Blue Umbrella Official October 2018 issue | Page 19

4. Wh at is on e of t h e best t h in gs you h ave seen
in t h is pr ogr am ?
?The tremendous outpouring of community
support and how much benefit the horses and
volunteers are giving.? Mr. Paulsen says that the
support everyone gives means a lot because of how
much the veterans and active duty personnel have
already done for us. Mr. Paulsen says that one of
his favorite things about the program is to work
alongside fellow veterans and help pay it forward.
5. Wh at is t h e m ost ch allen gin g t h in gs abou t
t h is pr ogr am ?
Mr. Paulsen says that one of most
challenging things about this program is that they
are not doing enough events. The program is still in
the process of growing, and they are itching to do
more.
6. Wh at is on e of t h e exer cises you do w it h t h e
vet er an s?
?We put 3 ? 4 horses in an arena, and then
we bring in another horse that does not get along
with the herd. We then let the veterans observe and
watch the herd to see how they do not include and
accept the single horse. Afterwards, we sit down
and ask the veterans if they feel like the single
horse. The veterans say that they do and that they
feel like they are not allowed back into civilian life,
their families, jobs, etc. They then try to show the
veterans that more than one of them is suffering
with the feeling, and that it is OK for them to
connect with others who are feeling the same thing.
This then can lead to forming bonds with each
other.?
Operation Horses and Heroes is an amazing
program, and I have personally seen its impact and
heard the stories of all the good that it does for the
veterans. I highly recommend this program to any
veteran, active duty personnel, or family member
struggling with trauma.
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