Recovering Service Members and Veterans Program
Proudly providing equine-assisted services to military personnel.
Proudly providing equine-assisted services to military personnel.
Cloverleaf Equine Center offers special sessions for recovering military personnel and veterans. Our sessions combine therapeutic riding and equine-assisted learning, while focusing on relationship building between the participants and the horses. Horses are non-judgemental partners who thrive on positive teamwork and relationships – this low pressure environment encourages individuals to transition into this new situation with the skills needed to create positive bonds with humans and horses.
Formal program for recovering service members and veterans begins thanks to a referral from the USO at Fort Belvoir.
Number of sessions offered begins growing steadily. 304 sessions for recovering service members and veterans were completed.
Surge in number of service members and veterans self-referring since the onset of COVID. 340 sessions are projected despite a total shutdown for three months due to COVID.
Over 650 sessions are projected, a 115% increase from 2019.
A rapidly growing body of evidence supports the effectiveness of equine-assisted services helping military personnel and veterans restore their confidence at their own pace.
Horses are animals of prey. Much like recovering service members recovering from PTSD, they are hypervigilant. Trust must be earned.
Horses are extremely intuitive. Clients must come from a calm and controlled space in order to successfully work with a horse.
Horses provide honest, non-judgemental feedback to every client. This dynamic of trust and honesty allows veterans to let their guard down and be authentic.