Decorated Combat Marine Veteran Sheds Pain with Horse Power

[Sherman A1]

Paul Worley leaned in close, speaking softly while caressing Huckleberry's long beige muzzle as the horse stood perfectly still under a shade canopy at the J.F. Shea Therapeutic Riding Center.

Slowly walking around the 1,270-pound draft horse, he lifted each of the animal's powerful legs, bringing up one hoof after the other to check for any hard bits stuck inside the soft underneath part.

The exercise has become a ritual. It's a sort of check-in.

Trust and a calm demeanor are crucial. "It makes me mindful of how I'm doing that day," Worley said.

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2022/04/12/decorated-combat-marine-veteran-sheds-pain-horse-power.html