THE PROJECT
“There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.”
– WINSTON CHURCHILL
PTSD is a highly disabling condition and the signature disorder of many returning veterans.
Symptoms such as nightmares, negative thoughts, and hypervigilance can cause debilitating anxiety, depression, and substance abuse.
Veterans who suffer from PTSD are often unable to lead healthy, productive, and secure lives.
We must all do better to ensure that our brave men and women in uniform receive the treatment and support they deserve when they return home from the battlefield.
OUR MISSION
The mission of the Man O’ War Project at Columbia University Irving Medical Center is to explore the use of and scientifically evaluate equine assisted therapy to treat/help individuals who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or other mental health problems.
Our initial work has focused on veterans with PTSD. We plan to extend that work and also consider other populations that may benefit from the therapy.
ABOUT THE MAN O’WAR PROJECT
The Man O’ War Project was founded in 2015 by philanthropist and businessman, Ambassador Earle I. Mack, a veteran himself and longtime Thoroughbred owner/breeder, and was born out of his concern about the mental health crisis facing veterans and his observation of anecdotal stories from various equine-assisted therapy groups, yet no hard science to support their results.
ABOUT THE MAN O’WAR PROJECT
The Man O’ War Project was founded in 2015 by philanthropist and businessman, Ambassador Earle I. Mack, a veteran himself and longtime Thoroughbred owner/breeder. The project was born out of his concern about the mental health crisis facing veterans and his observation of anecdotal stories from various equine-assisted therapy groups, yet no hard science to support their results.
With more military personnel dying from suicide (17 per day) than from enemy combatants, it is clear that we need new and better treatments that relieve our vets from their distress, enabling them to resume healthy, productive lives. Ambassador Mack had the vision that horses could be useful with helping veterans, as part of his own background working with horses as a veteran.
With more military personnel dying from suicide (17 per day) than from enemy combatants, it is clear that we need new and better treatments that relieve our vets from their distress, enabling them to resume healthy, productive lives. Ambassador Mack had the vision that horses could be useful with helping veterans, as part of his own background working with horses as a veteran.
Equine-Assisted Therapy (EAT) is a widely used alternative treatment for many people struggling with mental health and life problems, including veterans. While anecdotal evidence suggests that EAT provides benefits to those with PTSD and other mental disorders, it remains to be proven how effective it is in treating PTSD and how the therapy should be most effectively administered.
Further, we found that programs varied widely in how EAT was practiced and there was no commonly accepted manualized procedure for providing EAT.
The initial goal of the Man O’ War Project (MOW) was to examine the efficacy and effectiveness of EAT for military veterans and military personnel with PTSD. Ambassador Mack approached his friend David Shaffer, MD, and soon a team was formed at Columbia led by Dr. Prudence Fisher and Dr. Yuval Neria.
The project was the first-ever university-led research study to examine the effectiveness of equine-assisted therapy in treating veterans with PTSD.