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.
“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.”
“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.”
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Featured Image: Filed with story.
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