10/23/2026
We love hearing good news... This Testimonial from a participant says it all... this is why we do what we do.
"As a Veteran, not all of us have support from friends and family. Battling a war that is not seen and hard to explain makes finding help harder.
Questions I would ask myself, Why do I feel like this? What is wrong with me? Why did I make it and not them? or statements such as, “I wish I could go to sleep and never wake up” “if I died no one would care or even know.”.....Feeling alone for so long was taking its toll on me mentally and physically. More medications were being prescribed. Pills started to feel like a norm compared to being able to talk.
After more than six years and thoughts of ending it all, I found something on YouTube, of all places. A 1 minute 7 second video about su***de with veterans and first responders. It was for Equine Therapy offered by Rising Star Ranches. I looked up the location and saw it was based out of Chicago, IL. I reached the organization and explained who
I was and why I was reaching out. That same day I received a phone call from a gentleman named Ken. Ken and I talked for a good bit. Ken finally said, “I can hear it in your voice that you want to get better.” After we hung up, in less than 24 hours, Ken found a place near me that could work with me. He explained that they were a P.A.T.H. international member center and that he had spoken to the
CEO.
On my first day, I met up with Eva, and we talked and
walked around the stables and pastures. What I did not know at the time was how much this place and the horses would not only change my life but save me in more than one way. When I first started, I was paired with a horse named Buddy. Buddy, though missing his left eye, taught
me more about myself and helped me start believing I could get through this. Buddy gave me something no human had, trust, confidence and a will to keep moving forward.
After several months, I was then paired with a pony named Yogi. I was nervous and anxious at first because of the bond I had built with Buddy. But it did not take long for those feelings to subside. Just within the first few sessions, Yogi and I “clicked”. For the first time in nine years after losing my best friend, my military working dog Coli, I finally felt the bond and feeling I had with him with Yogi. A void that had
finally been filled. For the first time in a very long time, I finally felt hopeful. When I leave my sessions with Yogi, I feel whole, confident, and less anxious. I have started going to stores and using coping mechanisms I learned with Yogi, in public places. I am no longer afraid of the unknown when leaving my home, which has become my safe place. I think of Yogi next to me and remember I can do this because he
is with me. For the first time, I was not alone. I had Yogi and Yogi had me. I cannot explain the bond we have, only that when you know it is there, you feel it. You feel it when you're together and when you are not together. I used to get very hot, start to sweat, fast heartbeat and panic breathing when my anxiety was high out in public. I avoided going anywhere that required me to go inside. But now, that is no longer the
case. When those feelings start to come on, I take deep breaths, find my balance and see Yogi next to me reassuring me it is okay, I am right here. I no longer feel the need to look over my shoulders. My psychiatrist and I recently met for an appointment. I explained to him how much Equine Therapy has helped me, the coping mechanisms I have learned and putting them to use have truly helped. After the
appointment, I was taken off two medications I had been on for several years. Equine therapy has taught me that it is okay to feel like I do, but not to allow the feelings to dictate my life path. I know I will not be the person I was prior to my PTSD, anxiety and depression. I have found a new me, myself, and I and it feels amazing.
-Rising Star Ranches Participant
