Two years ago, Air Force veteran Mike Boland was struggling to cope with everyday life after retiring from his three-decade career. Today, he’s doing much better — and he attributes that to horses. “I don’t drink like I used to drink. I don’t self-medicate like I used to self-medicate. I don’t feel worthless like I used to feel worthless,” he told CTV News. “It gives you purpose,” he added. Two years ago, he noticed his past was seeping into his life, and he was struggling. At the time, his operational stress injury clinic recommended equine therapy — an idea he originally balked at. “It’s a horse, you know. It’s not helping me, I need to speak to somebody,” he said. But after he began sessions at Silverwood Arabian Farm in Fredericton, that silence soon became an important part of healing. “I didn’t have to share the hard experiences, I didn’t have to explain myself, I just have to work with the animal,” he said. “I think that’s the most wonderful part of horses, they keep us grounded and we get back to the simple things,” the farm’s co-owner Kim Taylor said. The farm offers 12-week sessions over six months for veterans and first responders, alongside an occupational therapist. It’s paid for by the farm’s not-for-profit. The therapy is an extension of what Taylor has already been offering — the Fredericton Therapeutic Riding Association provides its services on her property. But she said shifting to veterans and first responders is a unique way to help service members cope with often traumatic aspects of their work — with animals who won’t judge. “I’m just really grateful to be able to offer this, to hopefully make a difference in their life and their quality of life, to be a little happier and be able to get out of bed and feel like they have a purpose, and do what they need to do to live life,” Taylor said. Meanwhile, what started as eight sessions for Boland has grown into a habit — once or twice a week he returns to volunteer at the stables. “Once you’re out of the military, you don’t have that network, that circle anymore, you don’t feel like you’re part of a team. And it makes me feel like I’m part of a team and valued,” he said. For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
