Veterans find healing working with horses

Joanne Parchetta is one of many Veterans helped by the Center for Equine Recovery, a program at Middle Tennessee State University. The idea behind the program was bringing Veterans in from the Veterans Recovery Center, part of Tennessee Valley VA in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Through interactions and learning about the behaviors of horses, Veterans could learn about themselves through their development in class.

“I know that you are not defined by chronic illness or physical disability but it can demoralize you and cause you to give up. This class with horses showed me that I can still achieve and I can still dream,” Parchetta said.

CERV allows Veterans from Tennessee Valley VA to break through their own mental and health barriers to improve their own lives. According to CERV, horses mirror their guide or rider and provide a physical reflection of a Veteran’s emotions. With this feedback, a Veteran can better see, process and work through their behaviors.

“The program is set up to safely assist and encourage Veterans to succeed in overcoming some of the fears we might have of large animals or horses but also to build our self-confidence and learn to trust others and ourselves again,” said Lee Farris, who has been a part of CERV since 2023.

“She expected me to do my part.”

“My horse Penny showed me patience,” said Parchetta who has been a part of CERV since 2024. “She wasn’t judgmental, but expected me to do my part with confidence. The staff were the experts and took their time to ensure I was confident.”

Confidence, patience and courage are vital skills that are tantamount to VA’s Whole Health service. CERV works with the recreational therapy portion of Whole Health. The class walks Veterans through classroom and hands-on demonstrations. How to groom, care for and get to know the horse are part of the initial few weeks of the 10-week program. Veterans learn how to walk and guide their horses while dismounted and then how to lead their horses through various obstacles.

“It makes you trust in yourself.”

“You have to work as a team with your horse emotionally and physically for it to work,” said Parchetta. “When trusting in this amazing animal, it makes you trust in yourself and rediscover things in yourself you thought were lost.”

For Farris, the professionalism of the instructors provided a place for him to feel comfortable to grow.

“I learned how to trust the staff—not only because they were the experts—but they patiently took their time to ensure I was confident with the skills I was learning. I was able to be myself and not worry about being judged for my mistakes.”