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| Steve Critchley, military veteran who is one of two operators of the Can Praxis program. |
“There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.” – Winston Churchill
The old British bulldog’s words could have specifically been uttered with Can Praxis in mind.
Using horses, the Can Praxis program offers support and therapy for Canadian soldiers, suffering from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), along with their families.
The product of an unlikely partnership between a 28-year military veteran and an experienced psychologist, the three-day long set of sessions are operated out of a ranch northeast of Rocky Mountain House in Alberta’s foothills.
Through the responses their behavior and actions elicit from the horses during exercises, the veterans and their partners are given an insight into their own personal struggles and are provided possible solutions to help bind their frayed relationships – patience is a primary factor.
Herald reporter David Fraser and I were only there for a single afternoon this past Saturday, but it doesn’t take long to see how these beautiful steeds are helping vets heal.
I’d like to say thank you to all the participants who were willing to share their experiences with us. Covering this story properly would have been impossible without your honesty and openness.
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| Don Wood, who suffers from post traumatic stress disorder, reaches out to a horse between exercises. |
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| Lisa Conrod, whose husband suffers post traumatic stress disorder, participates in a relationship exercise with the use of a horse. |
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| One of the many quotes on the wall of the barn where the Can Praxis program is operated. |
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| From left, Ryan Edwards, Don Wood and Aaron Anderson, who all suffer from post traumatic stress disorder, take part in an exercise. |
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| Aaron Anderson’s hands. Anderson is a former member of the Canadian Forces, who served in Afghanistan and now suffers from post traumatic stress disorder. |
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| Aaron Anderson, who suffers from post traumatic stress disorder, embraces his fiancee Shannon Burns, following a relationship exercise. |
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| Jim Marland, a psychologist who is one of two people who operates the Can Praxis program, leads a group through a session. |
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| Don Wood, who suffers from post traumatic stress disorder, with his wife Lisa Conrod, during an exercise. |
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| Shannon Burns, whose fiancé suffers from post traumatic stress disorder, takes part in an exercise. |
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| Shannon Burns, whose fiancé suffers from post traumatic stress disorder, takes part in an exercise. |
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| Participants take part in an exercise at Can Praxis. |
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| Steve Critchley, a military veteran who is one of two people who was operating the Can Praxis program. |
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| Andrea Edwards-Edwards, whose husband suffers from post traumatic stress disorder, wipes away tears during a post-exercise discussion. |
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| One of the many messages on the wall of the barn where the Can Praxis program is operated. |
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| Don Wood, who suffers from post traumatic stress disorder, speaks with his wife Lisa Conrod, between exercises. |
