S.T.E.P.S. With Horses

Marcus’* time in Iraq had left an indelible mark on his soul. He had seen things no one should ever witness – the suffering of innocent civilians caught in the crossfire, the pain etched on the faces of his comrades, and the constant fear of attack. Marcus had returned home a changed man, haunted by the ghosts of war, but his homecoming had been far from welcoming. His wife, Rachel, had become a stranger to him. She couldn't understand the demons that tormented him, the nightmares that visited him each night. Her once-loving gaze now carried a hint of resentment, as though she blamed him for his own suffering. The chasm between them grew, and eventually, they drifted apart until their marriage became nothing more than a hollow shell. Divorce papers marked the end of a chapter he had once believed would last a lifetime. Marcus packed his bags and left his hometown behind, hoping to find solace. But the demons of war were relentless, and in the lonely hours of the night, they whispered darker thoughts into his troubled mind, contemplating the unthinkable. His salvation came in the form of an unexpected savior – a flyer for STEPS With Horses, a local equine assisted mental health services program. Desperate for any lifeline, he made the call that would change his life forever. Stepping into the tranquil pasture, Marcus was met with a herd of majestic horses. He was told that the horses would serve as his therapy partners, guiding him on a journey of healing. At first, the equines seemed as distant and unfeeling as the relationship he had left behind. Marcus struggled to connect with these magnificent creatures. He avoided their eyes, fearing the vulnerability that came with acknowledging his own pain. The equines, too, kept their distance, as if sensing his emotional turmoil. One particularly gray day, as Marcus grappled with the ever-present turmoil within, he couldn't contain his frustration any longer. He screamed, his voice tearing through the stillness of the ranch. It was a guttural cry of anguish, a release of the pent-up agony he had carried for so long. In response to his outburst, the horses scattered, except for one – Maggie, the boss mare, a symbol of strength and leadership among the herd. She approached him slowly, her eyes filled with a curious gentleness that Marcus had never seen before. Maggie, a flight animal by nature, was defying her instincts to offer comfort. With a nudge of her warm, velvety nose against Marcus's chest, Maggie bridged the gap between them. In that simple, powerful act, Marcus felt a connection he had long yearned for. Tears welled in his eyes as he stroked her mane, his anger and despair gradually melting away. Maggie became his anchor in the storm of emotions that raged within him. In her presence, he learned to confront his fear of feeling, to embrace the pain and trauma he had buried deep inside. Through the gentle guidance of the staff at STEPS With Horses, Marcus found a safe space to express himself and process the haunting memories of war and the heartbreak of his failed marriage. With Maggie by his side, he discovered that vulnerability was not a sign of weakness but a testament to his resilience. Through the healing power of horses, Marcus found a path forward, a life where hope and connection outweighed the darkness of his past. Over the past several years, STEPS With Horses has witnessed remarkable transformations among military veterans like Marcus, with an astonishing 86% showing significant improvements in their emotional well-being. What makes our approach even more remarkable is our low dropout rate of 27% for military veterans, a stark contrast to the VA's standard treatments. The VA's prolonged exposure treatment saw dropout rates skyrocketing to 56%, while cognitive processing therapy saw a dropout rate of 47%. Among those veterans who complete at least six sessions, an impressive 77% demonstrated at least a 30% improvement in their depression symptoms. In comparison, only 49% of veterans undergoing office-based treatment through the VA achieved similar progress. As Marcus's journey demonstrated, the healing power of equine assisted counseling for military veterans is undeniable. At STEPS With Horses, we are deeply committed to making this transformative therapy accessible to those who need it most. However, the demand for our services consistently surpasses the available funding, and we need your support to continue making a difference. We invite you to join us in our mission to support military veterans and their families on their path to healing. We have set a goal to raise an additional $10,000 to ensure that we can provide free equine assisted counseling services to even more veterans and their loved ones. Your contribution can make a profound impact on the lives of those who have sacrificed so much for our country. *Names and client details changed to protect client privacy and confidentiality