{"id":140955,"date":"2024-03-31T18:30:00","date_gmt":"2024-03-31T18:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=140955"},"modified":"2024-03-31T19:26:51","modified_gmt":"2024-03-31T19:26:51","slug":"horses-enrich-lives-of-veterans-at-west-texas-va","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=140955","title":{"rendered":"Horses enrich lives of Veterans at West Texas VA"},"content":{"rendered":"

Horses and other animals have a unique way of connecting with people, and that connection could be seen in the eyes and faces of the Veterans at West Texas VA<\/a>.<\/p>\n

That was the scene when \u201c40 Something Cowgirls\u201d of Big Spring, Texas, and Pam Kearney, owner of the miniature horse ministry, \u201cIt\u2019s Alright to be Little Bitty,\u201d from Lamesa, Texas, rolled onto the campus with their horses and miniatures.<\/p>\n

\n
<\/a>
Army Veteran James Stuteville and Biscuit<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve enjoyed horses my whole life,\u201d said Army Veteran Lawrence Wheat. \u201cI grew up around horses and got so used to riding them. I\u2019m glad I got to see horses out here today.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wheat, 76, from Nixon, Texas, along with more than 20 Veterans from the Community Living Center, got to meet, feed, brush and even take walks around the track with geldings, miniature horses and even a miniature donkey on the campus.<\/p>\n

\u201cExperiences like this make you happy.\u201d<\/h2>\n

\u201cExperiences like this really make you happy and takes your mind off the stress of the day,\u201d Wheat said as he brushed a horse.<\/p>\n

Pictured above, Army Veteran Larry Butler enjoys a window visitor at the George H. O\u2019Brien Jr. VA<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n
\"Veteran<\/a>
Army Veteran Carlos Longoria takes a trip on the track with Biscuit<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Medical Center Director Keith Bass echoed the sentiments of those gathered, expressing his praise to the organizations supporting Veterans. \u201cThis experience brought immense joy to our hearts. We are deeply appreciative of community partners like the 40-Something-Cowgirls<\/a> who consistently come forward to organize activities that enrich our Veterans lives,\u201d Bass said.<\/p>\n

It was heartwarming to witness the interactions between Veterans and these gentle animals as they soaked up the sunshine and offered treats and gentle brushings for the visiting equines. These moments may seem fleeting, but they have a profound impact on the well-being of these Veteran residents, providing them with companionship and joy.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeyond the immediate enjoyment, events like these play a crucial role in integrating our residents into the broader community,\u201d Bass said.\u00a0He also highlighted the significance of such interactions in providing a sense of calm, peacefulness and connection for our residents. \u201cThrough these activities, we aim to break down the barriers of hospitalization and foster a sense of belonging within our community. These interactions are vital in maintaining the mental and emotional well-being of our residents, providing them with moments of purpose.\u201d<\/p>\n

West Texas VA is committed to continuing these events and fostering greater community engagement. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all our volunteers and partners who contribute to the enrichment of our residents\u2019 lives.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Horses and other animals have a unique way of connecting with people, and that connection could be seen in the eyes and faces of the Veterans at West Texas VA. That was the scene when \u201c40 Something Cowgirls\u201d of Big Spring, Texas, and Pam Kearney, owner of the miniature horse ministry, \u201cIt\u2019s Alright to be […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":140957,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-140955","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/140955","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=140955"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/140955\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":140964,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/140955\/revisions\/140964"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/140957"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=140955"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=140955"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=140955"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}