GAIT offers two new services for veterans and their families

GAIT Equine Assisted Services recently announced a free Community Drum Circle for veterans and their families the organization’s facility (314 Foster Hill Road, Milford) on Saturday, February 3 at 11 a.m. This event will repeat on the first Saturday of each month at GAIT. It is one of two new equine-assisted services supporting GAIT’s Veterans with Horses program.

The second new service scheduled for this year includes Community Equine Herd Observation/Meditation hosted onsite at GAIT that can be scheduled by contacting Diana Moldavan at 570-409-1140 or by email at volunteer@gaittrc.org.

According to GAIT Executive Director and U.S. Air Force veteran Peter Rizzo, “Our Veterans with Horses program, initiated this past year, is a response to the call-to-arms for a national collaborative initiative to create and support programs and services designed to raise awareness about the unique challenges faced by veterans and their families, as well as to provide creative ways and means to support their health and wellbeing. We are reaching out to invite our neighbors in Pike County and others in our nearby, tri-state area to visit GAIT for monthly community drum circles and opportunities to join us for equine herd observation/meditation sessions.”

According to GAIT, the Veterans with Horses program focuses on three forms of equine-assisted interaction: therapy, learning, and horsemanship. GAIT says equine interaction supports the development of essential life skills, such as verbal and nonverbal communication, trust, respect, self-awareness, and honesty. Many veterans and their family members have reported that merely being in the presence of horses reduces anxiety, lessens feelings of depression and isolation, increases self-esteem and self-acceptance, and provides an effective and positive way to learn better impulse control.

Veterans are not required to be enrolled in the VA system to utilize GAIT’s Veterans with Horses program, and there is no charge for this service to veterans or their family members; instead, the program is sponsored by veterans’ organizations and public support.

GAIT was founded in 1995 by Board President Martha Dubensky to improve the quality of life of children and adults with special needs through equine activities and therapies. GAIT is accredited as a Premier Accredited Center by the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International and meets all safety standards and requirements for the worldwide equine-assisted services industry.

For more information about GAIT and its programs and services, contact Peter Rizzo at 570-409-1140 or email director@gaittrc.org.