I have just returned from spending a good bit of time at Fort Hood Military Base, where the First Cavalry Division Horse Cavalry Detachment is stationed.
Like the State of Texas, Fort Hood is big and boasts of being the largest active duty armored post in the United States Armed Services. A 340 square mile installation (214,968 acres), Fort Hood is the only post in the United States capable of stationing and training two Armored Divisions (a division consists of 10,000-30,000 soldiers). The rolling, semi-arid terrain is ideal for multifaceted training and testing of military units and individuals. Fort Hood is the Army's premier installation to train and deploy heavy forces. Fort Hood was named for the famous Confederate Gen. John Bell Hood, an outstanding leader who gained recognition during the Civil War as the commander of Hood's Texas Brigade.
A very important part of Fort Hoods' commitment to soldiers is its' rehabilitative programs. One of these programs is the Hippotherapy Unit of the First Cavalry Division Horse Cavalry Detachment. The horses used in the program are true cavalry horses, used by the Horse Detachment for maneuvers and training. As soldiers in the U.S. Army, these horses also provide a vital service for their fellow soldiers who have been wounded in combat.
Hippotherapy is the technical term for rehabilitative medical treatment on horseback. Equal parts physical and emotional healing, it is a great way to help people recover after traumatic injuries. And of course, few injuries are more traumatic than those sustained by our military men and women overseas. The Horse Cavalry Detachment was truly honored in 2005 to become the very first Army unit to host a hippotherapy program for wounded veterans. It is an ongoing program greatly loved by both trainers and students.
The entire hippotherapy team SGT Nose, Big Ben, SFC Bussell, SSG Davis, Ajax, SGT Melton, Trooper Anderson, Trooper Otto, Thunder, SSG Fernandez, SGT Edwards.
AntwortenLöschenGood project!! Good work!
AntwortenLöschenWhat should men do without horses anyway ? ;-)
Absolutely :-) !! The wounded men who are in the program get so much from it. They come in frightened, uncertain of themselves, so emotionally devastated. The first ride is always so heart breakingly awesome. They are very tentative at first, scared (but they don't admit it). By the end of the first lesson, it is as if they are reborn as whole men again. The feeling of the horse walking under them is the same feeling and movement of walking on their own legs again, something they thought they would never feel again...
AntwortenLöschen{{kisses}}
Romy
I saw the effects of hippotherapy on a kid in terminal stadium of cancer, if only you could see the happines on his face and the stars in his eyes when he was talking about it!
AntwortenLöschenUnd die Ursache?
AntwortenLöschen"Where have all the young men gone
Long time passing
...they are all in uniform.
When will they ever learn
When will they ever learn...."
Auf allen Gebieten hilft das Pferd dem Menschen, Pferde verurteilen nicht, Pferde machen alles mit, begleiten ihn geduldig in allen Dummheiten, sind da, wenn er Hilfe braucht.
Pferde absorbieren negative Schwingungen, sind heilend, sind ein riesengroßes Geschenk
an den Menschen.
AntwortenLöschenSehr wahr. Immer, Mann gegen Mann. Und dann werden wir versuchen, die Scherben von zerbrochenen Leben.
Romy
So beautiful, it makes me cry. Horses are therapy every day, and when they can help injured men gain confidence and grace, it is a thrilling day. I wish we lived in a world where no one had to go to war, but if they come home injured I would hope there would be a patient horse waiting to rebuild their strength and confidence.
AntwortenLöschenI cried while there, daily. But hid my tears from the men so as not to seem to be pitying them. They don't want that.
AntwortenLöschenI am seriously thinking about making this my lifes work now. It was the most fufilling and satisfying thing I have ever done in my entire life.
{{kisses}}
Romy
I was a volunteer in a stable for riding with disabled people for many years. My first horse (a Lipizzaner mare - of course..) was stabled there, and participating during the riding lessons.
AntwortenLöschenIt was a experience for a life time, what happened there. So constructive and supporting for these people! And not only in a therapeutic way, but also in a relaxing way. The contact with the horse, the riding, the weekly event in itself... Really top.
Interesting fact with my Lipizzaner mare....: with me she could be very hot-tempered and (pleasantly) stubborn, but during those riding hours with the disabled people, she was like a lamb... ;-). Even with highly spastic people, who could press her almost in two parts.... : she did not give in one tiny bit... ;-)
AntwortenLöschenMy experience with the wounded soldiers on horseback deeply touched my heart. Much as they were transformed, so was I, far more than I could have expected.
I have always been amazed at horses understanding of the very vulnerable rider. These Cavalry horses, from being true Army horses, ready for a charge, used to shooting, sword play and battle maneuvers, changed to smooth as silk, gentle, forgiving mentors. They quietly and calmly accepted metal legs and feet, claw hands, very nervous unbalanced riders, and gently taught these men to trust in their own bodies again.
Romy
Fantastic. Thanks Romy!
AntwortenLöschen