I visited the Broken Wheel Ranch Project in the North Texas town of Bonham, where veterans struggling with PTSD can experience equine therapy. Mel Mincey, a former Veterans Affairs nurse and lifelong horse enthusiast, opened the ranch in 2010. As many as 30 percent of veterans experience PTSD, and an emerging body of research suggests that equine therapy can be a powerful healing tool. Dozens of veterans come to the ranch each year to build trust and confidence by caring for and riding the horses.
“A lot of the horses that are donated, they’re broken and they come out here, and they heal,” said army veteran Jack Brown, pictured here. “And in the process of them healing, they heal us … And so this is my spot. This is where I know love is an action word.”
Read more from the Observer:
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The Ghosts of Jefferson: This East Texas tourist town calls itself “the most haunted town in Texas,” but its whitewashed ghost stories elide a complex racial history.
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Landowners Got One Hill Country Oil Pipeline Moved. But Can They Do It Again?: Rule No. 1 of averting pipeline routes: Always bring a high-powered, politically connected oil and gas executive to the negotiating table.
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Short Story Contest Winner: ‘Dear Mr. Gottlieb’: Alan Sincic’s story is a searing indictment of corporate America.
