After facing the traumatic horrors of
combat, one in eight returning soldiers suffer from Post Traumatic Stress
Disorder. A Canadian group called Can Praxis has launched the opportunity for
soldiers and their loved ones to relearn how to live through the companionship
provided by horses.
Soldiers
are handing in their camouflage for stirrups to help deal with the traumatic
stress they experienced in combat.
When
a soldier is sent home from combat, the adrenaline they used to stay alive is
forced to stop. However, a soldier’s mind which is trained to be constantly
active becomes the leading cause of an inner battle called Post Traumatic
Stress Disorder.
Though
it is a disorder examined since the earliest reports in the 6th
century BC, nobody has been able to fully understand it.
“You
name it, I’ve probably been there,” said Canadian veteran Jason Bennett.
“Coming home from overseas was probably one of the most difficult things in my
life and the hardest part was learning how to interact with people who aren’t
soldiers. You’re in a very close knit family when you’re overseas, you have to
rely on everybody around you. When you come home, the relationships are
different and the environment is different. So it feels like there is something
that’s not there.”
Studies
have shown the most effective way of coping with PTSD is therapy finding the
stress triggers and learning to regain a sense of security. This concept
brought Steve Critchley and
Jim Marland
together to create Can Praxis.
Can
Praxis is a program that uses horses for communication theory and practical
exercises to help veterans and their spouses communicate together in a way that
reduces stress. Based in Rocky Mountain House, AL, Can Praxis has shown success
in its members through the programs that have been running for six months.
Bennett
participated in Can Praxis’ programs, and said after the first afternoon, he
immediately noticed a difference within himself. “The horses give that calming
effect,” said Bennett. “They’re amazing animals and when we get stressed, the
animals get stressed so that made us focus on how we were behaving. Even if we
were not aware that we were stressed, the horses would feel it and they would
react to it. That would make us stop and think about what we were doing and
why.”
Marland, a
registered psychologist, runs a program called Equine Assisted Learning. He
explained the
reasoning
behind the rejuvenating feeling Bennett has around the horses. ”Horses are a
large animal of prey,” said Marland.
“That means their way of dealing with stress or difficulties is usually to run
away – that’s what they do in nature. They are experts at understanding our
human body language. There are lots of people in the world who would say that
growing up, having a horse was a good thing for their emotional well-being
because they understand us.”
After
trying several ways of coping with PTSD, Bennett and his girlfriend, Rebeccah
Brown, turned to Can Praxis as their last resort. She said from being on the
outside looking in on his struggles, she feels the horse therapy did the most
for him.“It was
scary when he came home,” said Brown. “They’re trained to hit first and ask
questions later, and when they come home that never goes away. When he came
home from his last tour, he was constantly stressed out. Around the horses,
he’s calm. They make him aware of his stress, and that helps him make an effort
to calm down.”
Can
Praxis has a herd of 15 Halflinger
horses – six of which are used in the program. Halflinger
horses originate from Austria and are known for their calm personalities, small
height and work-horse stature.
“The
bulk of the horses are quite sensitive and reactive, they respond to people’s
body language and a couple of the others who are less responsive,” said Marland. “So
if you are dealing with people who are highly anxious, you might start them
with the horses that are most calm. The horses notice a lot about veterans,
then the veterans start to realize the horses understand them very well and
that makes a significant impact. Veterans appreciate it because many of them
feel understood in a way they may not have felt before.” by Hailey Trealout
For
more information, visit the Can Praxis Facebook page at www.facebook.com/CanPraxis
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