thedrifter
07-16-08, 06:43 AM
Veterans' find comfort on horses
BY STEPHANIE GASKELL
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Tuesday, July 15th 2008, 10:48 PM
Iraq war vet Pamela O’Donnell, 28, a Queens Marine, gets a lesson at the Jamaica Bay Riding Academy.
New York veterans are getting back in the saddle thanks to a horseback-riding program that helps them overcome posttraumatic stress disorder.
Brooklyn-based Seaside Therapeutic Riding is providing free horseback-riding lessons to several area veterans hoping to take their minds off the terrors of war.
"The therapy comes from the horse, not from us," said Daniel Cutler, a Vietnam veteran who runs the program out of the Jamaica Bay Riding Academy. "You ride a horse for half an hour, you're not thinking about your problems when you're trying not to fall off."
Six veterans have joined the eight-week program so far, and there's a waiting list to sign up. But funds are scarce because Cutler relies solely on donations and volunteers.
The veterans said the program has been a helpful - if unexpected - part of their therapy.
"It helps you release the anxiety you get from being in a war zone," said Pamela O'Donnell, a 28-year-old Iraq war veteran from Middle Village, Queens, who served with the Marines in Anbar Province in 2004 during some of the heaviest fighting there.
"When you ride a horse, you have to let go of your fear," she said.
Cutler, who has been riding for about 50 years, said horses are natural therapists.
"There are no secrets between the horse and rider - the horse knows all your fears," he said.
The veterans are given lessons on riding, but they also groom the horses and help clean the stables.
Several New York National Guard soldiers from Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn help out by spotting the veterans while they ride.
Cutler said he hopes to expand the program to include disabled veterans who are amputees. For now, the horses are helping ease the minds of brave men and women who are coping with the aftermath of war.
"It's relaxing," said Amedeo Stefanelli, a 60-year-old Vietnam veteran from Staten Island. "It's just a man and his horse."
Stefanelli said posttraumatic stress disorder is often misunderstood. Even though he hasn't been in combat in 40 years, the memories and the pain linger.
"It's very sneaky," he said. "It can come back with a scent, with a sight, with a sound."
Army veteran Robert Palmer, 54, of Flatbush, Brooklyn, said he was apprehensive about the therapy at first - he had never ridden a horse before.
"As soon as I got here, I felt better," he said. "The calmness that they give me, it's so peaceful."
sgaskell@nydailynews.com
Ellie
BY STEPHANIE GASKELL
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Tuesday, July 15th 2008, 10:48 PM
Iraq war vet Pamela O’Donnell, 28, a Queens Marine, gets a lesson at the Jamaica Bay Riding Academy.
New York veterans are getting back in the saddle thanks to a horseback-riding program that helps them overcome posttraumatic stress disorder.
Brooklyn-based Seaside Therapeutic Riding is providing free horseback-riding lessons to several area veterans hoping to take their minds off the terrors of war.
"The therapy comes from the horse, not from us," said Daniel Cutler, a Vietnam veteran who runs the program out of the Jamaica Bay Riding Academy. "You ride a horse for half an hour, you're not thinking about your problems when you're trying not to fall off."
Six veterans have joined the eight-week program so far, and there's a waiting list to sign up. But funds are scarce because Cutler relies solely on donations and volunteers.
The veterans said the program has been a helpful - if unexpected - part of their therapy.
"It helps you release the anxiety you get from being in a war zone," said Pamela O'Donnell, a 28-year-old Iraq war veteran from Middle Village, Queens, who served with the Marines in Anbar Province in 2004 during some of the heaviest fighting there.
"When you ride a horse, you have to let go of your fear," she said.
Cutler, who has been riding for about 50 years, said horses are natural therapists.
"There are no secrets between the horse and rider - the horse knows all your fears," he said.
The veterans are given lessons on riding, but they also groom the horses and help clean the stables.
Several New York National Guard soldiers from Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn help out by spotting the veterans while they ride.
Cutler said he hopes to expand the program to include disabled veterans who are amputees. For now, the horses are helping ease the minds of brave men and women who are coping with the aftermath of war.
"It's relaxing," said Amedeo Stefanelli, a 60-year-old Vietnam veteran from Staten Island. "It's just a man and his horse."
Stefanelli said posttraumatic stress disorder is often misunderstood. Even though he hasn't been in combat in 40 years, the memories and the pain linger.
"It's very sneaky," he said. "It can come back with a scent, with a sight, with a sound."
Army veteran Robert Palmer, 54, of Flatbush, Brooklyn, said he was apprehensive about the therapy at first - he had never ridden a horse before.
"As soon as I got here, I felt better," he said. "The calmness that they give me, it's so peaceful."
sgaskell@nydailynews.com
Ellie