LONGMONT, Colo. — A nonprofit in Longmont harnesses the healing power of horses to help people, including veterans. But Medicine Horse is now the one in need of a helping hand as the work they do could be impacted by funding cuts and rising costs.
Equine therapy is in demand for veterans, said Collette Beck, director of the Boulder Vet Center.
"Now it's our most popular group," Beck said.
They offer therapy for many groups here - from breast cancer support groups to LGBTQ+ teens. But in recent years, both the horses and therapists have built strong connections in serving veterans.
"Sometimes it can happen in five minutes," Medicine Horse therapist Michael Mahoney said.
Mahoney said behaviors that show up in veterans' relationships pop up quickly working with the horses here.
"When they're walking with the horse to lead, they have these moments of, 'Oh, this is the first time that I've led without feeling like I'm being domineering or controlling of the partner that I'm working with, but actually inviting them along an activity together,'" Mahoney said. "And then, they start to say, 'Oh, that's making me think about how I might lead with my children or at work.' And it can be really powerful."
"It surprised me some of the moving and touching moments that I experienced with them. Some of them, for the first time, they got to experience feeling calm," Beck said. "Because I think it's easier for them to trust animals before people. And so, I've seen some pretty incredible moments."
"Being around them, you learn a lot more about yourself than you would really expect, and that’s what the therapy program really does," said Nate Parks, an Army veteran and Medicine Horse board member. "I think that’s what it can help provide each individual veteran so they can learn more about themselves and how to thrive in their environment.”
A veteran himself, Parks has felt the growth here firsthand.
"I've learned a lot about myself, which made me a more confident person," Parks said.
Parks said rising costs from insurance to hay for the horses have widened a funding gap.
"Everybody feels it when the economy takes a step back," Parks said.
They're searching for new grants and funding, and everyone hopes to avoid looming cuts.
"It would be tragic not to have this space for folks to return to round after round or have new folks come in, because we have seen the ripple effects in the community be pretty powerful," Mahoney said.
"We're hoping that our veterans will be able to continue. So, yeah, it's definitely -- it would be a loss if they couldn't do it," Beck said.
As they search for more grant funding, Medicine Horse is putting the veterans program in the spotlight for its push on Colorado Gives Day. The program has provided more than 100 veterans with equine therapy since it started in 2020.