NANCY WILLIS O’MEARA, PT, HPCSRIDE ON CENTER FOR KIDS (ROCK), GEORGETOWN, TX

In the summer of 2005, we received a phone call from 1stSgt. Scott Sjule of the 1st Cavalry Division HorseDetachment of Ft. Hood in Killen, TX. The medical staff atnearby Brook Army Medical Center had asked him about plac-ing injured soldiers on the Cavalry’s horses for therapeutic ben-efits. Sgt. Sjule’s first reaction was to call Ride On Center ForKids (ROCK). The Army likes to do things by the book and heremembered that ROCK was a NARHA Premier AccreditedCenter, so he requested our assistance. We were honored.

The goal of this pilot program was to offer equine assistedactivities using their horses and soldiers, and document thebenefits for the injured soldiers as well as the soldiers who vol-unteered. We saw ourselves as consultants to the 1st Cavalry,providing expertise and the instructors for the sessions.

Because the Horse Detachment is charged with preservingthe traditions of our nation’s mounted cavalry by performingdemonstrations for military and civic ceremonies, their sol-

1NARHA’s STRIDES, Fall 2006

“I WILLNEVERLEAVE AFALLENCOMRADE”

As part of the U.S. Military’s Warrior

Ethos, this statement holds a great

deal of emotion and meaning for the

men and women serving in our

armed forces. More than 10,000 mil-

itary personnel have returned from

Iraq and Afghanistan severely

wounded, putting a strain on the

medical staff at military hospitals. In

their struggle to meet the needs of

their fallen comrades, some physi-

cians and therapists have found a

new resource: NARHA members.

Here are the stories of three mem-

bers who have found a way to serve

those who serve our country.

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dier’s are experienced horsemen. Manyhave also served in combat and areable to provide emotional support tothe injured soldiers. Twelve soldierscame to ROCK for a four-hour train-ing session for sidewalkers and horsehandlers, and we chose three of theirhorses for further training. We thenmet with injured soldiers from BrookArmy Medical Center (BAMC). Allseven soldiers had amputations.

By September wehad all the pieces inplace and we began thesessions at Ft. SamHouston, which is nearthe hospital. The lessonplans progressed fromtwo sidewalkers in theinitial lessons to mini-mal support by the lastof four sessions. Weincluded basic horse-manship skills, footballon the horse and someactivities the 1st Cavalry

uses in its shows, such as passingthe saber through rings.

“The first time I was nervousabout it,” said Dustin Hill, an Armysergeant who lost his right hand andall the fingers on his left hand whena suicide bomber attacked hisHumvee. “I had all three guysaround me and they were holdingonto me and everything else. Thesecond time, they were just walkingwith me. They weren’t holding on.This time, I got rid of them all.”

We tested the soldiers before andafter riding and they showedimprovement in physical balance,gait and morale. Perhaps the mostdynamic benefit came from the con-nection between the 1st Cavalry sol-diers and the injured soldiers. Justmonths before, these young menwere actively serving their unit indangerous places. Now, suddenlythey are accepting help from every-one around them—and most arewomen. It was very empowering to

have their fellow soldiers, many ofwhom have been to Iraq, walkingnext to them. The soldiers from Ft.Hood often state the Warriors Ethos,“I will never leave a fallen com-rade.” The true beauty and successof this program stemmed from themilitary horses and the soldiershelping their fellow comrades regaintheir equilibrium.

The partnership with Fort Hoodwas so meaningful. It made the sac-rifice of our soldiers much morepersonal. We are pleased to havebeen asked to consult again withthe 1st Cavalry, this time as theywork in partnership with the Ft.Hood Hospital Physical TherapyProgram.

Nancy Willis O’Meara, PT, HPCS, has beenthe Executive Director of a therapeutic ridingprogram for the past eight years, and a prac-ticing physical therapist for the past 21 years.

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The soldiers started the sessions with two sidewalkers butprogressed to minimal support by the last session.

A 1st Cavalry maneuver—passing a saberthrough rings.

Furthering the MissionNARHA members who would like to reach out to injured soldiers in their com-munities can use the experiences presented in this article to get started. Allthree NARHA members profiled here agree that lessons should be challenging.

“We need to find a way to make sure that they experience riding and therapywithout the confines of the typical therapy setting,” notes Lesley Shear. “Theyneed and want to take chances and challenge themselves.”

Mary Jo Beckman agrees: “They have been to war and do not need to be pam-pered. Make sure the riders know they are in charge. At certain times during thelessons, the riders were allowed to “fire” their leaders if they felt comfortable withthe horses. They could also fire their sidewalkers; however, most did not.

Nancy Willis O’Meara also suggests contacting your local military base to see ifthey have a need for your center’s services. “This program was a definite suc-cess,” she says, “and could be implemented around the country wherever thereare injured soldiers, adequately trained horses and additional soldiers who canbe trained as horse handlers and sidewalkers.” Mary Jo adds, “This soldier-to-soldier interaction is integral to the success of the program.”

Jacqueline Tiley at NARHA has been designated the point of contact for wound-ed veterans who want to ride or military facilities that want to start equine assist-ed activities. Contact her at 1-800-369-7433 or jtiley@narha.org.

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LESLEY SHEARCIRCLE OF HOPE THERAPEUTIC RIDING(CHTR), BARNESVILLE, MD

Mike Benesch, a member of ourboard of directors, had the idea toreach out to the injured soldiers atWalter Reed Army Medical Center inWashington, DC. We knew it would bedifficult to get military personnel torecognize this program as therapeuticso we proposed a recreational program.We touched on riding, grooming, rop-ing, and introduction to various typesof horses and breeds. If our pilot pro-gram was deemed successful, it wasour hope to then have the soldiers outon a regular basis for therapy sessions.

In February and March 2006, about20 soldiers with amputations came toour center over a three-week period. Mr.Harvey Naranjo of the OccupationalTherapy Amputee Section at WalterReed said the horseback riding serves asa recreational outlet and helps withother problems. “This is a good rehabili-tation tool,” he said. “It strengthens theirhips and core muscles. They are learn-ing their balance. It builds their confi-dence to try something new.”

We saw many benefits for the sol-diers, including:

• leaving the hospital atmosphere• practicing the occupational therapy

skills of transferring, balance, coor-dination and body awareness

• understanding they could accom-plish what they tried

• improving on their sense of self • promoting an idea of a future with

possibilities • learning new skills—roping, groom-

ing and riding

The riding sessions were not a total-ly new experience for 24-year-old RyanKules. He was a trail rider in Arizonabefore he went to Iraq. A platoonleader there, he lost his left leg andright arm when a roadside bombexploded and threw him from his vehi-cle. His driver and gunner were killedinstantly. Mr. Kules was in a coma forthree weeks, but every time he awokehe said he knew he had lost a leg andan arm. His other arm and leg wereboth broken. “I had no limbs that

worked until about a monthago,” he said. After his ride ona large draft horse, he said, “Iknew what to expect. It wentwell. I really enjoyed it. Ithelps with strength and bal-ance and it’s always good tobe positive in an emotionalsense.”

Natasha McKinnon, 23, ofOhio, was wounded when shewas a passenger in a vehiclehit by a roadside bomb. Shelost her left leg below theknee. An animal lover, she

was surprised she could ride ahorse. “Once they showed mehow to properly hold thehorse’s saddle, I relaxed and itwas enjoyable,” she said. “Therhythm of the horse was goodand I had a blast throughoutthe whole course. I felt like Iwas an amateur rider.”

I was pleased with thesuccess of our pilot programand we are now working withBethesda Naval Hospital. Itwas wonderful to see thewillingness of the partici-pants to try anything. We

need to remember these soldiersexperienced war. Getting on a horseand riding (with missing limbs) isnothing compared to what they havebeen through.

Lesley Shear is Co-founder, Executive Directorand Head Instructor at Circle of HopeTherapeutic Riding. She was an instructor atthe National Center for Therapeutic Riding forsix years before co-founding Circle of Hope.She currently holds the position of ChairPerson of the Accreditation Committee. Lesleyhas been teaching therapeutic riding for over 16years.

The Gazette of Gaithersburg, MD, contributedto this report.

MARY JO BECKMANASSISTING THE CAISSON PLATOON, 3RDU.S. INFANTRY, FT. MYER, VA

In 1997, I saw a presentation at theInternational Therapeutic RidingCongress in Denver about how thera-peutic riding was used to help VietnamWar veterans. Mary Woolverton, pastNARHA president, was working atFitzsimmons Hospital in the 1960’s andbrought her horses to the hospital forthe soldiers with amputations to ride.This talk planted a seed in me for usingthe Army’s Caisson Platoon horses forinjured soldiers. These horses and sol-diers are responsible for providing mili-tary honors in Arlington Cemetery for

3NARHA’s STRIDES, Fall 2006

Roping was one of many activities offered by CHTR.

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Soldiers were greeted by CHTR’s Miniature Horses.

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their fallen comrades. As a Navyretiree and a NARHA Instructor, itseemed a perfect match to link the mil-itary with therapeutic riding. In 1999, Iproposed using the Caisson horses formilitary children with disabilities, but itwas not accepted.

Last fall, I read about ROCK’sprogram in Texas. Armed with theirinformation, I approached the CaissonPlatoon at Ft. Myer, VA. The baseveterinarian was excited and stated,“How wonderful it would be for themen and horses who honor peoplewho have died to be able to do some-thing for the living.” The PlatoonLeader was less enthusiastic since hehad already heard numerous requeststo use the horses. As far as he wasconcerned, this was just one more.

The windfall came in Decemberwhen I had lunch with Larry Pence,Command Sergeant Major, U.S.Army, Retired, who is the husband ofa riding partner of mine. He enthusi-astically embraced the concept for theCaisson Platoon and envisioned thisprogram for all wounded Army per-sonnel. He contacted the 1st Cavalryin Texas and put together a briefing

with videos. With his contacts, doorsopened in the Pentagon, includingthat of the Sergeant Major of theArmy. It was powerful to have thevideo of the soldiers riding in Texas.

In March, permission was givenfor a pilot program. At our first meet-ing with the Caisson Platoon, we dis-cussed horse and equipment require-ments. Soldiers constructed a ramp,the Platoon’s horse trainers preparedfour horses, and Platoon memberswere trained as leaders and sidewalk-ers. At the same time, Walter ReedArmy Medical Center personnelagreed to provide riders.

Four lessons were held in May andJune for six Army soldiers and oneAir Force airman with amputations.Because the hospital considered thelessons an “activity,” they wereoptional, resulting in three soldiersriding three times and the others rid-ing one time. A Walter Reed HospitalOccupational Therapist accompaniedthe soldiers and gave them balancetests before and after each ride todocument the benefits of the session.

Lesson strategies were designed tokeep the horses moving in order to

work the riders’ bodies, teach horse-manship skills where achievementcould be documented and have fun.Throwing and catching a ball whilewalking was a fun activity while work-ing on balance stability. Riders succeed-ed at steering through poles, trotting instraight lines, riding figure eights andserpentines and drill team maneuvers.For one lesson, three barrels wereplaced in a race pattern. In a show oftheir competitive natures, some soldierswanted to be timed to see if they werefaster compared to the other riders.

The program sold itself to theCaisson Platoon, the wounded veteransand hospital staff. Because of the bal-ance tests, physical benefits for eachrider were proven. An increase inmorale was noted. The riders likedbeing active on a military base insteadof observing parades or giving tours.They enjoyed the interactions with fel-low soldiers, some of whom had beenin Iraq or Afghanistan. As one of theriders, SPC Max Ramsey, stated: “Mypersonal take on it is that I like the factof having the Army taking care of itsown. That makes a big difference and itenhances camaraderie not just withother soldiers but with the horse, whichis a dynamic that few get to enjoy, evenwith two good legs and arms.”

It was an honor and privilege towork with the horses and soldiers at theCaisson Platoon and the injured veter-ans. The pilot program was so success-ful that Walter Reed Army MedicalCenter has taken responsibility for theprogram and has assigned individuals toattend riding as a therapy. Our first les-son was on September 11th.

Mary Jo Beckman is a NARHA AdvancedCertified Riding Instructor, NARHA DrivingInstructor, Lead Faculty/Evaluator forRegistered Instructor On-site Workshop/Certifications, Lead Visitor for AccreditationVisits and member of the DrivingCommittee.

Max Ramsey’s quote and photos were pro-vided by Larry Pence.

4 Fall 2006, NARHA’s STRIDES

The camaraderie between the riders andsidewalkers, both soldiers, was importantto the program’s success.

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NARHA Member Mary Jo Beckman helpsa soldier mount a Caisson Platoon horse.

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