HOW HORSES ARE HELPING VETERANS RECLAIM THEIR STRENGTH HARNESS THE POWER OF EQUINE HEALING
This Veterans Day, we’re celebrating the inspiring story of veterans finding healing and empowerment through unexpected four-legged friends. In Tennessee, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has teamed up with the Center for Equine Recovery (CERV) at Middle Tennessee State University to offer veterans the powerful rehabilitation method of equine therapy. The results? Nothing short of transformative.
me to do my part with confidence,” Parchetta said. “The staff were the experts and took their time to ensure I was confident.”
Veterans also learn to care for and guide the horses through obstacles, building trust with the animals and within themselves. Lee Farris, another veteran in the program, spoke about how working with the horses helped him regain self-confidence. “The program is set up to safely assist and encourage veterans to succeed in overcoming some of the fears we might have of large animals or horses, but also to build our self-confidence and learn to trust others and ourselves again.” For Parchetta, the experience has been life-changing. “This class with horses showed me that I can still achieve and dream,” she said. As the veterans guide and care for these incredible animals, they also guide themselves toward healing and self-discovery. This Veterans Day, we honor the service of veterans like Parchetta and Farris and celebrate the incredible strength it takes to confront the past and look toward a brighter future. Equine therapy at CERV is just one example of how we can support veterans in their recovery journey, helping them rediscover hope and confidence.
Good News Network reported this unique program has profoundly affected veterans like Joanne Parchetta. Parchetta struggled with the emotional and physical toll of past trauma. Through CERV’s 10-week program, veterans are introduced to horses and learn about their behaviors through hands-on interaction and classroom instruction. But the real magic happens when veterans begin to learn about themselves, too.
Horses are known for being emotionally sensitive creatures, often described as “bio-feedback machines” that mirror the emotions of their handlers. To work safely with them, veterans must be calm and focused — a lesson that helps them confront their own emotional state. Parchetta shared how her horse, Penny, became a mirror for her emotions, teaching her patience and confidence. “Penny wasn’t judgmental, but she expected
SUDOKU
EATS WITH ELLIE
FENNEL GRATIN
INGREDIENTS •
2 cups heavy cream
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1 1/2 tsp salt
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2 shallots, roughly chopped 4 garlic cloves, smashed 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp black pepper
3 large fennel bulbs, cored and cut into 1-inch-thick wedges
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2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat oven to 350 F with one rack in the center and one about 4 inches from the heat. 2. In a small saucepan, bring cream, shallots, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper to a simmer over medium heat, stirring often. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring often, for another 15–20 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes. 3. Arrange fennel wedges, slightly overlapping, in a large cast-iron skillet or broiler-safe 2-quart baking dish. Pour cream mixture over fennel. Roast on center rack until fennel is tender, about 40–50 minutes. 4. Remove skillet and increase oven temperature to broil. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese evenly over fennel. Broil on upper rack until top is browned, 1–4 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.
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