Warrior and Warhorse from The Seventh Movement on Vimeo.
Saratoga Springs, N.Y., famous for its historic racetrack, is among the most idyllic places in America. But on a recent fall weekend, not far from the track, horses were serving a different mission: retired thoroughbreds were recruited to help returning veterans at Song Hill Farm. A group from the US Army 2nd Battalion, 135th infantry, united in grief over the death of a fellow solider, gathered for the first time in five years to be part of Saratoga Warhorse, a three-day program that pairs veterans with horses. Tom Rinaldi reports the emotional story of the veterans, paired with their horses, undergoing a rebirth of trust and taking a first step toward healing.
Watch it all, and, yes, you will likely need kleenex–KSH.
As acknowledged on their website, the WarHorse program is based on on a connection process called “Join-up” developed by Monty Roberts.
Recently, my wife and I were privileged to see a soldier friend of ours conduct a similar workshop for Vets under Monty’s direction at his facility, Flag is Up Farms, just outside of Solvang in California.
It was truly wonderful to see the effect of the connections they were able to achieve with these powerful animals.