Reckless Rangers Veteran’s Equitherapy
Heroes Helping Heroes Live Normal Productive Lives

www./fineprintfarms.com/reckless

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a medical condition that can occur after someone experiences an extremely difficult and stressful situation, especially involving physical harm or the threat of physical harm.  People who develop PSTD don't have to be physically hurt to get PTSD and you can experience it after you see others—a friend, a family member, even a stranger--harmed or threatened.  In the past, with military, it had been called things like ‘shell shock’, ‘the 1,000-mile stare’, and ‘battle fatigue’.

Recent military war veterans brought PTSD to public attention.  However, PTSD can stem from many traumatic incidents, such as mugging, rape, torture, being kidnapped or held captive, child abuse, car accidents, train wrecks, plane crashes, bombings, or natural disasters such as floods or earthquakes.

People exposed to such events and experience PTSD often experience symptoms of distress like sleep problems and jumpiness.  Some people with PTSD may become emotionally numb, especially in relation to people with whom they used to be close.  They may lose interest in things they used to enjoy.  They may startle easily or be irritable, become aggressive, and may have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep.  They avoid situations that remind them of the original incident, and often find anniversaries of the incident to be very difficult.

Many fully recover from PTSD within a few weeks or months.  However, the more traumatic the cause, the longer PTSD affects someone and the more pronounced the effects.  This is why military war veterans that experience a continued influence of traumatic situations, are so greatly affected and thus brought this problem to light.

Hundreds of thousands of military veterans--service men and women--have experienced these such events that can lead to PTSD.  The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that PTSD afflicts upt to 31 percent of military war veterans.  Additionally, PTSD and traumatic brain injury (TBI) are often linked and their symptoms may overlap.  Blast waves from explosions can cause TBI, rattling the brain inside the skull.

Equitherapy, or equine-assisted therapy (EAT) has been used as a form of therapeutic aid since the times of Ancient Greece.  It involves a range of treatments that includes activities with horses to promote physical and mental improvements.  Therapy horses are selected and trained specifically for use in a program.  Therapy program horses can be of any breed, but they must be calm, even-tempered, gentle, serviceably sound, and well-trained.  

Equitherapy has been found to have a profound effect on veteran’s suffering from PTSD.  Watch National Geographic’s video on veteran’s equitherapy.

http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/news/141121-horse-therapy-veterans-vin

In the San Antonio--Military City USA--the veteran population is much larger and thus there are many more vets suffering from PTSD.  There are other equitherapy programs in the local area and some also support veterans, but Reckless Rangers Veteran’s Equitherapy is the only program in San Antonio specifically dedicated to Veteran’s with PTSD and similar and related disabilities, like TBI.

Sergeant Reckless was the world’s most famous warhorse in history that the Marines trained to carry 75mm recoilless rifle rounds to the front lines in the Korean War.  She would often carry wounded soldiers down the mountain to safety, unload them, reload with ammo, and head back up to the front line.  She also provided a shield for several Marines who were trapped trying to make their way up to the battle.  Wounded twice, she didn’t let that stop or slow her down.  What Reckless did not only earned her the respect of all that served with her, but it resulted in her promotion to Sergeant.

Reckless wasn’t a Horse, she was a Marine! — A Hero Helping Heroes!

Support Needed for Reckless Rangers

Fine Print Farms in Bulverde, Texas, just north of San Antonio, have provided their land, facilities, and seven of their horses for use in the Reckless Rangers program.  Maintaining one horse normally averages about $7,000 year.  For the current seven program horses, that cost would be about $50,000 in 2017.

Currently, the program uses the existing 50-year-old facilities, which work for boarding, riding, and training purposes that Fine Print Farms’ needs, but are not optimal for the equitherapy program.  Reckless Rangers needs a separate facility with meeting and class rooms, separate lavatories, and office, and a covered and secure arena.  Fine Print Farms will provide the location for the facility on their property--what Reckless Rangers need is the funding to design and build it.  The estimated cost would be about $500,000.

Money raised in this campaign will go first toward the keep and maintenance of the horses used in the program and then to fund the construction of a new facility.

You have the opportunity today to be a hero for heroes!


Recently, unscrupulous people have been using gofundme to raise money for themselves, while stating they were going to disaster relief.  They have asked for us to share several items the prove the validity of our campaign (which we have above) and our withdrawal approach.

Our Withdrawal Approach:
Monetary withdrawls are sent via text to John Knotts, the Vice President of Reckless Rangers Veteran's Equitherapy.  He deposits them directly into the Reckless Rangers bank account we have at Bank of America.