Kim,
I rescued my first horse 6 yrs ago. Actually, we rescued each other in the long run. I was sexually abused at 5, then raped in the military. That was decades ago. I didn’t get help until I was 45, now I am 63. I finally got my first horse at 57, I kept begging my parents for a horse since I was 7. Yes, ‘the magic happened’. There was a heart bond between my horse and me. He ‘brought me home’ after so many years of being so distant, running from myself, not being able to stay in one place, one job for more than 18 months. Not understanding why?! Horses are wonderful creatures!! Unfortunately, we had to hug him good-bye 2 days before Christmas last year, because of his health. That was a terrible day in our lives. He helped me raise a young filly from 6 months to 3 1/2 yrs old. Now, I bought another gelding of the same breed as my first horse because I fell in love with him, I learned so live again because of him. Sure I still have PTSD, I still have problems, and now I also have a service dog 🙂 too! Never give up!!

find it difficult to form bonds with friends, spouses and others who never went to war. At the same time, they deal with the nightmares and flashbacks associated with post traumatic stress.

you see people in a different way – people walking around in a level 3 awareness, while you’re walking around at a 10 awareness level,” “People want you to function at a level 3 – it just doesn’t work.”

It’s much the same, and it was helpful to read these words, to make me understand why I feel the way I do. Thank you for this story.