Arizona Counselors Use Equine Therapy to Help Veterans Overcome Combat Trauma

A June 21 Associated Press article reports that therapists in Arizona are incorporating horses into therapeutic efforts to assist war veterans who are suffering from anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other forms of combat-related trauma:

"When I first heard about it, I thought, 'Are they kidding?' " said Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Richard Quinn, who returned from Iraq in 2007 with a brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder.

But after a recent weekend spent communing with Kairos, a hulking black draft horse, Quinn is a believer in the power of equine-assisted psychotherapy.

Almost immediately, he said, "I started feeling more relaxed and at ease" -- a boon because Quinn, who served as a convoy commander overseas, has had few peaceful moments postwar. "My wife says I cry in my sleep," said Quinn, 48, of Bisbee, whose convoys were hit twice by roadside bombs.

The AP article notes that horses and other animals have been used to help individuals who are struggling with a variety of physical, mental, and emotional challenges.

A study that was conducted at Copper Canyon Academy has documented the many benefits of equine therapy for girls.