Erick’s Story
“It’s like having a guide dog you can ride,” jokes Erick M., Retired US Army Specialist 5. Erick was responding to a question about what the horses at NCEFT mean to him. Erick is both deaf and blind, yet with the assistance of VA Recreational Therapist, NCEFT Adaptive Riding Instructor Heather Schilling, and a devoted team of horse handlers and side walkers, Erick is able to participate in a sport that he enjoyed in his youth.
As Erick tells it, when he began to lose his sight after already losing his hearing, he first dwelt upon the things he could no longer do. No longer could he drive a car, no longer could he ride a bicycle, and no longer could he participate in his favorite hobby, boating. But, realizing that the area in which he lives has a lot of horses, Erick’s natural resilience lead his thoughts to a youthful experience he had at a barn. That, in turn, inspired his interest in the possibility of riding recreationally again—and with the help of the VA, Erick found NCEFT.
Erick hopes to see more Veterans participate in NCEFT’s program, noting that “Even if they’ve never ridden before, I think they should give it a try… When I leave NCEFT, I feel like I’ve accomplished something.”
Learn more about NCEFT’s horses here.
