Army Veteran Who Survived Helicopter Crash Heals With Equine Therapy At NRHA Event

An army veteran visiting Oklahoma for a National Reining Horse Association event said on Wednesday that she uses equine therapy to heal from a helicopter crash. 

“Jess” has served in the Army for seven years. For privacy concerns, News 9 will not use her last name or show her full face. 

“When you walk up to a horse, they know your heartbeat. They know what you're thinking. They can tell what emotions you're feeling,” Jess began. “To have the horse understand what you're feeling was pretty emotional and life-changing for me.” 

Last summer, Jess survived a catastrophic helicopter crash overseas. 

“When I returned, it was pretty difficult for me to reintegrate back into civilian life or back into life in general.” 

Jess suffered from a traumatic brain injury and developed post-traumatic stress disorder. 

“I think the biggest thing that has been hard for me after the accident is to stop thinking and to be in the moment,” she shared. 

When the opportunity to ride horses arose, Jess took it. 

"I guess when I'm riding, all I can think about is being in the moment, being present, giving the cues that I need to get the horse to do what I need it to do,” she explained. “It allows me to separate the accident from reality and not dwell on things that you obviously can't change any more.” 

Six months after Jess began working with horses, she got a call from her husband. 

“He told me that an EF3 tornado just swept through our city and took our house with it. I lost my house, truck, and trailer,” she recalled. 

Jess's husband and two dogs made it through the storm and have since found a new home. 

Jess said she hopes to encourage others to “keep treading forward. Life goes on, and really, just get back on the horse and keep riding.” 

In a message to veterans, Jess shared, “I want every veteran who has gone through something- who has been a part of something traumatic- to find healing. It may not be doctors. It may not be even their own families but through horsemanship and the bond that you can create with a horse.”