Mission Mustang®
What is Mission Mustang®?
In 2018, EquiCenter launched Mission Mustang® as part of our ongoing effort to help veterans and first responders heal from the physical and emotional scars of their service. Individuals suffering from Post Traumatic Stress (PTS) are often hyper-vigilant of their surroundings and struggling to find purpose and mission. To help them integrate back into society, we partnered with the U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to develop Mission Mustang®, a national program that pairs veterans and first responders battling PTS with captive mustangs experiencing the same feelings of loss and anxiety. Under the guidance of professional mustang trainers, participants gentle the mustangs, teaching the horses and preparing them to find new homes. Through this process, both the mustangs and participants find connection and healing.
For more information, contact Sara McLaughlin at smclaughlin@equicenterny.org
Why Mission Mustang®?
Veterans in our country are facing an epidemic, one that is leading to 22 veterans committing suicide each day. There are approximately 540,000 veterans in the United States that have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress (PTS) and countless more who have yet to be diagnosed with this invisible wound of war. The toll of war leaves our soldiers with physical and emotional scars deeper than most can imagine, and it is an ongoing fight to help these men and women find ways to heal.
Learn more about Mission Mustang® through the links below.
Mustangs that have been rehomed:
“ Inside the ring, I gained confidence, trust, purpose, and focus. Outside the ring . . . I really think I have developed greater hope and healing in the process.”
- Teegan Manning