August 28, 2023
News 8 Feature Story
by Sarah Cody
“It was this figure of 22 suicides a day among the veteran population, and we were just like, you know, this work we’re doing, maybe there’s a fit there for veterans,” explains co-founder David Sonatore, a social worker. He and his partner, Jane Strong, believe that “therapy as usual” doesn’t always work and that trauma is stored in the body.
But the nervous system is calmed through working with these sensitive, intuitive animals.
“They don’t mind if you feel vulnerable or are anxious or you’re afraid, but if you don’t reveal it to them, it looks like, ‘What’s up here?’” says Strong, who practices Somatic Experiencing, a therapy focused on a mind and body approach.
Participants work with horses and consult with human facilitators.
“We try to stand back, give people space, we let the horses reveal what may be going on,” she said. “We ask good questions without forcing things.”
“This is Dutch, a very sensitive but also assertive horse,” said Layne, who is taking part in three sessions alongside fellow firefighters from Yonkers, leading the horses through a unique obstacle course.
“I definitely think it’s another realm that can be utilized to bring us a lot more ease, especially with PTSD,” he said.
“The veterans and first responders don’t feel like patients. They feel like students, they feel respected,” Strong said.
The bond between a person and a non-judgmental animal brings stability, calm, and growth.
“It felt really great, really connected, just one of those things when once you start petting him, you don’t want to stop,” Layne said.
The co-founders have created a curriculum and are training facilitators nationwide.
The Equus Effect has a fundraiser coming up on September 30th.
NATIONAL POLICE WEEK: May 14 – May 20, 2023
In our recent newsletter, we honor and celebrate the tireless contributions that law enforcement officers make to our communities.
They keep us safe, show up when we call for help and know how to handle dangerous people and situations.
They are integral to the fabric of our towns and cities.
“It’s not the Destination,
It’s the Journey.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
April 2023
Listen to David Sonatore, co-founder of The Equus Effect, recount some of the more influential moments of his journey in a heartfelt conversation with Catherine Huddleston, host of the Horses Helping Humans podcast.
With guests including pioneers like Temple Grandin and Linda Kohanov, the Horses Helping Humans podcast shares stories of how horses have helped people find self-acceptance, self-love, self-respect and healing through the eyes and heart of a horse.
From childhood dreams put on hold to a profound reawakening of the horse’s role in the betterment of humanity, David shares the unexpected, and at times, serendipitous events that helped pave the way to him co-founding The Equus Effect. More a chat between old friends, having met as trainees at the Eponaquest program some 20 years ago, David and Catherine celebrate the promise held within this exciting field of Equine Experiential Learning.
The Northwest Community Bank Foundation Grant Awarded to The Equus Effect Capital Campaign
Thursday, December 29, 2022 12:10 PM EDT
SHARON, CT / ACCESSWIRE / December 29, 2022 /The Equus Effect, a Connecticut non-profit, has recently received a grant award in support of the organization’s work providing military veterans and others in high-stress environments with essential tools to expand their capacity for healthy, authentic relationships through purposeful engagement with horses.
The Northwest Community Bank Foundation has awarded The Equus Effect a $1,000 grant for the Fix the Bridge Capital Campaign to help build the organization’s programs.
A safe and sturdy bridge for vets and others in uniform to cross is essential, especially now that we are open year-round. It’s a long walk from the covered arena to the obstacle course and this allows folks who have trouble with that distance to take a shortcut so they can stay with the group. The bridge will cost about $15,000.
There will be ’ribbon-cutting’ ceremony as we walk across with the first group of horses and veterans!
“We are so very grateful to The Northwest Community Bank Foundation for this generous support. It’s because of these grants that we are able to serve a wider group of veterans and individuals.”
The Equus Effect relies on generous donations from individuals, businesses, and foundations to continue the important work of assisting military veterans.
September 10th, 2022
The Equus Effect 10th Anniversary Celebration
~ The Power of Collaboration ~
This year Jane Strong and David Sonatore did a live demonstration to show guests how we teach vets and others to use finesse rather than force, to collaborate rather than control and build trust with our horses. These skills translate directly to the self awareness, emotional intelligence and mental agility it takes to rebuild healthy, authentic relationships at home and in their communities.
And this year, Bettina Drummond’s protégé Elizabeth David-Zoerhof demonstrated the power of that collaboration with her horse Xarrie. In this dramatic musical performance, Elizabeth and her 12 year-old buckskin Lusitano showed us how she uses the same ground skills we teach to begin the ascent to this magnificent collaboration between horse and human. It is this powerful collaboration that, for centuries, enabled great warrior-horsemen to prevail and return home to their families.
We’d also like to acknowledge the veterans, first responders and frontline health workers who have trusted us to guide them toward more peace, presence and resourcefulness as they make their transitions to life at home and in their communities.
And last, we’d like to thank YOU for your belief in our mission and incredibly generous contributions that allow us to fulfill our mission!
August 21, 2022
Listen in on Marshall Miles with Jane Strong’s interview on The Equus Effect’s 10th Anniversary Celebration September 10 from 5-7. THIS YEAR it will be held at Quarry Hill Farm, 345 Sharon Road, Lakeville, CT
Please feel free to reach out with any questions Kelly@TheEquusEffect.org
June 15th, 2022
The Equus Effect Receives Two Foundation Grants
SHARON, CT / ACCESSWIRE / June 15, 2022 / The Equus Effect, a Connecticut non-profit, has recently received two grant awards in support of the organization’s work providing military veterans and others in high-stress environments with essential tools to expand their capacity for healthy, authentic relationships through purposeful engagement with horses.
Torrington Savings Foundation and The Northwest Community Bank Foundation have awarded The Equus Effect grants to help build the organization’s programs.
“We are so very grateful to Torrington Savings Foundation and The Northwest Community Bank Foundation for this generous support. It’s because of these grants that we are able to serve a wider group of veterans and individuals.”
The Equus Effect relies on generous donations from individuals, businesses, and foundations to continue the important work of assisting military veterans. To help further the organization’s fundraising, The Equus Effect will be hosting their 10th Anniversary Event on Saturday, September 10, 2022, at Quarry Hill Farm in Lakeville, Connecticut.
For more information, please e-mail Jane@TheEquusEffect.org.
Land for Healing
September 2021
A segment from the Northwest Connecticut Land Conservatory video “Stories from the Land”. An interview with Jane Strong, Executive Director and Co-founder of The Equus Effect speaks about the collaboration with NCLC. “… the green of undisturbed space creates an environment that is very, very conducive to healing. The more land we save … the healthier this planet is going to be … everybody benefits.”
April 3, 2022
The Equus Effect Featured in MSG Networks and Benjamin Moore® Video Highlighting Ring’s End Community Spotlight
SHARON, CT / ACCESSWIRE / April 2, 2022 / The Equus Effect, a Connecticut non-profit whose mission is to provide veterans and others in high-stress environments with essential tools and skills to build healthy relationships through purposeful engagement with horses, is the featured charity in the Rings End and Benjamin Moore video demonstrating the companies’ support for the community.
The video will air on April 3, at Madison Square Garden during the New York Rangers game, and in the post-game show.
Benjamin Moore and Ring’s End made a generous donation of Arborcoat Barn Red Stain and Clear Stain for the newly built covered arena. The video combines interviews with The Equus Effect Co-Founders Jane Strong and David Sonatore, along with footage from the organization’s unique and effective hands-on horse programs for veterans.
“We are so grateful to Benjamin Moore and Rings End for supporting and creating this partnership with us, ” said Jane Strong. “If it were not for donors like these, we would never be able to continue our mission to give veterans, military families, first responders, frontline health workers and others in high-stress environments a much needed ‘leg up’ to meet life’s challenges and move forward.”
Scott Herling, Director of Marketing at Ring’s End says “We’ve historically been a very charitable organization and really believe in supporting the communities that we live and work in and Benjamin Moore has helped us … one project that we’re very proud of our partnership with The Equus Effect.”
A spokesperson for Benjamin Moore said that in addition to airing during and post-game on MSG Network, the video will be running on the jumbotron facing Penn Station on Seventh Avenue in New York City.
For more information or to make a donation, please visit theequuseffect.org.
For additional information, visit The Equus Effect Program on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn, and see their latest video.
CONTACT:
Jane Strong, Executive Director
jstrong@theequuseffect.org
MEDIA CONTACT:
Kelly Hitt, Communications Director
kelly@theequuseffect.org
SOURCE: The Equus Effect
Land for Healing
September 2021
A segment from the Northwest Connecticut Land Conservatory video “Stories from the Land”. An interview with Jane Strong, Executive Director and Co-founder of The Equus Effect speaks about the collaboration with NCLC. “… the green of undisturbed space creates an environment that is very, very conducive to healing. The more land we save … the healthier this planet is going to be … everybody benefits.”
September 17, 2021
The Music of Connection
SHARON — Bettina Drummond, French Classical dressage trainer and Olympic Coach, performed exquisite maneuvers to live music. This equestrian art was originally used to train horses for war — to sustain and prevail in the chaos of combat. Each step, burst of speed, change in elevation or direction is communicated through imperceptible signals from the human to the horse with the kind of mutual trust that one only finds among fellow warriors on the battlefield.
We are honored to have had Ms. Drummond perform at our event. Bettina has studied with world class masters of classical riding in France and Portugal. She has coached Olympic equestrians and trained hundreds of men and women who recognize the value of discipline, time, and endless practice to perfect the art of riding in complete harmony with and respect for one’s horse
July, 2021
Benjamin Moore &
Rings End Donate
Benjamin Moore & Rings End made a very generous contribution to The Equus Effect donating 25 gallons of Arborcoat Barn Red Stain for the exterior and 10 gallons of Clear Stain for the interior posts, beams and walls on our new Covered Arena — valued at $2,500.00.
This particular contribution is exactly what we needed to complete the indoor space where the VA and Yale will be conducting a 16-week research project to measure the impact of our curriculum on a broad sample of veterans in CT.
May 4th, 2021
How Long Can Healthcare Workers Hold the Line?
During Mental Health Awareness Month, Experiential Learning Experts Advise It’s Time to Look Beyond Traditional Therapy
SHARON, CT / ACCESSWIRE / May 4, 2021 / The physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion frontline workers are enduring due to the pandemic is well documented. According to the ECRI Institute, suicide rates among doctors is 44% higher than the general population. 82% of healthcare workers report emotional exhaustion, 70% report trouble sleeping, 68% describe physical exhaustion, and according to MHA, 55% question their career path. These numbers add up to big trouble; for workers, providers, and patients. And now, hospital administrators state concerns over a possible 4th wave and how they can keep staff engaged, sharp, and avoiding deadly mistakes.
Jane Strong, SEP of The Equus Effect – an equine-assisted learning organization – says most of us are aware of the physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion frontline health workers have endured for the past 14 months. Still, few realize that they’ve been looking in the wrong place for relief. “Traditional talk therapy only goes so far. No one can persuade a person to not be exhausted or afraid. Until their nervous systems are settled, people can’t sleep, can’t feel confident, and certainly can’t think clearly.”
That’s where The Equus Effect comes in. For the past decade, the Connecticut-based not profit has been working with men and women who come from extremely high-stress environments. By employing experiential learning techniques, education through experience, clients are empowered with insights and tools that help them move beyond self-limiting attitudes and behaviors.
Although the practice may sound ambiguous, there is hard data to prove it works. The Equus Effect experts have graduated more than 1000 war veterans, first responders, and now frontline workers who vouch for the program’s effectiveness. A Sloan Kettering radiologist says this program is different. “It didn’t help me to dwell on the situation of losing patients in a support group. What helped me was to experience something that engaged all of my senses and gave me some tools I could share with my colleagues.”
Strong says that The Equus Effect teaches participants hands-on groundwork based on real horsemanship techniques, complemented by tools that build emotional and mental fitness for real-life situations. “Without addressing the body as well as the mind, nothing can change. Horses accelerate this process and directly impact clients’ ability to re-engage with renewed confidence and competence.”
About The Equus Effect
The Equus Effect is a proprietary experiential learning program where horses provide a bridge and safe passage to reveal the source – and solution – for both chronic stress and trauma. The mission is to provide veterans and others in high-stress environments with essential tools to meet life’s challenges and build healthy relationships through purposeful engagement with horses. Jane Strong, SEP, is The Equus Effect Co-Founder, Lead Facilitator, and Executive Director. For more information, visit theequuseffect.org.
For additional information, visit The Equus Effect Program on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn, and see their latest video.
CONTACT:
Jane Strong, Executive Director
(860) 364-9985
jstrong@theequuseffect.org
May 4, 2021
Breaking the Spell
By Lori Riley
SHARON — The Equus Effect uses horses to help veterans, first responders, front-line workers and others who have experienced trauma.
February 3, 2021
Expansion of programming to include front-line health workers
Listen in on Marshall Miles’ interview with Jane Strong, Executive Director and Co-founder discussing our program expansion that now includes front-line health workers – having been deemed an essential business last May. With the invaluable support from the Foundation for Community Health, we’ve been able to continue our work during the pandemic.
Jane speaks in depth on how much we’ve learned from the veterans we serve – in particular medics – which has helped us to understand the struggles of front-line health workers and give them the support they deserve.
September 12, 2019
Horse whispering
at the drive-in, for
The Equus Effect
By Leila Hawken
SHARON — Bucking the trend of fundraising cancellations due to COVID-19, The Equus Effect in Sharon has instead reimagined its fall event, planning a gala fundraiser at the drive-in on Saturday, Sept. 12.
September 7, 2020
Listen in on Marshall Miles with Jane Strong’s interview on The Equus Effect’s Annual Fundraiser, Horse Whisperings — and the work we do with veterans, first responders and now front-line health workers during this unprecedented time.
Updates & Resiliency Tools for Today
Good Day to You All,
We want to give you an update from our place in Sharon, CT and offer some additional resiliency tools to help you stay grounded, clear, and more equipped to handle the collective uncertainty we are now facing. (See more tools on our home page.)
First, the Update
Once this storm is over — and it is safe to re-engage in the community, we plan to offer our services to the docs, nurses and EMS teams who are on the front lines in hospitals and emergency services. Like warriors, they are in the midst of turmoil and chaos. Unlike warriors, they are facing this battle against an unseen enemy — sometimes without the tools to fulfill their oaths. We expect that the trauma and moral injury is going to come in waves, just as this virus has traveled around the world.
How does our work with veterans fit for these folks?
In a recent 60 minutes interview, Dr. Gul Zaidi of Long Island Jewish Hospital explained, “We’re all scared. I’m scared. But, I have to lock those fears away in a box because once I set foot in the hospital, it’s all about the patient.”
We at The Equus Effect know a lot about the cost of ‘locking fear away’. It is precisely what lands our veterans in the stuck situation where their nervous systems can’t settle down after the crisis passes.
In addition, like many veterans we see — especially medics — we expect to encounter professionals who are struggling with the moral injury that comes from having to decide who to save and who to let go. No one is ever really trained for that. As the dust settles, we believe that we’ll have our hands more than full.
To this end, we will also offer sessions to individuals who are having a hard time feeling grounded or moving forward and will keep you posted on the timing for that.
The Neuroscience Behind our Work
For those of you who are interested in the science of what goes on when we are having a hard time dealing with circumstances like this, here’s what’s happening and here’s why body-based, experiential programs like ours can help …
What’s happening: Trauma does not live in the thinking part of the brain. It resides in the emotional brain and the nervous system. It takes us from a parasympathetic (relaxed, safe, calm) state to one of sympathetic (fight, flight, freeze) activation. That’s what’s happening to a lot of us now as we shelter in place and watch events unfold that are way beyond our control.
Why our work ‘works’: Our horses offer a kind of connection and attunement that is particularly impactful in terms of settling us down. Their heart rates are about half of ours so when we put our hands on them, our own hearts slow down. They also completely accept us as we are right now, not for what we may or may not have done in any other parts of our lives.
For more insight and information about how body-based practices and attunement are a tremendous antidote to trauma, Dr. Bessel van der Kolk’s highly acclaimed book The Body Keeps the Score is a great resource. Dr. van der Kolk is a friend and colleague whose understanding of trauma fits with and informs our approach. David Brooks refers to his take on the mental and emotional toll of this crisis in the NY Times on Friday, April 3rd. In case you missed it: Mental Health in the Age of the Coronavirus: The struggle between fear and comfort.
* * *
— TOOLS TO RESET AND RENEW —
So, here are some things you can do to ‘reset’ yourself when your sympathetic nervous system starts to take over, and more important, some practices that will provide a reset plan when you’re not in those states. Being prepared is far better than waiting until you’re ‘hijacked’ by your sympathetic nervous system and inevitably, hijack others’.
Grounding in the Physical
Sit down, notice your hamstring muscles directly on the seat of the chair and then very deliberately and slowly, travel upward and push your spine against the back of the chair. As you do this, take a few breaths … in to the count of three and out to the count of six. This reminds your body and brain that you are supported, grounded, and that the parasympathetic nervous system is close at hand.
Emotional Contagion
Like this virus, emotions are contagious. Before a call, a conversation or a Zoom meeting, wiggle your toes, feel your feet, and take one minute to inhale through your nose to a count of three and exhale through your mouth to a count of six. That’s all it takes to reset your own adrenaline and cortisol levels … and influence others’ reactivity.
* * *
Meanwhile, if anyone has come across an interview or has a personal story that will help us gain a deeper understanding of what you or others are experiencing, please let us know. Or, if you have any questions or comments about these practices, you can reach Jane at: 860-364-9985 or Jane@TheEquusEffect.org.
We will continue to offer more tools and practices in the weeks to come. For now, our very best to you and to those you love.
Sincerely,
The Equus Effect Team
April 14, 2020
Listen in on Marshall Miles with Jane Strong’s interview about trauma felt in our world today — and the correlation between the work we do with veterans and what we’ll have available for front-line hospital workers (and everyone).
Please feel free to reach out to Jane with any questions or topics at Jane@TheEquusEffect.org
September 12, 2019
Huge support for a group that supports military veterans
The Saturday, Sept. 7, fundraiser for The Equus Effect had the largest turnout so far of any event for the nonprofit. The gala party and silent auction were held at the farm on Drum Road in Sharon of John Brett and Jane Strong, The Equus Effect Founder.
August 29, 2019
Marshall Miles interviews Jane Strong about how far The Equus Effect has come since their first interview. And a run-down on their upcoming Annual Fundraiser: “The Equus Effect in Action Event” on September 7 at 6:30 PM
April 16, 2019
We are proud to be a 2019 Guardian with the EQUUS Foundation and share our horse care & use practices with the public.
December 12, 2018
In learning about the rising suicide rate among veterans, Jane Strong and David Sonatore decided to focus their attention on this group of men and women who were sometimes resistant to talk therapy and whose symptoms were often only masked by medication … General Patraeus (Ret.) recognized this program for its soundness and sensitivity to these men and women who have served their country in this way.
December, 2017
BerkshireStyle interviews Jane Strong on the tremendous effect training with horses has on veterans’ healing processes.
November 9, 2016
Veteran’s Day Special with WTNH News8
November 11, 2015
Live Interview with Fox61
September 29, 2015
Republican-American article
Are you interested in helping us?
The Equus Effect® is a registered 501(c)(3) corporation. All contributions are 100% tax deductible.
IMPORTANT INFO ON DIRECTIONS TO THE SHARON FARM
Navigation apps do not work to our street address!!!
PLEASE SET GPS to Sharon Town Beach, Mudge Pond Rd., Sharon, CT.
Drum Road is a Y-intersection directly across from entrance to the beach.
The facility is about 3/4 mile on the left.
Park in front of the red barn on the left or on the far side of the red cottage on the left.
NOTE: Please do not park or turn around in driveways on the right side of the road.
IF YOU GET LOST:
Call or text (203) 613-1107.
The Equus Effect
Address
37 Drum Road, Sharon, CT 06069
Main Office (860) 364-5363
Jane Strong, SEP, IFS Trained
Executive Director
Co-founder, Lead Facilitator
(860) 364-9985
David Sonatore, LCSW
Program Director
Co-founder, Lead Facilitator
(347) 439-1777
Kelly Hitt
Communications Director
Outreach Coordinator
(203) 613-1107
For general information:
kelly@theequuseffect.org