While Memorial Day serves as a time for remembrance, it can also present significant challenges for many veterans, particularly those dealing with mental health issues like PTSD, depression, and anxiety. According to data from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, veterans are more likely to be diagnosed with these conditions than civilians, with approximately 6,000 veterans dying by suicide each year. The data also shows that 7% of veterans will experience PTSD at some point in their lives.
Operation Remount, a nonprofit program based in Jay Em, Wyoming, is addressing these challenges by providing veterans and first responders with a form of equine therapy. The program pairs veterans with wild mustangs, offering a unique therapeutic approach that benefits both the animals and the participants. Karen Alexander, co-founder of Operation Remount, highlights that many of the mustangs also experience trauma and anxiety, making the program a form of reciprocal healing. ‘These are mustangs that went through three adoptions and were not accepted or not adopted,’ she said. ‘When the mustangs first come, they are very afraid of humans. It’s really neat to see when that animal finally says, I can trust you.’
Veteran Sean Walker, who served in the military with the Kansas National Guard and completed two tours in Iraq and one in Bosnia, found significant relief in the program. He has formed a bond with his horse, nicknamed Spirit, which he says has helped him reconnect with a sense of purpose after retiring from the military. ‘We call him Enduring Spirit Wind,’ Walker said. ‘He’s taught me probably more than I could have possibly taught him.’
The program recently added a new red cabin to house participants during the six-week course, built in honor of Marine Corps Sgt. B.J. Shepperson, who struggled with the transition back to civilian life in Wyoming. His brother, Baxter Shepperson, recalled that his brother loved horses and would have appreciated the program’s efforts to help other veterans. ‘After two deployments and coming back to Wyoming, he had a hard time re-adjusting,’ said Baxter Shepperson.
Program leaders are working to expand the program by building an indoor facility to offer the therapeutic sessions year-round, even during Wyoming’s harsh winters. Operation Remount allows veterans and first responders to keep the wild horses they bond with after completing the program, which holds sessions in both spring and fall. This initiative not only supports veterans in their mental health recovery but also provides a second chance for mustangs that have endured difficult pasts, creating a mutually beneficial therapeutic environment.