![]() They need new tasks and mental challenges to keep them in the present and not dwelling on the past. Micah claimed that what some veterans really need is physical activity to keep their bodies and minds sharp. They’re prescribed drugs, told that they have issues, live on government support, and begin a downwards spiral because they don’t have to work or struggle to live. He claims there’s a problem when high energy, physically active, tough, mentally capable, and hard-working veterans come home to be told that they have problems by PdDs in lab coats who’ve never experienced combat. He told me that the reason why he started Heroes and Horses isn’t because people have PTSD, its because of the way our society and government treats veterans when they come back from war. Everyone is different, what they experience is different, how they experience it is different, and how they cope with the past is different with each and every person. He said that everyone is affected differently and that PTSD or anxiety can’t be measured like temperature during a fever. I told him that I’m not a combat veteran, I’ve never been in the military, and its difficult for me to comprehend what its like coming back to a civilian lifestyle after a military tour. And although he didn’t say it outright, I could tell he had suffered similar pain. It wasn’t the first time he’d heard that. I told Micah that I recently had a veteran friend and co-worker commit suicide. ![]() Micah spends months in the woods every year with veterans diagnosed with PTSD or anxiety and I wanted to pick his brain. I rode up to Micah Fink, former Navy Seal and director of Heroes and Horses, an organization he created to heal combat veterans through horse training and wilderness physical activity. The temperature was rising so we brought our horses back to a walk after a few miles. The horses were feeling fresh, so we let them trot when we reached a massive open valley with the North Fork of the Buffalo River winding through it. Our horses picked up the pace when we went through small pocket meadows, many of which had willow-covered riparian areas. For the first few miles we traveled through an old-growth forest full of towering pines, firs, and spruce. The trail to Hawk’s Rest from Turpin Meadows Trailhead near Jackson, Wyoming, is stunning. From there we would ride with Ray through Yellowstone National Park. start, especially since we had more then 30 miles of trail ahead of us! Our goal for the day was to meet Ray Knell, who was riding 1,000 miles along the Continental Divide, at Hawk’s Rest Mountain by nightfall. Backpackers don’t need extra horseshoes, veterinary supplies, nails, 1-inch 50-foot rope, picket stakes, hobbles, extra pads, etc… So it was an embarrassingly late 9 a.m. Packs have to be weighed perfectly to balance correctly, saddles have to be fitted just right to ensure horses don’t get sores, and you have to take more stuff to properly take care of the animals. ![]() While its certainly true that riding a good horse up mountains is physically easier than walking yourself, it takes a tremendous amount of preparation and work to get moving every day! Horses have to be caught, watered, fed, brushed, have their feet cleaned, saddled, and loved on. A common misconception is that horse journeys are easier than bicycling or backpacking because all you have to do is sit on a saddle. The morning we headed into the Teton Wilderness to meet veteran Green Beret Ray Knell and travel with him through Yellowstone was no exception. Getting ready for a long horse expedition always takes longer than expected. See “A Backcountry Recovery” Photo Gallery
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