WELLSVILLE CANYON, Utah —When he was on combat deployment in the Marine Corps, Justin Bishop, of Logan, saw the worst of the worst images from the Persian Gulf War in the early 1990s.
Bishop developed post-traumatic stress disorder — experiencing nightmares, sleepless nights, hyper-vigilance and depression. But because of “the culture and stigma of seeking help,” he never got treatment until 2008. The Veterans Administration gave him pills, but it didn’t help, Bishop said.
Then, last year, Bishop found horseback riding.
“It makes the world stand still for a second,” Bishop said. “I didn’t have my mind on past experiences or the friends that I had lost.”
Bishop was just one of several veterans in a group that took a horseback ride up Wellsville Canyon, reported The Herald Journal. The trail rides are provided through Utah State University Extension and USU’s new Equine Activities and Therapies Program.
Karl Hoopes, a USU Extension equine specialist, was one of the people who came up with the idea for the veterans trail ride. The Wellsville Canyon ride was the 11th since the activity started a year ago.
Hoopes talked about the importance of having trail rides for the veterans.
“When they’re in the military, they’re in a close-knit group; they live together and they fight together,” Hoopes said. “When they come back and interact with people who have not been through the same experience, they don’t feel part of a close-knit group anymore. These horses help provide a sense of community.”
Michelle Weed, USU director of Equine-Human Sciences and professional practice assistant professor, echoed Hoopes’ comments.
