The Giving Tree is giving a special gift to active-duty service members and veterans this year. In the CCA Gallery, 47 S. Main St., the Giving Tree is adorned with handcrafted ornaments donated by local artists. This year, CCA will give 100 percent of the proceeds of the sale of these exclusive ornaments to Horses for Heroes, a program sponsored by Edelweiss Equine Assisted Therapy Center in Greenfield, Ind.
The program offers the use of hands-on rehabilitation with horses for veterans who have suffered from wartime injuries and challenges including post-traumatic stress disorder. The goal of the program is to improve the lives of servicemen and women who have suffered injuries in the line of duty, helping them adjust physically and emotionally to their post-war lives.
Horse therapy has proven effective with PTSD to help soldiers adjust to life back home. Shirley Mascoe, executive director of Edelweiss Equine Assisted Therapy Center , saw the facility as a good fit for the Horses for Heroes program.
“We felt like we were in a good position to start the program since we are equipped for adults. Most therapy facilities serve children. But we have large horses, adult size saddles and special lifts to help move riders out of their wheelchairs and on to a horse. We have served all ages, even a rider who was 79 years old,” Mascoe said.
What’s unique about the program is that, despite it costing about $250 for the equipment and trainer time, there is no cost for veterans.
“Soldiers ride for free,” Mascoe said.
The Horses for Heroes program became connected to the CCA Gallery through one of its contributing artists, Carol Bell, who creates Pet Hair Pottery, which uses horse and other animal hair to remember beloved pets.
For more information on the Horses for Heroes Program or to buy an ornament from the Giving Tree, visit CCA Gallery or www.horses4therapy.org/programs/veterans-programs.
