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Therapy worth remembering

An elderly Veteran reaches out to stroke the muzzle of a pony.
Elmer Lynn, a U.S. Marine Corps Veteran who served during Vietnam and current resident of the Coatesville VA Medical Center’s Community Living Center, reaches out to stroke the muzzle of a pony, Jubilee, a Welsch Cross Roan Mare, at the Thorncroft Equestrian Center during a recreational therapy session on Feb 27, 2023.
By Michael Hamill, Public Affairs Specialist

Three elderly Veterans take their seats around a set of tables, with the help of recreation therapists in a classroom at Thorncroft Equestrian Center in Malvern, on February 27.

The Veterans are residents of the Coatesville VA Medical Center's Community Living Center and are here as part of a therapeutic horsemanship program offered at Thorncroft. The program is designed for elderly Veterans like Elmer Lynn, a U.S. Marine Corps Veteran who served during Vietnam.

Lynn volunteered to participate in the six recreation therapy sessions and said, "I had a lot of fun being around horses and being familiar with some of their ways. This is the closest I've been to one in many years."

Although providing a positive experience for the Veterans is important, the purpose of the trip is therapeutic and worth remembering. In the classroom, the Veterans learn information about how to care for horses and the different parts of a horse. They are asked to remember what they learn from one week to the next. Then they leave the class to meet one of the gentle ponies at Thorncroft as part of their physical therapy.

"It's a great opportunity for the Veterans to work on physical skills where they're reaching, stretching, doing some walking as well the balance," said Ellen Barnes, Recreation Therapist at Coatesville VA Medical Center.

Carole Laulis, staff instructor at Thorncroft Equestrian Center says, "It is very relaxing. They get to interact with a horse. The pony actually fell asleep while she was being brushed so it's very relaxing, not only for the pony but also for the Veterans."

The recreation therapists schedule physical and cognitive experiences as a regular part of the programs offered to resident and inpatient Veterans at the Coatesville VA.

Coatesville VA and Thorncroft have partnered for many years to serve the Veterans in the community by bringing horses and Veterans together at the Thorncroft farm.

Mikaela Potrako, Head of Philanthropy at Thorncroft describes that partnership, "Our relationship with Coatesville VA has included folks coming out to our farm to experience horsemanship as well as mounted and unmounted lessons. It's been a fulfilling partnership."

Thorncroft offers therapeutic horsemanship programs at no cost to the Veterans or the organizations in Chester County and they are connected with other Veteran Service Organizations in the area.

Veterans who receive their care at Coatesville VA can ask their care team about outpatient recreation therapy options. Visit Coatesville VAs register for care page to enroll for VA health care.