In Rio Verde, Arizona, horses are helping veterans, survivors of trauma, and those who struggle with post traumatic stress disorder heal. Inspired by the founder Vanessa Kohnen’s personal healing experiences with horses as a child, her ranch, Rancho Milagro, is giving survivors a type of therapy which suits people at all stages of the healing process.
A central struggle survivors face is recognizing their emotions and feelings, especially in the early stages of healing. A PTSD survivor could be dissociated for days or weeks at a time and not even realize that they are dissociated, and even once they realize it, they may not know how to talk about it. But with equine therapy, that need is allowed for, especially in the early stages of healing. Horses are so intuitive; they can tell if we are spun up about something even before we do.
The founder, Vanessa Kohnen, was interviewed for this profile. She says she discovered her program and life’s work somewhat accidentally. “…about 25-30 years ago I was very in a pretty dark place — and I used to go out in the Rio Verde area before it was even built and I used to watch the wild horses…and they would come up in this certain area and I used to study them and I used to take notes on them and I started to name them you know, Trust, and Love and Joy and Peace and I noticed that I was naming them all the things that I needed in my own life.”
One day, she said, she had driven out to see these horses again, but this time would be different. “…One day when I was in when one of my darkest times, I actually went out there to commit suicide. And I sat in my car contemplating suicide, and the wild horses began to surround my car. and I’m so thankful for that moment because it was that in that moment that it changed my life and made me have purpose, and want to do something with this pain, and so decided OK I’m going to do something with this and build a ranch for people that have been through similar traumas as myself and it really helped them through my horses and through my dogs…”
Ms. Kohnen explained to me what she had experienced with the horses growing up, as the staples had been a refuge for her during her abuse as a child, and when the horses came up to her and surrounded her car that one evening. Horses can hear a heartbeat from four feet away. “…they can sync their heart with other hearts and so when they’re in a herd dynamic. if you watch them, when the all the horses are at rest, they’re they’ve synced their heartbeats with one another, so that if one heartbeat goes up all the horses turn and watch.” Survivors, she says, can often be the same way with each other. Not only can this help horses to save a life, but it can also give them the ability to help people work through trauma.
So, in 2014, Ms. Kohnen founded Rancho Milagro. With the hope of supporting women who had left human trafficking, she created a horse therapy program for these women. She is a Certified Life Coach, Equine Specialist and Certified Paramedic.
After success in helping these women profoundly, the organization expanded to help so many others. An anonymous veteran found a lot of support in the program and said in his testimonial that working with the horses allowed him a space to feel and process the trauma which he had kept bottled up and hidden from himself for so long. Because the horses are so perceptive, they can tell what you are feeling. He said that the horse he worked with helped him to gain a lot of stillness, and provided a stillness for him while he processed his trauma. Another survivor mentioned that he normally keeps things bottled up. But working with the horses allowed him to engage with his trauma, and work through it.
Ms. Kohnen says that often, people will see remarkable changes in themselves after only one or two sessions with the horses “because a major thing the therapy does is show you what is going on inside of you. Similar to art therapies, where your subconscious mind communicates how you are feeling for you, in equine therapy the horse communicates, or at least responds to, how you are feeling deep down. Seeing an external representation of the internal can go a long way to recognizing where there needs to be healing and creating healing in the early stages.” Kohnen says that if a horse is running around in circles in front of you, because you are dissociated or distracted or going around in circles within yourself, you will be aware. The tangible feeling of gaining that horse’s respect and calming yourself enough to solve what is going on inside so you can help the horse.
The successes of Rancho Milagro has gained some traction, as Ms. Kohnen has gone on to speak at many events. Not only is the ranch healing veterans, survivors of SA and trauma, but it is also inspiring new organizations. Ms. Kohnen and the ranch now host fundraisers, hold speaking events on leadership and growth, and even mentor new non-profits. Through Rancho Milagro has been created a home for many and an inspiring business.
Rancho Milagro is based in Rio Verde, but there are many programs like this spread across and the nation. EAGALA certified equine therapy programs can help people in all stages of healing, from all backgrounds, from veterans to young kids.