Local organization helping military members heal through work with horses

Local organization helping military members heal through work with horses

It's called "The Remount Foundation" and it provides equine assisted learning to our military men and women and their families.

NEW AT 4 --- A LOCALORGANIZATION HELPING THEMILITARY COMMUNITY HEAL...WITH HORSES.IT'S CALLED "THE REMOUNTFOUNDATION".....WHICH PROVIDES EQUINE ASSISTEDLEARNING TO OUR MILITARY MEN ANDWOMEN...AND THEIR FAMILIES.NEWS FIVES ASHLEY PORTILLO JOINSUS LIVE WITH MORE ABOUT HOW THISORGANIZATION...IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE...WE'RE AT THE AIRFORCE ACADEMYEQUESTRIAN CENTER...WHERETHERE'S MORE THAN 175 HORSES...SHOW HORSESTHESE ANIMALS HAVE A VERYIMPORTANT JOB...IN HELPING WOUNDED WARRIORS ANDTHEIR FAMILIES.AND EACH PERSON HERE...HAS THEIR OWN STORY TO SHARE...THE REMOUNT FOUNDATION...PROVIDING HELP AND HOPE ON THEHOMEFRONT... SINCE 2009.JEANNE SPRINGER, REMOUNTFOUNDATION CO-FOUNDER: "WESTARTED HAVING PRIMARILYSOLDIERS COMING OUT HERE IN THEEARLY 2000'S THAT WERE COMINGBACK FROM HOT DEPLOYMENTS INIRAQ."JEANNE SPRINGER AND BILLY JACKBARRETT CO-FOUNDED THEORGANIZATION...AND BACK THEN...WOUNDED WARRIORS WOULD HELP THEMAROUND THE STABLES..BILLY JACK BARRETT, REMOUNTFOUNDATION CO-FOUNDER: "WE HADPEOPLE FROM ALL BRANCHES OFMILITARY THAT CAME HERE FOR THEQUIET-NESS AND PEACE THIS PLACEBRINGS."U.S.ARMY VETERAN...MICHAEL THRUNE IS AMONG THENEARLY 6- THOUSAND PEOPLE THEFOUNDATION HAS HELPED.HE WAS DEPLOYED TO IRAQ...WHILE SERVING...MICHAEL THRUN, VOLUNTEER: "I HADA COUPLE FRIENDS COMMITT SUICIDEAND I DIDN'T TAKE IT TOO WELLAND I STARTED HAVING THE SAMETHOUGHTS, AND SUICIDE STARTED TOBECOME PROBABLE FOR ME."AFTER BEING IN THE MILITARY FOR13 YEARS...THRUN WAS MEDICALLY DISCHARGEDIN 20-17...AND SOUGHT HELP FROM THE REMOUNTFOUNDATION...MICHAEL THRUN, VOLUNTEER: "THEYGAVE ME A PLACE TO BE WELCOMED,NO MATTER HOW I WAS FEELING...I OWE THEM MY LIFE.I PROBABLY WOULDN'T BE HEREWITHOUT THE REMOUNT FOUNDATION."THE AIRFORCE ACADEMY EQUESTRIANCENTER...JUST UNDER 1-THOUSAND ACRES....AND OFFERS GROUP AND INDIVUDALSESSIONS WITH THOSE LIKE GILLIANFRANCIS SIRLEZ...GILLIAN FRANCIS SIRLEZ,VOLUNTEER: "I'M A SURVIVOR OFMIITARY SEXUAL TRAUMA FROM THENAVY, AND I WAS USING DRUGS ANDALCOHOL TO COVER IT UP."SHE'S ALSO ONE OF THE 25PEOPLE...THE EQUESTRIAN CENTER HELPSDAILY...AND NOW SHE'S HELPING OTHERS....GILLIAN FRANCIS SIRLEZ,VOLUNTEER: "THE PEACE OF THEHORSES HAS LIFTED ME UP TO APOINT WHERE NOW I WANT TO GIVEBACK EVERYTHING THAT I'VE GONETHROUGH, AND HELP OTHERS THATARE STRUGGLING AND IT HELPS ME."AND FOR SPRINGER AND U.S.ARMY VETERAN JACK BARRETT...JEANNE SPRINGER, REMOUNTFOUNDATION CO-FOUNDER: "THERE'SJUST NO GREATER BLESSING INWATCHING POEPLE COME FROM APLACE OF DARKNESS INTO A PLACEOF LIGHT."BILLY JACK BARRETT, REMOUNTFOUNDATION CO-FOUNDER: "AS AVETERAN, BEING ABLE TO HELPOTHER SPOUSES OR CHILDREN, IT ISA BIG BLESSING."THE ORGANIZATION ALSO HELPSLOCAL FIRST RESPONDERS...AS WELL AS CHILDREN DEALING WITHCONDITIONS LIKE TRAUMA...BEHAVORIAL DISORDERS ANDAUTISM...ROBAND ASHLEY -- I UNDERSTANDTHER'S A LOT OF HISTORY IN THEAIR FORCE ACADEMY EQUESTRIANCENTER.HOW DID IT GET STARTED?THE REMOUNT FOUNDATION GOT ITSNAME IN THE EARLY 19-00'S...WHEN THE U.S.ARMY ESTABLISHED THE REMOUNTSERVICE.THAT WAS A PROGRAM THAT PROVIDEDHORSES FOR ARMIES...AND TROOPS..AWOFY... AP... NEWS FIVE.