Horses for Heroes at Charity Hill Ranch
By Erin Crowell
While serving in Iraq as a recon cavalry scout in the U.S. Army, Jason Young survived three explosions.
But the ordeal left him with a traumatic brain injury and post-concussive syndrome, known as “shell shock.” Along with arthritis in his back and structural damage to his neck, Young was medically discharged.
For a man who wanted to make a military career for himself, the transition wasn’t easy.
“I had a real tough time transitioning back and a hard time losing the military,” said the now 34-year-old. “Having been taken away so prematurely, I had to deal with depression. When I went back to school, I was on the Dean’s List, but I wasn’t able to maintain a normal life without selfmedicating through alcohol.”
That was until Young discovered Horses for Heroes, a nation-wide program helping U.S. veterans cope with physical, emotional and psychological issues, including Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD) which can lead to isolation and depression.
Now Young and fellow veterans are busy at work building a Horses for Heroes program in Traverse City.
Please click here to read more about the program…