Cooperative Living September 2020 - 16

CoverFocus | Story and photos by Laura Emery, Field Editor
PHOTO COURTESY OF LONESOME DOVE EQUESTRIAN CENTER
Where Heroes
Come to Heal
or love on him. It's a beautiful thing
to watch, " Ylimaki says.
But when he's not helping veterans
heal, Trouble is usually trying to figure
out how to break out of his stall.
" Once, he figured out how to open
his stall door and he broke into
the place where we store hay and had
himself a little feast " she says with
a laugh.
MOVING MOMENTS
BRING PURPOSE
The veteran stared into the
eyes of the horse he was about
to mount. The horse's dark brown
eyes were gentle, yet seemed to
Equine-assisted therapy proves to be
a boon to battle-scarred veterans
n the open, grassy fields behind
Lonesome Dove Equestrian Center,
an abiding respect and insight rivals
any understanding that you'll find in
a physician's antiseptic office.
Call it horse-patient confidentiality.
" Emotional and physical
I
communication passes between our
veterans and the horses, " says Karen
Ylimaki, secretary-treasurer of the eightmember
board that oversees the equine
therapy center in Powhatan, Va.
" If something is bothering you, go
complain to a horse. They don't judge, "
she says.
Unpaid and dedicated volunteers
run Lonesome Dove, a nonprofit
organization that relies completely
on donations. The center is dedicated
to meeting the mental, physical and
emotional needs of veterans in Central
Virginia through equestrian activities.
14 | Cooperative Living | September 2020
The quiet 7-acre horse farm, served
by Southside Electric Cooperative, is
where heroes come to heal.
From a loving nuzzle to a soft nicker,
horse lovers will tell you that the
majestic creatures have a keen
awareness - a sixth sense - of what
is around them. " These horses are
incredible animals, so loving and gentle
and intuitive, " Ylimaki explains.
For example,
Trouble, a miniature
horse, might be a
mischievous creature
worthy of his name,
but he's also sensitive
and loving with the
veterans. " He will
stand there for hours
with them, as long as
they need him. He
lets them brush him
bore into the young man's soul.
After the young man lost both of
his legs in Iraq, the veteran's father
brought him to Lonesome Dove as a
" last-ditch effort " to use " horsepower "
to heal his son.
The moment was packed with
emotion - and hope.
Ylimaki vividly recalls how three
volunteers helped the veteran. " We
were all standing there waiting to see
how he would react. Then, all of a
sudden, he let out a whoopin' holler.
'I feel like I have my legs again!'
he excitedly said.
" Emotional and
physical
communication
passes between
our veterans and
the horses. "
- Karen Ylimaki
co-opliving.com

http://www.co-opliving.com

Cooperative Living September 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Cooperative Living September 2020

Cooperative Living September 2020 - 1
Cooperative Living September 2020 - 2
Cooperative Living September 2020 - 3
Cooperative Living September 2020 - 4
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Cooperative Living September 2020 - 6
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