LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- For years, the local Veteran's Club has been using horses to help veterans heal. Now, the organization is extending an invitation to help local first responders and others impacted by the April 10 mass shooting in downtown Louisville.

On that day, a shooter inside the Old National Bank in the Preston Pointe building gunned down five employees before he was killed in a shootout with Louisville Metro Police Department Officer Cory Galloway. Several additional people were injured, including LMPD Officer Nick Wilt, who remains in critical condition.

Horses are known for being hyper-aware of how a person is feeling, and it's why Jeremy Harrell, the founder of the Veteran's Club, said the animals are perfect to help someone heal after a traumatic event like the recent violence.

And veterans always expect those traumatic events to happen overseas and not on home soil.

"It's weird for us as veterans, because we go there so that doesn't happen here," Harrell said.

Veteran's Club using horses to heal through trauma

Veteran's Club using horses to heal through trauma. 

Thomas Rierdon, a local veteran and former EMT, said events like mass shootings can be traumatizing not just for first responders but also for people who hear about them through the experiences of others. 

"My nephew was actually down there when that happened," Rierdon said when talking. "He's a police officer."

Rierdon's nephew, like so many Kentucky residents, is now learning to navigate life with a heavy heart after recent tragedies like the shooting at Old National Bank.

"He graduated before this last class did, so they all know each other pretty well," Rierdon said. "He's like, 'I was when I came back from war.' I told him, 'Look, you can't hold this stuff in.'"

For the first time in its six-year history, the Veteran's Club is now inviting people without military backgrounds to join in its equine therapy program in Taylorsville.

Veteran's Club encouraging others to use equine therapy to heal from trauma

Veteran's Club encouraging others to use equine therapy to heal from trauma.

"We've never done this," Harrell said. "I never thought we'd have to. That's the reality of this and that's the hard pill to swallow. I'm glad we can offer it and we can create a space, but I wish it wasn't necessary."

Harrell is calling on first responders and families impacted by recent gun violence to come and heal together.

He said his organization wants to, "try to help our city in a way that we knew, will not only help in the short-term, but this will be impactful in the long-term."

Harrell said he believes horses are the perfect animals to facilitate that healing.

"They're intuitive," he said. "They're like a mirror. They force you to be authentic. You can really fake it until you make it with people, but the reality is horses won't allow you to do that. You really have to be authentic, you really have to break those chains and those barriers to interact with the horse."

Veteran's Club Equine Facilitated Mentoring Program

Barn used for Veteran's Club Equine Facilitated Mentoring Program in Taylorsville, KY.

By engaging in small group discussions, the group said it hopes the program can be a positive outlet during a dark time.

"I knew some of the people that were down there working, and you automatically feel the worst for them because you know what they're going to go through," Rierdon said.

The Veteran's Club said it will keep sessions open to first responders for as long as they need to. 

The horse farm is located at 375 Normandy Heights Road in Taylorsville. The club typically visits a few times a month.

To check the upcoming schedule, click here. 

To get in touch with the Veteran's Club, click here. 

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