FORT BENNING, Ga., (April 16, 2014) -- The Warrior Outreach Horsemanship event took place Saturday with heaps of volunteers and supporters of the program to include Families, Spalding County 4-H, USO, Heartland Ranch and Arena and 103.7 FM turning out in support of the event.
According to warrioroutreach.org, its mission is to "provide Soldiers, veterans and their Families from all of America's conflicts an opportunity to connect with horses and receive group level Equine Assistance Training."
Hands-on activities and viewing stations showed how horses are therapeutically beneficial and included horseback riding, animal care and a demonstration by Nick Smith, who was paralyzed from mid-chest down during a tractor accident several years ago.
Founded in 2008, Warrior Outreach became a nonprofit organization in 2012. The event has developed from a wounded warrior outreach program to a warrior and Family outreach program, said guest speaker Col. David Davidson, 316th Cavalry Brigade commander.
Removing the stigma and calling everyone a volunteer helps promote a sense of belonging, said retired Command Sgt. Maj. Sam Rhodes, president and CEO of Warrior Outreach, Inc.
"The event is a great opportunity for the community to come out and see what Sam does," Davidson said.
Heartland Ranch and Arena, a nonprofit organization, is partnered with Warrior Outreach Inc., and pledged $25,000 to the program and donated two horses, said Gardner Cahoon, Heartland board member.
The members of the Spalding County 4-H Mounted Drill Team performed and served as volunteers for children of different ages by assisting them with horse rides and answering questions, said Sherrie Morton, adult volunteer with the Mounted Drill Team.
The new addition to the event was a demonstration given by Nick Smith, former professional reining trainer and wheelchair-bound volunteer.
Using a specially made saddle, he showed how he controlled the horse on the ground, how he rides it and how he gets on the horse, said Matthew Smith, volunteer and brother of Nick Smith.
"Nick is the first cutter ever that's a quadriplegic to show up with a cutting horse," Matthew Smith said.
After his accident, every doctor told his brother that he would never be able to ride a horse again; of course, he proved them wrong, Matthew Smith said.
"My goal was to be able to compete with able bodied people in cutting even though I am paralyzed," Nick Smith said. "And, to show others that this is more mental than physical.
If it wasn't for these horses, I probably wouldn't even want to get out of bed. You have to keep yourself positive and keep positive people around."
Nick Smith said he hopes to encourage others and show them that anything is possible and has future goals to be more independent when it comes to mounting a horse.
The event was dedicated to the late Lt. Col. Roger L. Hewitt. Cheryl Hewitt, his widow, said the dedication of the event to her late husband was a "wonderful gesture."
Rhodes said he created the program after years of being in the military and a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress followed by a reconnection for a love of horses.
"When I was working around my horses it just kind of hit me and (realized) this feels good, this is really nice," he said. "(I knew that) I want(ed) to do more. I owe a lot to the guys who didn't make it back."
In 2012, following a life-threatening incident, Rhodes said he spent $63,000 of his own money building the Warrior Outreach Center, which is located in Harris County. Since then, 15 more acres have been added with many structural goals in mind he said.
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