NGO "Equine World"/Project №1
Free Equine Therapy Rehabilitation Programs for Combatants and Veterans "Horses and Heroes"
The aim of the project
The aim of the project is to provide psychological relief and inspiration to as many veterans as possible, thereby improving the quality of life for both the combatants themselves and their surroundings. The project will remain relevant and in demand for many years to come and will be able to assist veterans and combatants in the process rehabilitation and reintegrating into civilian life through a connection with nature.
Goals
In 2024, we plan to conduct Program №1 "Rehabilitation of combatants and veterans through contact with a herd of horses in the mountains. No riding." We also hope to attract participants for Program №2 "Rehabilitation of combatants and veterans through contact with a herd of horses in the mountains. With horseback riding." planned for 2025. In 2024, we will accept a minimum of 40 participants and can accept of 250 participants. In 2025, if necessary, we will increase the maximum number of participants in the season.
The full cost per Program №1 in 2024 for 1 participant is UAH 10,988 [about USD $286 or 263,5 Euros].
The NGO "Equine World" generously agreed to finance the first group of 40 participants with UAH 4,988 for each participant, i.e. UAH 199,520.
To hold the first group of 40 participants for Program №1 in 2024, we still need to raise UAH 250,000, the equivalent of about USD $6,509 or 5,995 Euros. That is only $162.73 USD or 150 Euros per person.
To hold the first group of 40 participants for in 2024, it is necessary to raise 5789 EUR (40 participants).
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NGO "Equine World" account
EUR, USD
Beneficiary name: "Equine World"
IBAN: UA083348510000000026000230539
FIRST UKRAINIAN INTERNATIONAL BANK 4, Andriivska Str., Kyiv, 04070, Ukraine
SWIFT BIC: FUIBUA2X
OR APPLE PAY/GOOGLE PAY
Sources of inspiration
We find inspiration from our very own herd, the largest herd of working breeding horses (approximately 90 horses), and from the picturesque mountain area at an altitude of 930 meters above sea level where they live. We have been inspired by the responses from participants of our Equestrian Relax tours and Mountain Equestrian Tourism Schools from Oleksandr Ignatenko School of Mountain Equestrian Tourism. And we have found inspiration from the Horses and Heroes horse therapy program for military veterans, located in Montana, USA. The Horses and Heroes program is a rehabilitation program that helps veterans overcome PTSD.
Participants
Combatants and veterans of the russo-Ukrainian War (participants in combat operations and individuals with disabilities as a result of the war).
At the moment we are looking for program funding. If you believe this program is for you, please fill out the participant's application to get on the waiting list. You can also contact us if you have any questions.
How does the project help to overcome PTSD in veterans?
PTSD results from an inability to process difficult emotional experiences caused by traumatic situations. A herd of horses in the mountains creates a unique environment for people with PTSD to perceive and process emotions. Direct contact with the animals is not even necessary to begin with, because just observing their life and interaction can cause powerful emotional reactions. Horses, as a symbol of strength and grace, can evoke internal resonances in people with PTSD that justify their emotional impressions. Observing a herd of horses in the mountains can help participants restore inner harmony, reveal unexpressed emotions, and feel part of nature again. This approach opens a new path to self-discovery and healing, where emotions are noted and processed in a relaxed and natural environment.
Mountain landscapes, plants, forests, herds of horses, a large group of people (allowing for personal exploration and interaction with new acquaintances), and vast territory - all contribute to the project's goal. Here, combatants and veterans can take steps to refocus on life.
This experience will help veterans:
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Develop emotional and mental resilience
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Improve sleep
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Relax
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Increase self-awareness
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Understand one's emotions
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Think clearly
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Develop the ability to establish healthy and comfortable boundaries in communication
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Feel self-worth
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Be attentive to others and to oneself
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Learn to listen and understand body language, monitor one's own body language
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Back to civilian life
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Sense personal space, treat it with respect, and subtly and naturally indicate one's boundaries
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Find new acquaintances and new healthy and engaging hobby
Herd of horses
Unique working herd of pedigree Hutsul horses. Mentally healthy horses living a full life in a herd, defending themselves from predators and cooperating with humans through a special program based on natural horse-human cooperation. The summer farm in the mountains, where the project is planned to be conducted, will host up to 50 horses of the herd (stallion, mares, geldings). Another 40 mares and a stallion are located in the valley; this herd and territory are planned to be involved after the program expands. Click here to watch videos from the herd life.
Location
The farm with summer pastures located within the territory of Farm "Polonynske Hospodarstvo" is situated in a picturesque area amidst the mountains, 930 meters above sea level, between the Polonyna Rivna and Hostra. The territory is intersected by 2 tourist routes, with a third route passing nearby. The farm serves as a home for part of the herd of horses of Farm "Polonynske Hospodarstvo" (up to 50 horses), which graze freely on the farm's territory (50 hectares).
During Program №1 and Program №2 (partially), the herd of horses is fenced with electric fencing, covering the camp's territory. Approximately 25 hectares of mountain pasture are enclosed by electric fencing. Therefore, the horses can be close to the participants, among them, or may not be visible at all - the territory allows for this, depending on the behavior of the participants. Here, one can best observe the behavior of the horses as members of their equine society.
Equine therapy in such conditions and terrain will be a particularly powerful methodology for participants, as it is provided in a safe, natural environment.
Project Description
Program №1 "Rehabilitation of combatants and veterans through contact with a herd of horses in the mountains. No riding." and Program №2 "Rehabilitation of combatants and veterans through contact with a herd of horses in the mountains. With horseback riding." are essential tools for restoring mental, physical, emotional health, and vitality in a calm, safe, natural environment in the Carpathians. We provide external, educational experiences, hiking in the mountains, immersion in picturesque mountain places, and interaction with the herd of horses, which promote companionship and contribute to both mental and physical strength.
Program №1 includes living in a herd of horses in their natural environment. It does not involve close work with horses, avoiding the associated excitement and stress. A group of veterans enters the world of horses, observes horses and the surrounding nature, learns from them, compares them with human life. The herd is observed as an analogue of society and family. Horses are social animals, and they will help you understand how to be in a family and society, to get all the benefits from society, and feel free. The horses teach concepts of boundaries, rules, personal space, and relaxation in a group.
Participants will listen to lectures on horse behavior. On the first day, there is a mandatory lecture on the rules of behavior in the herd, which will help you integrate into the herd without disturbing it. The horses themselves will choose where to be, closer to the group, or staying away, which will be an indicator of the general atmosphere in the group.
The community and atmosphere within which healing takes place.
Observing the life of a herd of horses in the mountains can be an effective tool for relieving tension and stress accompanying veterans. During this process, nature and freely grazing horses become soul remedies, allowing veterans to restore inner balance and build a bridge to harmony with themselves and the surrounding world. Here, veterans can take steps to refocus on life.
It is possible to participate in the program multiple times.
After participating in Program №1 "Rehabilitation of combatants and veterans through contact with a herd of horses in the mountains. No riding." there is an opportunity to transition to Program №2 Rehabilitation of combatants and veterans through contact with a herd of horses in the mountains. With horseback riding." (15 days online course + 15 days/14 nights training camp in the mountains) with the permission of the equine therapist and the author of Program №2, Olexandr Ihnatenko.
Program No.1 "Rehabilitation of combatants and veterans through contact with a herd of horses in the mountains. No riding."
8 days/7 nights living among the herd of Hutsul horses in the picturesque mountainous area (territory of Farm "Polonynske Hospodarstvo", 930 meters above sea level, between Polonyna Rivna and Hostra).
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Equine therapy session lasting 8 days/7 nights;
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Surrounded by forests, streams, mountains, the natural beauty of the territory of Farm "Polonynske Hospodarstvo", the herd of horses, natural ambient sounds (stream sounds, birds, etc.). And most importantly, a calm and safe place with people with similar experiences;
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Lectures and workshops about horses conducted by the owner and breeder of the herd of pedigree Hutsul horses, equine therapist, veterinarian, founder of the Mountain Horse Tourism School Olexandr Ihnatenko;
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Communication with like-minded individuals, the group consists of 40 combatants and veterans (a number of people that allows both individual and group activities);
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Behavioral rules within the herd create a calm and pleasant atmosphere in the camp;
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Opportunity to independently observe the life of the herd of horses; if using the knowledge gained in workshops and lectures, observation will provide a better understanding of what is happening in the herd and the nature of the horse itself;
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Organized hikes with a guide along routes to Polonyna Hostra, Polonyna Rivna, Voyevodyno Waterfall, etc.;
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Hot tub: relaxation for the body;
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All the blessings of mountain life: tranquility, clean tasty water from streams, the possibility to harvest herbal tea, berries, mushrooms plus all the necessary comforts: spacious wood-fired shower, large indoor table, large and small cabins, 4 toilets (sitting), accommodation in a shared 16-person large tent with beds and mattresses, or in your own personal tent.
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3 meals a day;
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Internet via Starlink available for 30 minutes a day for communication with relatives, providing informational relief. All other times - absence of a constant flow of information.
After 8 transformational days, combatants and veterans may better understand and control themselves, cope with painful memories, deal with real-life situations, and move forward in life.
Schedule by days (8 days/7 nights):
Day 1
Group gathering on the group start day near the main entrance of Uzhhorod railway station at 11:30 AM.
Transfer to the location where the bus can arrive (5 km away from us).
If you are traveling by car, follow our bus to the parking area***.
The belongings are delivered by off-road vehicle. Participants walk 5 km to the FG Polonynske Hospodarstvo farm along a picturesque marked tourist route (only GREEN ROUTE) following the guide. Transfer is provided for participants who cannot reach the farm on foot due to health reasons.
16:00 Lunch
Setting up tents, familiarization with the camping area, group introduction.
Rest.
20:00 Dinner
Day 2
8:30 Harvesting herbal tea (optional)
9:00 Breakfast
10:00 Lecture: "Ethology. Partnership relations with horses."*
Content:
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We provide basics and try to reveal the topic of the horse;
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We will tell how we should move, how we should behave, and why we should walk like this and not otherwise, speak with this intonation and not another, so that the horses from the very first day stay among us, do their own thing, and watch us. Otherwise, the herd will leave us and move away from us;
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Answers to questions that arise during the lecture;
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The lecture is mandatory for everyone so that someone does not drive the horses away from others without knowing these rules and following them. Gaining the trust of horses, like people, is harder than losing it.
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Leading the horses into the camp area.
14:00 Lunch
20:00 Dinner
Day 3
8:30 Harvesting herbal tea (optional)
9:00 Breakfast
10:00 Workshop: "Step of a person, step of a horse, how to walk to move harmoniously. How to lead a horse so that it wants to follow you, that is, invite it to follow you."**
Content:
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You will learn how to work with reins, trying it on each other, holding the reins and lead rope in your hands to feel how the horse feels about it;
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The workshop leader will demonstrate work with reins from the ground on a horse from the herd, explaining his movements. You will be able to see the horse's reaction to the leader's movements, compare how you felt the actions shown on yourself, and see how the horse reacts to them;
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We will show what step the horse understands, how the horse understands our movements. With the reins, we only confirm our intentions, and we invite the horse to follow us with the movements of our body, both at a distance and in our hands and on horseback.
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Answers to questions that arise during the workshop and the day spent with the herd.
14:00 Lunch
20:00 Dinner
Day 4
8:30 Harvesting herbal tea (optional)
9:00 Breakfast
10:00 Hike to Polonyna Rivna**
14:00 Lunch
20:00 Dinner
Day 5
8:30 Tea gathering (optional)
9:00 Breakfast
10:00 Workshop (demonstration): "Cooperation with a horse, when the rein is an element of transmitting information from the rider to the horse, from the horse to the rider, and not just an element of control. Rider's and horse's movements at a walk, trot, and canter on rough terrain."**
Content:
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Saddling and unsaddling a horse;
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Horse's movements at a walk, trot, and canter on rough (mountainous) terrain, i.e., walk, trot, and canter uphill and downhill. You will see how the rider's body position changes relative to the sloping surface;
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How to change the speed of walking, trotting, and cantering;
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Answers to questions that arise during the workshop and the day spent with the herd.
14:00 Lunch
20:00 Dinner
Day 6
8:30 Harvesting herbal tea (optional)
9:00 Breakfast
10:00 Hike to Voevodyn Waterfall/or Polonyna Hostra**
14:00 Lunch
20:00 Dinner
Day 7
8:30 Harvesting herbal tea (optional)
9:00 Breakfast
10:00 Presentation of Program No.2 "Rehabilitation of combatants and veterans through contact with a herd of horses in the mountains. With horseback riding." introduction to the selection criteria for participants to Program No.2.**
14:00 Lunch
20:00 Dinner
Day 8
8:30 Harvesting herbal tea (optional)
9:00 Breakfast
12:00 Departure
15:30 Arrival at Uzhhorod railway station, main entrance
*Lecture is mandatory
**Attendance is optional
***Car parking is located 10 km below us
Camp Rules:
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Respect the personal space of the horses, other camp participants, and organizers.
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Listen to music only with headphones (live music such as guitar playing is allowed).
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Alcohol and other psychoactive substances are prohibited.
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Follow the rules of coexistence on the horse territory, which we will explain during the first lecture.
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Violation of the rules will result in dismissal from the program.
Program №2 "Rehabilitation of combatants and veterans through contact with a herd of horses in the mountains. With horseback riding."
The program lasts for 30 days:
1. Preparation stage: 15 days of online course on Mountain Horse Tourism (the online course is free for participants of this program).
2. Training: 15 days/14 nights living among a herd of Hutsul horses in picturesque mountainous terrain (territory of Farm "Polonynske Hospodarstvo", 930 meters above sea level between Polonyna Rivna and Hostra).
-
Equine therapy session lasting 15 days/14 nights;
-
Surrounded by forests, streams, mountains, the natural beauty of the territory of Farm "Polonynske Hospodarstvo", the herd of horses, natural ambient sounds (stream sounds, birds, etc.). And most importantly, a calm and safe place with people with similar experiences;
-
Training conducted by the owner and breeder of the herd of pedigree Hutsul horses, equine therapist, veterinarian, founder of the Mountain Horse Tourism School Olexandr Ihnatenko;
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Extended training period (usually 7 days/6 nights) allows learning and transformation in a calmer atmosphere with less pressure. It combines Program №1 and Mountain Horse Tourism Training Camp.
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Learning to collaborate with horses remotely, on foot, and while riding;
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Preparation for participation in horseback riding trips and expeditions;
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Analysis of mistakes captured on video during horseback rides and recommendations for correcting them;
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Communication with like-minded individuals, with a group consisting of 20 participants (a number of people that allows for both individual and group activities);
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Rules of conduct in the herd that help create a calm and pleasant atmosphere in the camp;
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Joint preparation and organization of daily life. Meals provided 3 times a day;
-
Hot tub: relaxation for the body;
-
All the blessings of mountain life: tranquility, clean tasty water from streams, the possibility to harvest herbal tea, berries, mushrooms plus all the necessary comforts: spacious wood-fired shower, large indoor table, large and small cabins, 4 toilets (sitting), accommodation in a shared 16-person large tent with beds and mattresses, or in your own personal tent.
-
3 meals a day;
-
Internet via Starlink available for 30 minutes a day for communication with relatives, providing informational relief. All other times - absence of a constant flow of information.
30-day Program for combatants and veterans who have completed Program №1 and feel the strength and desire to undergo Mountain Horse Tourism Training.
Changing the intensity of activities allows for complete distraction and recharge: from relaxation to active self-improvement while working with horses and reviewing video materials from practical horseback riding sessions.
The program will help veterans, along with rehabilitation, to acquire a new exciting, inspiring, and useful hobby - mountain horse tourism. If necessary, the group will be divided into 2 subgroups based on experience for more effective collaboration.
After 15 days of online learning and 15 transformational days in the mountains, veterans will be able to acquire the necessary skills for horseback riding trips, recharge emotionally and physically.
Online: Schedule by Days (14 days + 1 day final test)
Training Camp: Schedule by Days (15 days/14 nights)
Day 1
Group gathering on the group start day near the main entrance of Uzhhorod railway station at 11:30 AM.
Transfer to the location where the bus can arrive (5 km away from us).
If you are traveling by car, follow our bus to the parking area***.
The belongings are delivered by off-road vehicle. Participants walk 5 km to the FG Polonynske Hospodarstvo farm along a picturesque marked tourist route (only GREEN ROUTE) following the guide. Transfer is provided for participants who cannot reach the farm on foot due to health reasons.
16:00 Lunch
Setting up tents, familiarization with the camping area, group introduction.
Rest.
17:30 Group cohesion.
20:00 Dinner
Day 2
8:30 Morning exercises
9:00 Breakfast
First contact with horses. Learning to lead a horse. Walking with a horse. Explanation. Exercises without horses. Walking along the route leading the horse. Analysis of mistakes in recorded video. Ways to correct mistakes.
Lunch
Dinner
Day 3
8:30 Morning exercises
9:00 Breakfast
Saddling. Getting in the saddle (participant sits in the saddle, we set the desired position for riding and lead the horse for some time until the participant understands how they should feel on the horse). Unsaddling.
Lunch
Dinner
Day 4
8:30 Morning exercises
9:00 Breakfast
Day without horseback riding.
Exercises on wooden horse simulators. Flat and sloping surface. Learning to use stirrups. Learning to walk and run in a way that makes the horse want to follow you.
Lunch
Dinner
Day 5
8:30 Morning exercises
9:00 Breakfast
4 hours working with horses: saddling, working with horses on hands, riding practice, unsaddling horses. Discussion of practical activities with horses (review of recorded video). Tasks and recommendations for the group and each participant for the next day. (±2 hours)
Lunch
Dinner
Day 6
8:30 Morning exercises
9:00 Breakfast
4 hours working with horses: saddling, working with horses on hands, riding practice, unsaddling horses. Discussion of practical activities with horses (review of recorded video). Tasks and recommendations for the group and each participant for the next day. (±2 hours)
Lunch
Dinner
Day 7
8:30 Morning exercises
9:00 Breakfast
Without horseback riding. Rest.
Lunch
Dinner
Day 8
8:30 Morning exercises
9:00 Breakfast
4 hours working with horses: saddling, working with horses on hands, riding practice, unsaddling horses. Discussion of practical activities with horses (review of recorded video). Tasks and recommendations for the group and each participant for the next day. (±2 hours)
Lunch
Dinner
Day 9
8:30 Morning exercises
9:00 Breakfast
4 hours working with horses: saddling, working with horses on hands, riding practice, unsaddling horses. Discussion of practical activities with horses (review of recorded video). Tasks and recommendations for the group and each participant for the next day. (±2 hours) (May be scheduled for the following day)
Lunch
Dinner
Day 10
8:30 Morning exercises
9:00 Breakfast
Without horseback riding. Rest.
Lunch
Dinner
Day 11
8:30 Morning exercises
9:00 Breakfast
4 hours working with horses: saddling, working with horses on hands, riding practice, unsaddling horses. Discussion of practical activities with horses (review of recorded video). Tasks and recommendations for the group and each participant for the next day. (±2 hours)
Lunch
Dinner
Day 12
8:30 Morning exercises
9:00 Breakfast
4 hours working with horses: saddling, working with horses on hands, riding practice, unsaddling horses. Discussion of practical activities with horses (review of recorded video). Tasks and recommendations for the group and each participant for the next day. (±2 hours).
Lunch
Dinner
Day 13
8:30 Morning exercises 9:00 Breakfast
Without horseback riding. Rest.
Lunch
Dinner
Day 14
8:30 Morning exercises
9:00 Breakfast
4 hours working with horses: saddling, working with horses on hands, riding practice, unsaddling horses. Discussion of practical activities with horses (review of recorded video). Tasks and recommendations for the group and each participant for the next day. (±2 hours).
Lunch
Dinner
Day 15
8:30 Morning exercises
9:00 Breakfast
12:00 Departure
15:30 Arrival in Uzhgorod, main entrance to the train station
***Car parking below 10 km from us.
