MOUNDS, Okla. — Helping warriors and mustangs find their way.
A local organization aims to help Veterans and first responders by connecting them with horses.
On a plot of land in Mounds sits All Round Equine.
Here, Kyle Dobson started Pathfinders after searching all over for a program..
"I couldn't find one that would fit so I decided to come up with my own idea," Dobson said.
That idea, putting humans and animals in the same area.
"Veterans and first responders have so much more in common with mustangs than we realize," Dobson said.
According to Dobson, sometimes, the horses go through very traumatic experiences, similar to Veterans.
"It's the same thing with us,” Dobson said. “We come home, we get out of the military, and we don't know what to do with ourselves until someone comes along and finds a new purpose for us."
As a Veteran himself, Dobson has been through all the emotions that come with service.
Dobson is connected with Eagle OPS, another Veteran-centered organization.
So, he knows what can be accomplished when you bring people together to heal and find that new purpose.
"These horses will help you open up,” Dobson said. “They are a mirror to your soul, they really are. They mirror your emotions."
Dobson said being around the Mustangs helps you control those emotions.
"It'll help you communicate with your family,” Dobson said. “It'll help you stop isolating. And, honestly, the animals are magic, so it really does help with the depression."
Holly Fisher is the owner of All Round.
Dobson reached out to her for an internship program, and Pathfinders was born there.
"So, we're just creating those moments of peace and harmony so we can learn, open our brains, release our anxiety, become more connected," Fisher said.
According to Fisher, the end goal is to create those small moments of happiness.
"If I can provide each person with just a small five seconds, two seconds of peace, where they relax just a tiny bit, and let go of some of that armor that they've put on to survive then the next time will be easier, and the next time will be easier after that," Fisher said.
Pathfinders is hosting a "friend-raiser," on Saturday to get more people involved.
Visit the organization’s Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/pathfinderstangs to learn more about the event, hosted by All Round Equine in Mounds, OK.
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