Ukrainian soldiers turn to horse therapy to treat war traumas

In a quiet environment, far from bombs and fighting and surrounded by horses. A group of Ukrainian soldiers seek a moment of peace at the kyiv hippodrome before having to return to the front. From the start of the fighting, they suffer from permanent stress; and they have discovered that riding and contact with horses are therapeutic.

Oleg, named “Dyadya”, is a Ukrainian soldier, and he confesses that he liked this experience. “It’s a completely different environment, contact with animals, talking about yourself, sharing your emotions, your experiences… It’s great and recharges you for the future,” says Oleg.

But it’s not all horse riding. The founder of the center, Ganna Burago, hopes that these soldiers, after talking to them and getting them to calm down and open up to others; can better cope with their situation.

They’ve been through a lot on the front lines, putting them at risk for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

“They have seen many things that could have caused PTSD. Here we do not diagnose them, but their psycho-emotional state is very complicated,” Burago admits.

This therapy is carried out at the Spirit organization, which also works with children and disabled people. Now, his goal is to heal some of the wounds that the conflict has left these front-line soldiers.

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