Saratoga Warhorse program helps veterans with PTSD

THOROUGHBRED RACEHORSES WITHVETERANS TO HELP WITH PTSD.NOW SARATOGA WARHORSE ISADAPTING TO HELP MARYLANDNATIONAL GUARDSMEN WHO ARERESPONDING TO THE COVID 19PANDEMIC.

WMAR-2 NEWS ABBYISAACS EXPLAINS HOW ITMAKING AN IMPACT ON OSTATEúLooklive- itcreating a connection, afriendship with these retiredthoroughbred horses.... thatVeterans say helps them bettercope with stress and anxiety.NATS neighing IT MIGHT NOTSEEM LIKE A NATURAL PAIRINGNAT Good and when she stopsjust a nice pat BUT ONENONPROFIT IN BALTIMORE COUNTYIS PROVING THAT RETIREDTHOROUGHBRED RACEHORSES ANDVETERANS MAKE GREAT PARTNERS.STEVE MOONEY // VETERAN,SARATOGA WARHORSE EMPLOYEE -ItJust to see the smiles on thefaces.

STEVE MOONEY FIRST GOTINVOLVED WITH SARATOGAWARHORSE 5 YEARS AGO..PARTICIPATING AFTER HE GOTBACK FROM A DEPLOYMENT INAFGAHNISTAN AND SUFFERED FROMPTSD AND INSOMNIA.

STEVE- Ithelp me cope with things alittle different.

Help me lookat stress a little different.IT CHANGED HIS LIFE&.

THECONNECTION YOU EARN FROM THEHORSE.

STEVE- Theyaround the pen trying to avoidyou and hten as you interactwith the horse it comes to apoint that the horse is gonnasay alright I wnana be yourfriend now.

MARC JUNKERMAN //VETERAN AND SARATOGA WARHORSEVOLUNTEER -You can see thatmoment when that horse andthat vet decide to becomefriends and therelike a handshake and thatprobably the coolest part ofthis whole program for me.AFTER GOING THROUGH THEPROGRAM IN ANOTHER STATE,MOONEY HELPED START A BRANCHAT THE BALTIMORE COUNTY CENTERFOR AGRICULTURAL.

MOONEY- Howmany marriages did we save?How many people came offsubstance abuse how manypeople might have had issueswith suicide thoguhts?

NOW THEPROGRAM IS ADPATING TO HELPTHE THOUSANDS OF MARYLANDNATIONAL GUARDSMEN WHO DROPPEDWHAT THEY WERE DOING TO HELPTHE STATE THROUGH THISPANDEMIC.

TECH SGT.

MIRIAMJARVIS // MARYLAND NATIONALGUARD- This is a completelydifferent thing that none ofus have dealt with in the pastTECH SARGEANT MIRIAM JARVISWAS ONE OF THE FIRST TO TRYTHE PILOT PROGRAM ON THE EVEOF VETERANS DAY& NAT He feelscomfortable.

Horses donthis if they donAND SAID SHE WILL DEFINITELYTELL HER FELLOW SERVICEMEMBERSABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY.

JARVIS-We can relax more when we areoutside the base and take offthe uniform and we can justexpress what we are feeling sothis is a huge opportunity forpeople to come off base and dothat.

Looklive- you can signup to take the 3-day programon Saratoga warhorses website.In cockeysville, Abby isaacsWMAR 2 newsWMAR-2 IS PROUD TO BE YOURVOICE FOR VETERANS... HELP