OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — At the Victory Riding Academy veterans are honored not only on Veterans Day, but every day. Veterans are offered a unique form of therapy through interaction with horses, creating a supportive space.
- Activities at the academy include grooming, riding, and spending time with horses, which helps veterans with PTSD.
- Navy veteran Jason Grier found peace at Victory Riding Academy after losing his leg in a training accident.
- "There isn't anything out there that I didn't try. No therapist. No, no medical technology or medication can do what just being around horses can."
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
At the Victory Riding Academy veterans are honored not only on Veterans Day, but every day. Here horses help veterans overcome obstacles faced when they come home after serving.
"I had some very, very bad PTSD."
Navy vet Jason Grier was stationed in San Diego in 1990 when he got hurt in training, losing his leg.
He found the Victory Riding Academy around four years ago and it's changed him ever since.
"You know, just grooming of the horses and spending time with them," said Grier.
Started by veterans Jodee and Tony Barnes, the academy lets vets come in as they please to just hang out with the horses, or join support groups; grooming, riding or even having coffee with the horses.
"Horses don't have an expectation. Us as humans, we have an expectation. So when somebody comes up and starts talking to you, you start asking questions, they're expected to kind of respond. We don't ask questions here. We just let the horse and the veteran have their time together and, and just be able to be themselves."
"This is a very low-key place that they can come to and feel welcome without judgment to come and do some activities with horses."
Ever since Jason found the academy, he comes around often, volunteering his time to clean things up, or seeing his friend Nera.
"I mean, I, I'll come here and if I don't go right to her, she, she makes, makes a fuss. She says she wants to talk."
"Gosh, he was drawn to her and her to him, probably. She was very curious about his, his leg and what that was all about. And she, I mean, she just asked him a lot of questions."
For Jason, this is the best version of therapy you can get.
"There isn't anything out there that I didn't try. No therapist. No, no medical technology or medication can do what just being around horses can."
