Monty Roberts’ Horse Sense and Healing Program is honored to announce it has received a grant from the Disabled Veterans National Foundation (DVNF) that will fund several weekend programs of resilience-building workshops for veterans, police, fire, first responders and their families. The three-day program involves working closely with horses. The individuals and horses develop a special bond built upon mutual trust and respect.
Join-Up® is the method Monty Roberts discovered by observing the gentle nature of horses. Horse Sense and Healing offers effective tools to rediscover attendees through the eyes of the horse. This self-awareness exercise deals effectively with emotional trauma, anti-social behavior and withdrawal, anger, stress, combat stress and even Post Traumatic Stress Injury (PTSI). Roberts and his team have been working with persons suffering from PTSI, over the course of five separate recent clinics each year since 2011. The results are coming in, and the outcome is fantastic and have people laughing and getting back to a normal life who have been afflicted with PTSI for upwards of 35 years.
Roberts holds two Ph.D.s in Behavioral Sciences. In these workshops, he demonstrates the deeply healing power of establishing a trusting relationship with horses without the use of force. With his soft-spoken, nurturing style, Roberts assists veterans as they learn to cause a partnership with the horse. After three transformational days, veterans can better understand how to control their anger, confront painful memories, cope with real-life situations and move on with their lives and relationships.
Pat Roberts, Executive Director of Join-Up International said, “We are very pleased to accept this generous donation from the Disabled Veterans National Foundation. It will be used to build trust back in to our service personnel who have served our country and communities.”
Joseph VanFonda (USMC Sgt. Maj. Ret.), CEO of the Disabled Veterans National Foundation was instrumental in the placement of grants. http://dvnf.org/news/
Disabled Veterans National Foundation exists to provide critical needed support to disabled and at-risk veterans who leave the military wounded – physically to psychologically – after defending our safety and our freedom. DVNF achieves this mission by:
- Providing an online resource database that allows veterans to navigate the complex process of seeking benefits that they are entitled to as a result of their military service, as well as additional resources they need.
- Offering direct financial support to veteran organizations that address the unique needs of veterans, and whose missions align with that of DVNF.
- Providing supplemental assistance to homeless and low-income veterans through the Health & Comfort program and various empowerment resources.
- Serving as a thought leader on critical policy issues within the veteran community, and educating the public accordingly.
