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The fourth annual Windhaven Ride for Veterans brought close to 50 riders to Yacolt on Saturday Aug. 16, marking the event’s first start from the Yacolt Community Church. The ride supports the Windhaven Veterans Program, which uses equine-assisted therapy to help veterans living with PTSD.
Hosted by the American Legion TumTum Post 168 of Amboy, the fundraiser plays a critical role for Windhaven, which does not receive government funding. Over the past three years, money raised through the event has helped about 30 veterans participate in the program, with another 15 expected this year.
Rick Halle, commander of American Legion, TumTum Post 168, said the event reflects a commitment to care for those who served.
“I wanted to be able to do something for our veterans to take care of our veterans, and this is one thing, one great thing that helps me to do that,” Halley told The Reflector.
Halley said programs like Windhaven fill gaps left by federal systems.
“Sometimes that’s hard for them to deal with and we need to be able to provide them those programs and while we do have some programs sponsored by the government itself it’s not enough we need to be able to do more for them and this is one way to do more,” he said.
Saturday’s route began in Yacolt, followed the Lewis River past Lucia Falls, crossed over I-5, and wound through north Clark County before circling back to town.
The Windhaven Veterans Program, operated under Lifeline Connections’ Healing Animal Partners Program, runs eight-week group sessions and individual options for veterans working through PTSD. The therapy pairs veterans with horses, helping them learn regulation skills and rebuild trust in a safe environment.
Kara Seibert, program director for Windhaven, told riders the therapy can reach veterans in ways traditional methods sometimes cannot.
“Veterans don’t have to relive past traumas,” she said. “Instead, they find healing by learning how to manage their adaptive stress responses in the present moment in partnership with horses.”
She said the program has an 81 percent completion rate, far higher than traditional PTSD treatment programs.
Bo Russel, a Vietnam veteran and one of Windhaven’s earliest participants, said the program changed the course of his life.
“I was in a very bad place for many, many years,” he said. “The first day I went there, I noticed a difference and I’ll never forget my old horse, Diesel. It is life-changing and it totally changed my life after 45, 50 years of PTSD. I’m calm now, I’m happy, my wife’s really glad. Every little thing everybody can do in this Windhaven is right, right square in front of helping guys save their lives and I can never thank you enough.”
Robert Molitor, a veteran who entered the program two years ago, said Windhaven gave him tools to regain control of his daily life. Since graduating from the program, he takes part in a weekly equine session and alumni events hosted every 90 days.
“When I started with that group, I was on the outside, not in the center, not where I needed to be, and I was resisting what was being shown to me,” Molitor said. “After that I realized that I was in a very safe place to learn how to manage the stressors that were in my life and move forward. I continued my equestrian therapy, and now I look forward to that time each week.”
Robert also shared a recent moment during therapy that showed him the depth of the trust in his surroundings he was learning to build. He said that while grooming one horse, another quietly approached from behind and startled him when it sneezed on his neck.
“I was in mixed feelings because I let my guard down and a 1,200-pound horse was able to sneak up on me, so I was unsettled,” Robert said. “But at the same time, a 1,200-pound horse was inside my wire. That was powerful.”
Along with the ride, raffles and community sponsorships helped raise funds. Local groups including Mainline Traffic Control, Impact Automotive and the Yacolt Community Church were also recognized for making this year’s event possible.
“This is our desire, to be a light to the community,” Pastor Bill Douglas of Yacolt Community Church told attendees. “And I just want to say, the veterans … no greater love has one than this, than to lay down their life for their friends, and (few have) more embodied that than veterans.”
