helped calm her down, Spencer said.
The equine camp was initiated by Jones in 2013 to do the same for others. This year, FIT hosted 14 families. It has served more than 100 families since launching.
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“They (the horses) have a calming effect when people are in pain or stress and it has become very clear through the camp," Spencer said.
Healing power of horses
Jay Soares, a veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, joined the camp with his wife, Sheela, and children Jaila and Kingston, during its last week. The horses worked as therapy for Jay, and as a family to be able to share something that helped him, which has been a valuable experience.
“At first, I was skeptical, I was thinking how would a horse feel or know what I have been through those days, but after the first day I was ready to come back again for more,” Soares said. “Once you are around the horse, everything that goes on in your mind daily, the recurring thoughts of the battlefield, stress — it all goes away.”
For retired Coast Guard veteran Aaron Van Huysen and his wife, Casey, the focus of the camp was about connecting with the other military families and building a shared experience with them. The two are the family facilitators for this year’s summer camp initiative.
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His family experience can be described as forced family time and disconnecting from the electronic devices because being around the horses requires intense focus, Van Huysen said.
“As military family members, we go through the same things, we have a different way of life — and to be able to share these experiences with other families is important for coping with it,” he said. “Watching my family interact with the horses and learning something together has helped create a bond with my children.”
Each family cares for own horse
During camp activities, each family picks a horse and learns to take care, groom and ride the horse. Children under 5 are not allowed to ride. After a day's activity, the families share a meal and interact with each other about their experiences.
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At the end of the week, many participants have difficulty saying goodbye, Van Huysen said.
“Usually, at the beginning of camp, a lot of people are uncomfortable around the horses," he said. "Over the week, the transformation they go through is incredible to witness.”
The organization has more details about the camp and other activities, available on its website, heroesintransition.org.
This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Veterans, families participate in Cape horse camp as a healing process
