We kicked off Day 1 of our first Collaborative Horsemanship workshop with our official Ribbon Cutting event. Excitement was high as we proudly welcomed veterans and supporters to Camp Harris for the first time.
Once the ceremony was complete, it was time to welcome the first five veterans to officially take part in a War Horse Creek Collaborative Horsemanship workshop.
After Orientation and dinner, the veterans were able to meet the horses for the first time. Initial bonds were formed which set the tone for a powerful weekend. Each horse has a unique personality and will respond differently to each veteran. The group began to understand which horse they will connect with most throughout the sessions.
Workshop days are spent wholly on horsemanship from the ground up. Our team holds over 100 years of horsemanship experience and we’re proud to say, veteran visitors are learning from the best.
Between meals of their own (cooked by our very own Chef Jo!), the veterans fed the horses, cleaned the corrals and arena, performed grooming tasks and focused on groundwork with the horses. There were also daily classroom sessions to learn about the history of horses and the evolution of the human-horse connection.
Evenings were spent by the campfire, roasting marshmallows and sharing war stories.
The goal of our program here at War Horse Creek is to turn veterans into trained horsemen and women. We are not mental health professionals or therapists. But what often happens alongside this training is organically therapeutic experiences. We like to say, the mustang is the therapist. The mustang will not do what you want them to do unless you are patient, calm and confident.
Again and again, we see veterans emerge from their encounters with our mustangs with a calmer, eased disposition that they can take into their interactions in daily life.
We’d like to share some of the feedback we received from the first veterans to experience a Collaborative Horsemanship workshop here at War Horse Creek:
- “This experience far surpassed my expectations.”
- “I came here to relax and practice mindfulness, and that is exactly what I was able to do.”
- “My expectations were to bond with the horses and other vets. Mission accomplished.”
- “This experience was truly eye opening. The connection with the horses really made me look inside my own feelings and emotions.”
Aside from the horsemanship training, veterans are reporting they were able to improve skills such as patience, mindfulness, leadership, confidence and non-verbal communication.
Reflecting upon our first workshop, I was impressed with both the mustangs and the veterans. Our group of mustangs tried hard to understand what the veterans were asking them to do. This was a whole new experience for this group of vets, and they really kept their composure. They had to slow down and get into the moment, work quietly and patiently with each horse. They did an incredible job.”
Ray Barmore, War Horse Creek and Living Free Executive Director
For those wanting to sponsor a veteran to attend an upcoming workshop, you can donate here.
Thank you to our first group of veterans for participating in our first official workshop here at War Horse Creek. We look forward to continuing to welcome new veterans to Camp Harris.
If you are a veteran wanting to attend an upcoming workshop, we have opened up a waiting list. Fill out this form and we will be in touch.
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