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Therapeutic Program for Veterans Unfortunately, we are unable to continue with the Veterans' Program. Should you like to help re-establish it, please contact us. The first therapeutic encounter between veterans and horses took place on Tuesday, July 8 at Jumpin’ Jack Ranch, home to Equine Voices Rescue & Sanctuary in Amado, Arizona. Animal assisted psychotherapy has become increasingly beneficial and has grown over the past couple of decades into its own right with certification standards for practitioners, professional publications, and inroads into academic institutions. None of this comes as much of a surprise to anyone who has known and shared life with a horse. “I never cease to be amazed at the sheer quantity of love, humor, and camaraderie equines have brought into my life, and even people who don’t have horses or even any interest in horses always show surprising tolerance for the ramblings and ravings of the equiphiles when we start telling horse stories to each other at work or school or wherever our paths cross,” Mike Kunzelman, psychiatrist. Unlike many therapeutic programs this is not a riding program, what was unique to the Equine Voices’ approach is that through a “hands on” approach, the participants are helping heal the horses while the horses are helping heal the humans. At our first session of our new therapy program, horses who have not yet established much trust with humans crowded up to the fence to meet a veteran who has had a stroke, is paralyzed on one side, and has to use a wheelchair in order to have enough mobility to participate in the program. The horses were initially suspicious of the motorized wheelchair, but soon overcame their apprehension to nuzzle someone who was overcome with wanting and needing that attention. The veteran was in tears! Given the enthusiastic response of the first participants, it is not unreasonable to expect that this program will grow to serve not only veterans but at risk youth, and adults with serious mental illness.
  My name is BoJangles, I now live at Equine Voices Rescue & Sanctuary in Amado Arizona. I am blind, and my previous owner was going to shoot me! Equine Voices saved me and they need your help to rescue as many of us as they can. Personally I sure would appreciate it if you would send me some unopened B2 vitamins from the health food store. I have an 11 year old angel who bought me a classy red halter, her name is Stacia. On Tuesday July 3, 2008 three Tucson veterans, they are over 30, were chauffered by Steve down to the ranch, twas great grooming they gave me, I sighed and basked in their love. I closed my eyes, perked up my ears, you see Sunshine was kicking and screaming in the stall behind me, she must be pretty, I can’t see her. I heard Karen, my sweet new owner say that Sunshine was choosing to stand there with the geldings and scream “get away from me!”
Check me and the others out at www.equinevoices.org. We hay eaters sure would whinney for joy if you would be so humane as to set up an automatic bank draft/check to help with buying gas. We horses are lucky enough to escape from our past lives in Canada and parts of the US to Arizona. Oh, by the way, Avon skin so soft keeps the flies away from us, our skin loves it! Some of the stuff they make for horses gives us a rash, Owee!!! Love,
BoJangles
(Written by Jamelle, Veteran Participant)
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