Horses help Holloman children cope through deployments

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Daniel Liddicoet
  • 49th Wing Public Affairs
LAS CRUCES, N.M. --  Children of deployed Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., service members and members of Operation Military Kids learned an entirely new and unique set of skills at Spirit Ranch July 16 to 20.

During their week at Spirit Ranch, the campers participated in a variety of activities from learning to make movies, completing traditional arts and crafts projects, and utilizing Spirit Ranch's most unique asset - horses.

Spirit Ranch, having established itself as a local pioneer in equine-assisted psycho-therapy, employed horses as a tool to help the children learn to communicate and cope through difficult situations.

Ann Remick-Barlow, Spirit Ranch founder and licensed therapist with more than 37 years of experience, runs the facility with a military-friendly policy, having serviced many wounded warriors suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

"We're a family program," said Remick-Barlow. "Everything affects the family, and we try to account for that with each person we work with here."

Horses, as Remmick-Barlow explains, orient themselves around the herd, making them instinctive masters of the family dynamic.

This lends to her principle that, "If you can learn how to be a part of that horse herd, you can learn how to communicate within your own family."

Communication is truly the key lesson at Spirit Ranch. The horses are able to provide a non-threatening avenue for patients to communicate through personal trauma.

Countless success stories, as well as scientific research on the effects of equine-assisted psycho-therapy, both suggest genuine validity to the therapeutic benefits of horses.

Remick-Barlow attributes these benefits primarily to the horses' tendency to mirror humans. This mirroring effect, if allowed to happen, can provide deep insight into a person's mood, she said.

Patients are taught to use the horses' reactions as a gauge to measure their own emotions, and to try and achieve a more balanced total psyche.

"Horses are intuitive," explained Remmick-Barlow. "They know when a person is balanced, or needs to be balanced. Even though we let the people choose their horses, what they don't know is that the horse is choosing them."

Operation Military Kids' collaboration with Spirit Ranch allowed for Team Holloman to help facilitate the week-long camp in Las Cruces, approximately a 45-minute drive from Holloman AFB.

The base pitched in on many levels to help support children participating in the camp, said Tech. Sgt. Denise Mendiola, 49th Force Support Squadron Airmen and Family Readiness Center NCO in charge, who led in the coordination of the camp's advertisement and transportation.

"It really shows our support," said Mendiola. "To be able to pool communities together to help these children deal with military life."

Despite the wide-ranging benefits and learning opportunities afforded by Spirit Ranch, the parties involved all share the same humble and fun-loving approach.

Remick-Barlow was able to summarize her ranch with a simple adage: "We respect the horses, and the horses respect us."

The Spirit Ranch is also a qualified TRICARE provider, and is able to offer its therapeutic services to all active-duty military members.

To see a complete photo slideshow of the activities at Spirit Ranch, click here.