NORTHWEST, Ohio — America has been at war since 2001 and there is a generation of veterans coming home and are having trouble coping with everyday life.
That's when the live-saving program H.O.O.V.E.S., steps in.
H.O.O.V.E.S., which stands for Healing Of Our Veterans Equine services, was started by Amanda Held who is a veteran herself. She started the program two years ago and it's continuing to grow.
The program isn't designed for the veterans to ride the horses, but instead they negotiate, cajole and then find themselves relating to the 2,000-pound animal in which they see a reflection of themselves.
"I don't have an answer for anyone but I have the ability to help people connect for themselves because that's who we really are. No other person is going to fix your life, so when we can hold up a mirror for you and create a space that is so safe to become vulnerable you get this clear read on exactly whats going on," Amanda explained.
Steve, a 10-year Air Force veteran, said he missed the family of military life when he came home. H.O.O.V.E.S. helped him learn how to reconnect with people.
"They can see you for what you are feeling. You are stressed and tensed up and all angry and everything else, and they're not going to do nothing for ya, they're just gonna turn away," Steve said.
H.O.O.V.E.S. is non profit organization and veterans aren't charged a dime for visiting for the weekend retreat and more and more of them are being done.
As it turns out a lot of the funds that keep the program going is due to private donations including veterans groups.
"It's definitely a life changing experience so I recommend it to any veteran, any first responder, anybody who's having problems out there," Steve added.
It's important to know that H.O.O.V.E.S. is not therapy, but it is training, coaching and helping each veteran figure out how to tear down the walls that block emotion.