Tierney tours farm where veterans get horse therapy

BOXFORD – Five months ago, wounded military veterans began arriving at a picturesque farm amid Boxford’s rolling hills where they ride horses as part of an innovative therapy program.On Monday, U.S. Rep. John F. Tierney toured the Windrush Farms Therapeutic Equitation Facility and visited with participants in the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association’s (NARHA) Horses for Heroes (H4H) program.The H4H program offers equine therapy treatment to veterans with disabilities across the country. A pilot program started at Windrush Farm in May 2007 has been in operation since March.”The Horses for Heroes program offers a unique opportunity for veterans to experience measurable therapy outcomes,” said Tierney, stressing his firm belief that military veterans “deserve a special place in our society due to their selfless service to our country.”As chairman of the National Security and Foreign Affairs Subcommittee, Tierney has held four hearings on the inadequacies exposed in the quality of transitional care that returning soldiers were receiving at Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, D.C.Dr. Paul Spiers, chairman of the National NARHA Horses for Heroes Task Force, introduced the congressmen to veterans who have been receiving horse-assisted therapy classes. According to Spiers, more than 30 centers in the U.S. are helping veterans heal with help from horses.Windrush Farm has 28 horses for use in equine therapy. The soldiers – ranging from World War II veterans to those freshly returned from Iraq and Afghanistan – first learn the basics, such as how to groom the animals, then progress to mounting and riding. The result can often be a calming effect on those with post-traumatic stress disorders, and confidence building among amputees. The farm has a lift, specialized saddles and other equipment designed to assist the handicapped.Jenny Tartaglia, the farm’s development director, said the facility will welcome as many veterans as possible into the therapy program.