Horses For Heroes
By Barbara W. Russell
A Special Program for Our Military Men and Women Who Have Been Injured
Lee Ann and Doug Marrie shared a dream. They wanted to do something for our wounded military and their families, to somehow give back to them for their sacrificial service to our country and to the world. They dreamed of using horses for therapy, and recently the beginnings of their dream became a reality when Kraig Gates, a Navy veteran, arrived at Faith Equestrian Center to spend some time with a special horse named Diamonds.
Gates has had some riding experience, and although it has been 20 years since he’s been on a horse, he thoroughly enjoyed his day grooming and riding Diamonds. “This program has much to offer to many vets,” he said. “It will give you peace of mind and tranquility. It’s very therapeutic. It’s a ministry.”
It’s amazing how sometimes things seem like a coincidence when people are brought together to work on a special project. That’s what happened when Horses for Heroes was being formed, but those involved say it was God’s work.
I had been under the impression that Horses for Heroes was mainly Lee Ann’s project, but I soon found out just how deeply concerned both Lee Ann and her husband, Doug, are about the welfare of our veterans.
Doug Marrie is a soft-spoken, humble man with a strong faith, and he literally wears his faith on his sleeve. The afternoon I met him, he had on a red t-shirt that said: “I’m all fired up with Christ. He saved my life and he can save you too.”
Doug’s compassion for our veterans deepened while he was working in Savannah as a security guard at Best Buy. “A lot of military would come in and they had a lot of injuries,” he said, “and I had a lot of time to minister to them.
“One man had two missing legs. He told me that he’d left, (been deployed) a man, but when he came back, he did not feel like a man for his family. I got down on his level, and right there in the appliance department I got on my knees and prayed with him, but I felt compelled to do more to try to encourage him.
“I told him that his life was like a book and this is another chapter. ‘This is the part of the story when the war hero comes home, and you are the war hero.
“This is the part of the story when he realizes that he is needed as much as he needs. You’ve got to show that your love is not limited to the wheelchair.
“This is the chapter that you write. Listen….write it well.’”
The time Doug spent with this heroic soldier had a profound impact on him, creating a strong desire to somehow help our wounded military. “That is how it (the program) got birthed,” said Doug. “It’s not enough to tell them you care – you’ve got to show them.”
“Our veterans are our heroes. There’s a scripture that says that Jesus laid down his life for others, and that’s what they’re doing. They’re willing to lay down their lives for us. What greater love than that? I had to do something.”
At home, Doug shared his concerns and feelings with Lee Ann, who also has a strong compassion for our wounded warriors. They discussed ways to do something to help them. The idea of using horses for therapy came to Doug, which was a surprise, because at that time he knew practically nothing about horses. But, he persisted with his idea. “Look up horses on the internet,” he told Lee Ann. “Look up horses…. and heroes.”
Lee Ann did, and “NARHA Horses for Heroes” popped up on the screen. NARHA stands for North American Riding for the Handicapped Association, and it stated that its goal is “Appreciating the power of the horse to change lives.” Horses for Heroes is one of its programs. The home page had a picture of a wounded soldier riding a horse, and the headline read: “Serving Wounded Service Personnel and Veterans.” Doug and Lee Ann immediately knew that this was the organization that they wanted to be a part of. NARHA has Horses for Heroes programs in 24 states, and Lee Ann and Doug’s program will be the 31st in the country.
Although they now had information about a national organization that would give them more information and guidelines, they still did not know how they would begin their own Horses for Heroes at the local level. Little did they know that their 12 year old daughter, Amber, would be instrumental in their search.
Amber is the one person in the family who is horse crazy. Just ask her how she feels about having two horses living on their five acres and you’ll get a giant smile and contagious laughter. I understand her response – I’m horse crazy too.
When Amber was 11 years old, she asked her parents if she could have a horse. They told her she needed to learn how to careof one first. That resulted in her getting a job working two days a week at Faith Equestrian Center, a local stable that gives therapeutic riding instruction. “Mom was just going to drop me off and come back and get me later, but when she met Bonnie Gentry, who owns the center, they started talking…” That was the real beginning.
Their personalities meshed. They talked seriously, and Lee Ann asked Bonnie if she had heard of the Horses for Heroes program. Bonnie had heard of it, and in fact, she is certified with NARHA and had wanted to start a Horses for Heroes program for our local military, but she did not have the time. Now all that would change. They were both amazed that they had this common interest, and Bonnie’s promise of “I will help you do it,” was all that Doug and Lee Ann needed to get more involved.
Lee Ann, Doug and Bonnie created the perfect partnership to make it happen, but it would take more than hard work and an unselfish desire to help others to make their program a reality. Leaders and volunteers to work with the horses must be recruited and trained, and funds were needed to obtain equipment and to build the facility.
Since Bonnie is a certified NARHA instructor, she guided Lee Ann through the process. There are three levels of certification which include knowledge and experience handling the horse, teaching classes, and role playing.
As Lee Ann was working on her certification, she was given a great deal of support for the program from Bruce McCartney who is an advocate for the veterans, and he works hard for the veterans “Independent Living Program”. Lee Ann is thankful for the tremendous amount of help he has given them. It was through the efforts of McCartney that Kraig Gates learned about Horses for Heroes and became their first rider.
Although Doug and Lee Ann have had their first Horses for Heroes rider at Faith Equestrian Center, plans are in the making for the permanent site of their program to be on their own property. Their projected opening date is Saturday, November 13 of this year. Appropriately, it will be the first Saturday after Veteran’s Day.
The main focus of their facility will be therapeutic riding, but Doug and Lee Ann have much more planned for military families to enjoy. “When soldiers come back from the war they need activities to help them integrate back into a civilian lifestyle,” said Lee Ann. “They need a place where they can relax and have fun.” That’s the kind of place Lee Ann and Doug want to provide.
They live on five acres, and Lee Ann gave me a tour of their property. Of course there is a small well-kept stable and riding area for their Horses for Heroes program, and there is a covered and screened building where family members can watch their loved ones ride.
In another area there is a pond for fishing with a deck that adjoins it. There are covered picnic tables on the deck, and it will have a wheelchair ramp, to make fishing easily accessible. “We want to have an above-ground pool with wheel chair access,” Lee Ann tells me, “and we’d love to have a few cabins where military families can stay for a week-end or a week, and we’re going to have trails on the back of the property.” Her enthusiasm and willingness to continue working seems endless. I loved walking around their property. There’s a feeling of peacefulness, and I know how much our military community is going to enjoy it too.
“Goals for the riding program are to be able to work on whatever the individual needs are, and our service men and women set their own goals,” said Lee Ann. “We want to give them back their self-confidence and build it step-by-step. We want them to be able to trust again and build a bond with a horse. Riding helps with coordination and balance, and can provide a feeling of well-being.”
Another wonderful part of the program is that it is free. Any military service person, whether man or woman, veteran or active, who has been injured physically or psychologically, is eligible to apply.
Our wounded warriors are the epitome of courage and self-sacrifice….They are our heroes. Lee Ann, Doug and Bonnie are determined to make their Horses for Heroes program successful, and they will welcome anyone who wants to volunteer in anyway to help them.
“We need volunteers in every area,” said Bonnie, “but especially in fundraising and grant writing. Some of the equipment needed is very expensive. For example, the cost of a Sure Hand Lift, which is needed to lift unambulatory soldiers onto a horse, is $8,000. If only we could get Jack Kingston’s attention to help us to get something going for the soldiers – possibly a facility at Ft. Stewart. There’s a stable there that could be repaired or rebuilt and given to the soldiers.
They also need people who can help with building some of the structures. Bonnie’s Faith Equestrian Center was almost completely built by Eagle Scouts. She points to the barn, riding arena and special ramps. “I call this ‘The Eagle’s Nest’,” she says, “because this is where the Eagle Scouts get their wings!”
“It’s always an ongoing process when you work with volunteers,” said Bonnie. “People bring their talents to the community, and we hope to get some military to help.”
Of course volunteers are needed to work directly with the horses as leaders or side walkers, and only people experienced with horses can be horse leaders. They all must go through an orientation session.
Although the horses provide therapy for our wounded military, Bonnie says that “Volunteering is therapy for all who volunteer. While helping another human being, your troubles fade away.”
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