Bonds with horses helping heal Wounded Warriors
Empower U Equine has hosted multiple groups of adults and children throughout its near two-year tenure outside of Nipawin, but never a group of military veterans and first responders.
Shannon Dickey, Jackie James, and Barbie Harder – all co-founders and facilitators for the assisted learning program that develops life skills though personal interactions with horses – reached out to Wounded Warriors Weekend (WWW). They felt their program would help the injured and ill Canadian Armed Forces members, veterans, and first responders.
The trio of facilitators brought horses to Camp Independence – the cottage near Tobin Lake that has hosted two groups of veterans for three weeks – to give the Wounded Warriors a preview of what was to expect when they would arrive to Empower U Equine’s arena for the real deal.
On Tuesday, Aug. 6, the warriors arrived and what transpired even surprised the experienced facilitators.