Heroes & Horses

Prole by John Tolmie / Photos by Kate Tolmie

A thundershower broke the prior evening over the horse farm in Connecticut. In the early morning, the ranch was still dripping with the evidence of the storm and the horses were on high-energy and agitated from the evening’s monsoon. A circle of military veterans gathered around to hear advice on how to handle the tense steeds from Thor Torgersen, the lead trainer of Veterans Equine Therapeutic Services (V.E.T.S.). “The horses are tense right now. So we take a deep breath, right? It takes two seconds to breathe in and out." Thor dramatizes the motion by raising his hands up to his chest, “It opens your mind and gets everything aware. It gives you that fraction of time to ask, 'what's going on with the horse?' We relax, and the horse is going to relax. You take control of the situation. Our horses need and want to be lead. If we don’t take control, they will.”

Facing page: Christina Clark, Thor Torgersen, and Craig McCalister

Thor has supported the equine therapeutic field for over a decade, and his mission is to narrow the gap between the civilian and military populations with a level of understanding. As he addresses the veterans, he gives them other safety tips about how to deal with energized horses. “If they run away in the corral, let them run. If they charge towards you get BIG. Raise your hands up and stand your ground. But we ultimately we want to project ourselves as being relaxed, so they stay relaxed. Especially today with their high-energy, we need to help them release that pressure.” Thor explains that the heightened wind makes horses nervous. They can't hear as well in the wind with their senses are diminished, so they instinctively go on high alert for unseen predation waiting in the bushes around the farm. “We are going to bring the horses' stress down." Thor concludes, "Lots of gentle petting guys. Hands-on, reassuring, and breathing. All this will help bring that stress down.”

As the group breaks up and the veterans make their way to the interior corral to gather their horses, the founder of V.E.T.S. Craig McCalister explains, "These are therapeutic activities, and the benefits we’ve observed are an increase in the physical mobility of our veterans, like Randy over there.” Craig points to Randy, a tall man in a cap and sunglasses walking alongside his chocolate colored horse. There was a bit of shuffle in Randy’s gait as he and the horse walked the perimeter of the outdoor corral. Craig tells me a little about Randy. "He was a Marine, and when he completed his service, he was struck by a car stateside which cause a traumatic brain injury (T.B.I.). When Randy came to us, he could barely walk for five minutes with the aid of a cane. We’ve watched him gradually be able to build his endurance up. Now he’s at the point where he's doing the entire ninety-minute class without a walking aid. He even just recently got his driver’s license back. It’s been awesome to see him gain more independence and get part of his life back.” Craig then motions to a bearded stout veteran brushing down a beautiful tan horse with a long butter-colored mane. "Frank over there served in the Army. He was injured and also had a T.B.I. Watching his dependence on a walker diminish over time has been amazing. We were able to meet with Frank’s doctor at the V.A. who has been astonished by how his condition has improved dramatically. That opens the door for more veterans "to come out and see how we can help them."

The veterans, through combat or other traumatic events, have been scarred mentally, emotionally, and physically. Some scars are readily apparent, and some are deeper than could ever be imagined. To watch these men and women walk and sooth the enormous and majestic animals in their heightened states was remarkable. In a way, the horses and the veterans are in similar situations. A serviceman is asked to rush into a circumstance, knowing they could be wounded or killed. Military training is intense, and our servicemen and women are required to stay on high alert even in downtime. They are required to set aside their own well-being for the sake of our country. Now that they are home, the wars and the pressures and stressors of military life still remain.

The horse seems to be in a similar predicament. These wild creatures with their herd mentality and predator-prey relationship are being handled by the world’s apex predator, namely man. Horses inherently don't trust humans. Everything a human does to a horse goes against all of its natural instincts, and the animal becomes a poster child for post-traumatic stress disorder. They are hyper-vigilant, consumed with the fight or flight instinct, and have deep trust issues. M an puts a bridle on their head to control their face, places a saddle on their backs where a predator would jump on them, straps their belly where a predator would try t o bring them down, and w e expect the horse to be OK with doing all these things that go against all t heir instincts.

Veterans Equine Therapeutic Services is the perfect place for both the veteran and the horses. The vet can find their true-selves again, and the horse is cared for in a natural atmosphere. The farm is a quiet and peaceful place where veterans learn horsemanship, re-connect with others, and develop deep bonds with other veterans. The healing for the veteran starts by identifying the needs of the horses through non-verbal communication. The horses are trained to be sensitive to the needs of individuals experiencing anxiety, stress, reintegration difficulties, and other issues related to military service.

Christina Clark, a native of Mystic, is an instructor and a founding member of V.E.T.S. She has been deeply impacted by the program. "I've never served in the military l ike my father and brother, but I've had my f air share of trauma. I've been around horses my entire life, and they've always provided me with a lot of peace for whatever I was going through in life. Horses became my best friends, and I know what they provided for me, so I gravitated towards introducing people in need of the practice of equine therapy. To watch the veterans heal helps me heal every time I'm here."

As Christina and I speak Thor and Craig calls e veryone over for a debrief of the mornings' session. The veterans each share what they learned during the class. One of the horses, Suki, liked to often meander off to the grassy patches for a snack. She was a bit hard to control in the beginning, but her veteran handler was a ble to coax Suki back to the corral to end the morning with a victory. Randy growled that apparently Coach, his horses, nipped the veteran in the arm. But Randy was able to get Coach to calm down and ended the morning on a high note. Frank had to take a couple breaks but proudly told the group of his success with his horse and what he learned. They ended the meeting asking for volunteers to set up the next event, a cowboy kitchen dinner, and fundraiser to be held at the farm. Hands went up as the veterans eagerly volunteered to help the program move forward to reach their brothers and sisters in need.

For more information on how to connect a veteran with V.E.T.S. or to donate to the cause, please visit vetsct.org.