Ponies North - Veterans Riding for Veterans

Christina Blount is organizing this fundraiser.

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Hi, My name is Chris, and I'm leading a fundraising effort for PONIES NORTH, a dual purpose non-profit organization that's bringing national attention to the crisis of veteran suicide and the plight of thousands of wild mustangs on federal lands.

PONIES NORTH has established two equine therapy ranches using rescued and adopted mustangs, bringing them together with veterans in a therapeutic and mutually beneficial way. In just a couple of weeks, they will set out on a 1500-mile journey with a team of veterans, with a few more joining in along the route, riding mustangs they've helped to train, from Yuma, AZ on the Mexican border to the Canadian border in Montana. Their trip is expected to take 100 days, traveling approximately 20 miles a day, facing rugged terrain, desert heat, thunderstorms & flash floods, and sleeping under the stars. The riders will face these hardships and struggles of humanity together.

As a veteran myself, the opportunity to form a team and jump in to support these efforts immediately resonated with me. I served for 20 years in the US Army and the US Army National Guard, through the end of the Cold War, the Gulf War, the Iraq War. In 2008, after the first few years of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, I finally left my military service. But I suppose the military wasn't ready to leave me. I spent 12 years trying to integrate into civilian life and live at peace with my experiences, but I came to realize I needed help. That help came in a couple of different ways, but one that stands out is the equine-assisted work I was able to do with other veterans who had similar experiences to mine.

There is something amazing and beautiful that happens when veterans begin to learn horsemanship and engage with the horse's behaviors. The connections are real and tangible, but also mysterious and almost supernatural. Horses are prey animals with a strong flight/fight response. They are hyper-vigilant about watching their surroundings until they begin to feel safe in their environment. The first time I took my horse into the arena for training, I watched him searching for the exit doors, assessing the surroundings and everyone else in the arena, jumping at the slightest noise, and unable to focus his attention because there were so many triggers around him. I certainly knew how he felt. As we veterans begin to recognize our own behaviors in that of the horses, we develop a compassion that pulls us, almost intuitively, into natural horsemanship. Assessing the state of mind and reactions of a horse, then helping them to keep their focus, is something that just makes sense to someone who has experienced the unique world of military service.. As we begin to understand their responses better, we begin to understand our own, and a very unique healing takes place in that environment. Mustangs from the Bureau of Land Management preserves are especially well-suited for this task, as they have such strong natural instincts. They will benefit from finding a new home, intentional training, and new purpose with their new riders.

I'm excited for the experiences these veterans will have on this journey, and for what they will learn about their horses, themselves and the world around them. I'm excited for the possibility that, through these connections, we might see increased awareness around the veteran suicide crisis; to know that others might find help like I did. When veterans share their stories, other veterans – and friends of veterans and family of veterans – can find hope and understanding and support, and they in turn can “pass it on” and see the healing and restoration of others in need. I'll be traveling to one of their ranches myself this weekend to meet the team and join in the training. Later, I'll have the opportunity to join the ride for a couple of days.

Our team has committed to raising $5,000 towards the support of the veterans and mustangs involved in this ride, specifically Duke and his veteran rider, DK. We're asking for your support by giving just $25, $50 or any amount of your choosing to help us reach our goal. We have two corporate matching grants, the first at $500 and the second at $2000, to help accelerate our efforts. The funds raised will be contributed directly to the Ponies North program to provide for the care of the animals, travel and training of the veterans involved. Our hope is to raise $2572 thru this page to get the matching gifts (and cover the GFM fees) adding up to the total of $5,000 (with the matching gifts) which will cover Duke's rescue, training, vet bills and care for the next six months.

To learn more about PONIES NORTH, and read about Jeff Pappas's first cross-country trip on horseback, visit the PONIES NORTH website or follow along on Instagram .