Saratoga WarHorse Launches Military Armed Forces and Racehorses Program

Saratoga WarHorse, a not-for-profit organization which uses retired Thoroughbred racehorses to work with service members and veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress, will now use its program to aid individuals mobilized during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Military Armed Forces and Racehorses Program is designed to assist service members and veterans during the immediate aftermath of trauma and prevent the negative consequences of Post-Traumatic Stress. The program, which will formally launch this December, is currently accepting participants and available to service members who were mobilized during the pandemic at no cost.

Since April, more than 50,000 troops across all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, have been activated domestically to assist in their state's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, approximately 25,000 retired and former U.S. Army medical personnel have volunteered their service.

“Tens of thousands of military troops were called upon to fight this invisible enemy,” said U.S. Army veteran and Saratoga WarHorse Foundation Chief Executive Officer Allison Cherkosly, Ph.D. “Serving in an uncertain environment–unsure whether or not the person you're trying to help will infect you–is stressful and traumatic. Our Military FAR Program will help spare a lot of service members and their families from the suffering caused by Post-Traumatic Stress by providing early intervention shortly after enduring trauma. With this program, we have the opportunity to make a major contribution to the field of veteran care. Instead of trying to reverse the devastating consequences of Post-Traumatic Stress, we could actually prevent it.”