While traditional talk therapy can be effective for many people, it’s not an approach everyone chooses. Some people say they find it easier to heal through hands-on activities and time outdoors rather than in a traditional counseling session.
Christy Schram, with her husband, co-founded Veterans Rescue Ranch (VRR), a veteran-funded nonprofit that helps veterans and families heal through nature, animals, and community. One of the ranch’s programs is Sangre de Cristo Horse and Healing, led by licensed professional counselor Joy Buckley of Elkwood Counsel.
Petting animals can help lower cortisol levels, reduce your heart rate and blood pressure, and boost mood-elevating neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine. Photo/Christy Schram
“We use the animals as a tool,” Buckley pointed out. “Way back in ancient times, horses were used to help people heal, to help people heal psychologically.”
Schram and Buckley say their work is driven by a shared passion for service and a belief in the powerful connection between people and animals. Through their nonprofit, they pair rescued animals with community members in programs designed to support healing, build confidence, and offer new opportunities for connection.
Equine-assisted learning (EAL), sometimes referred to as equine therapy, is a non-clinical, experiential approach that partners people with horses to help people build confidence, strengthen communication, and process the effects of trauma, PTSD, and other life challenges.
“What I see the most, working with veterans, is you have to show up as your authentic self,” Schram explained. “If you’re not congruent on the outside with how you feel on the inside, the horse is gonna call you on it. You have to take off your mask; that’s what I tell them. You have to own how you’re actually feeling.”
Schram and Buckley say their approach is based on the idea that participants learn through interacting with the horses rather than through traditional counseling. During the sessions, the horses respond to participants’ behavior and body language, providing opportunities to reflect on emotions, communication, and trust. Schram and Buckley say the experience can help people better understand their own responses and relationships.
Geoffrey Schram, co-founder of Veterans Rescue Ranch, pets Valhalla, an adopted mustang from the Bureau of Land Management. Photo/Christy Schram
“Sometimes you can’t help what you get. You’re either born with a tendency towards being anxious, addiction issues, or depression,” Buckley said. “But identifying that you don’t feel exactly right and then deciding I’m going to get better is the choice that you have. Everybody has that choice.”
Both women say healing isn’t something that happens overnight. It begins with a decision to seek help and a willingness to do the work.
“The first step is admitting you need help, and then reaching out and seeking people who understand—people who have been there before,” Schram explained. “The thing is, it is work. You have to do some inner looking. What are your limiting beliefs? What is your mindset?”
Buckley encourages anyone curious to give equine-assisted learning a chance. “We encourage people to try it,” she says. “See if you can make a connection with an animal and if you feel better about yourself afterward. I’ve seen the magic of healing happen with horses.”
“Moving outside, working with the horses has really changed some lives,” Schram commented.
Valhalla, an adopted mustang from BLM now living and helping out on the ranch. Photo/Christy Schram
Although Veterans Rescue Ranch was created for veterans, Schram says community interest led the organization to expand its programs. “Everything we do at the ranch is open to the whole community—from the firewood bank and kids’ programs to our equine-assisted learning sessions,” she said. “Everyone is welcome.”
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