Veterans travel the road to recovery on horseback
Sep. 7—HERMITAGE — Being included in the Fly High with Horses program at Trails End Conservancy Inc. in Hermitage has been therapeutic for Mercer resident Ron Gilkey.
Gilkey said the program enables veterans to be able to open up and just talk about things.
"A lot of us have a lot of the same experiences and problems," Gilkey said. "So when you come out here, you know you're no longer alone."
Fly High with Horses is a veteran equine horsemanship therapeutic program operated by the husband-and-wife team of Jim and Lisa Gibson.
Jim is an Army who served as a helicopter pilot during the Gulf War. In 2015 he suffered a traumatic brain injury that nearly took his life. As part of his treatment, Jim used the Veterans Affairs healthcare system and was greatly satisfied with the care and attention he received. It let him to reconnect with veterans he had been distanced from since his time of service.
The experience prompted Jim and Lisa to give back and help other veterans in crisis, so Fly High with Horses was born. The idea grew after Jim used horses as a key component to his own recovery from his injury. Riding assisted him in rebuilding his cognitive skills and diminished balance.
"We're going to give back to these veterans," Jim said. "We put this program together and we started reaching out. They come in, they go through this 6- to 8-week program."
Jim is a fourth-generation horseman, having grown up on a family farm in Transfer with a 200-year history in Mercer County.
After realizing the benefits horses have for recovery and overall physical and mental well-being, Jim and Lisa decided to restructure their existing non-profit company known as Trails End Conservancy and created Fly High with Horses to offer the benefit of horses to other veterans.
"One mission of Trails End Conservancy is to help veterans and their families struggling with the effects of combat and life stressors and to improve their mental and physical well-being through equine programs and activities," Jim said.
Trails End Conservancy serves veterans and families with two programs: Fly High with Horses for veterans from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesdays, and Family Fly High with Horses for veterans and their families from 4 to 6 p.m. Sundays. The veterans continue to meet as weather permits.
During a program session, participants learn basic horsemanship skills and complete tasks on horseback.
"There is so much to do here," said Gilkey, the program participant. "I like to come out here and muck stalls, clean up and whatever chores are out here."
Sessions consist of horse etiquette and safety, horse behaviors, grooming and interacting with the horse, applying tack, and learning to mount, sit and control the horse and ride.
With the use of horses, veterans dealing with recovery issues feel reduced stress, increased confidence, build relationship skills and improved ability to trust others, Jim said.
"I come out even when there's nobody out here. It's kind of like a magnet," Gilkey said. "Once you're in it, it's hard not to be a part of it."
Follow Melissa Klaric on twitter @HeraldKlaric or email her at mklaric@sharonherald.com
Follow Melissa Klaric on twitter @HeraldKlaric or email her at mklaric@sharonherald.com
