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 The
Veterans Equine Therapy Program (DAVID VOLZ)
The return to civilian life from a war has never
been easy. And many of the veterans returning
from Iraq are experiencing posttraumatic stress
disorders and difficulty with readjustment.
Many are reservists who did not anticipate a
long military engagement in a combat zone. They
have been away from their families and jobs for
years and now must reintegrate into society.
This is where Bob Bambury, executive director
for the South Florida Veterans Multi-Purpose
Center in Davie comes in. For the past 18 years,
this program has worked mostly with homeless
veterans. About a year ago the Center began the
Veterans Equine Therapeutic Project. The program
has five horses and works with five to ten
veterans at a time.
“I grew up with horses and when the troops
started to return home therapists began using
horses for physical therapy with amputees and
people suffering from posttraumatic stress
disorders,” Bambury said. “Guys were having
emotional problems. Since I owned the horses, we
decided to incorporate them into our
organization.”
The Center is non-profit organization and
receives no government money. It exists on
donations from corporation and individuals.
Currently there is no Veterans Administration
funding for Equine Therapy. Bambury is working
with the VA Hope Project but does not receive
money from this organization. The Center has
about five regular volunteers. Tracy Potter, in
the photo above, serves as the secretary.
Bambury has found that horses can often do more
for someone with post traumatic stress issues
and emotional problems than a psychiatrist.
Often veterans don’t feel
comfortable talking to a mental health
professional in an office environment.
“Having been around horses all my life, I know
how comforting and calming they can be,” Bambury
said. “If I am working with someone with
emotional problems I can help the person build a
relationship with a horse. This can help a
person with readjustment problems.”
People who have never dealt with a horse must
learn that they are dealing with an animal that
knows what it is be a prey animal. Horses tend
to be afraid of the unknown and won’t respond
well to someone who seems unfriendly.
“An excellent form of therapy is just bonding
with a horse, grooming the horse and teaching
the horse different movements,” Bambury said.
“This helps build self-esteem and confidence and
makes them realize that in order to build a
relationship with a horse, they have to give of
themselves. If a horse trusts you, it will do
anything for you. People can learn about
themselves by working with a horse.”
Bambury explains to the veterans that sometimes
a horse may not want a relationship with a
particular person. “You must build a
relationship with the horse,” he said. “You must
show respect to the horse and the horse will
respect you.”
In one situation, a veteran was asked to rub a
horse with a hula hoop. The horse walked away
and the veteran wondered what was wrong. “We
told the man that maybe the horse did not like
the hula hoop,”
Bambury said.
In another instance, a woman who had served two
tours in Iraq spent time with one of the
center’s horses. “The woman really bonded with
the horse,” Bambury said. “The woman was able to
express emotional feelings she was having with
the horse better than with a person. Horses do
not judge people.”
Often veterans are afraid to go to sleep because
they have been programmed to sleep lightly to
avoid being killed. Veterans may miss the esprit
de corp. found in combat zones. Many anger
quickly and other begin to lack self confidence.
By working with a one thousand-pound horse, they
can develop more confidence.
Amputees and people with severe body trauma can
benefit by learning to get on the horse. The
horse’s natural gait provides physical therapy
and keeps muscles not being used regularly from
becoming atrophied. The center is working with
occupational and physical therapists to provide
horse therapy to injured veterans.
Bambury understands how hard it can be to
readjust to civilian life after going to war. In
1962 he served in the U.S. Navy with an advisory
team in Vietnam. He has found that many Vietnam
veterans still require assistance.
“Being in combat changes the brain chemistry and
makes a person hyper vigilant,” he said. “People
may have a lot of anger because of lost friends
or seeing friends injured. People see the war on
television and may feel a sense of guilt because
they are not there helping their friends. Others
are not prepared to come back home to their jobs
and families. They may have trouble dealing with
authority figures.”
Many Iraq veterans don’t want to spend time in
therapy or counseling, they only want to get on
with their lives. But Bambury recommends that
they deal with any lingering problems because
not doing so will only make them worse.
For more information, contact the Center at
954.791.8603. The Center is located at 4252
Davie Road |
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