6 THE DOLPHIN Thursday, January 21, 2016

STONINGTON, Conn. - Chief petty officers assigned to Naval Submarine Base New London (SUBASE) present Lee Paradis, executive director and founder of Horses Helping Humans with a check. The Sailors
held a fundraiser and wanted to donate the money they raised to help a local community organization. The donation comes at an ideal time for us, said Paradis. During the colder winter months, we
receive less donations, as less people are riding or visiting the facility. We are crafting equine-based courses for people that dont just involve riding, said Lee Paradis, the facilitys founder and executive
director. Other equine-based courses include QiCong, yoga, reiki, visualization and guided meditations.

Groton Area Chief Petty Officers donate $8,000 to Horses Healing Humans
By MC1(SW/AW) Bill Larned

STONINGTON, Conn.
Twelve Groton area
Chief Petty Officers interacted with horses while
visiting Horses Healing
Humans, a non-profit
organization devoted to
therapeutic healing, Jan.
16.
The Sailors presented
Lee Paradis, executive
director and founder of
the facility with a check.
The Sailors held a fundraiser and wanted to
donate the money they
raised to help a local community organization.
We were seeking
a
non-profit
organization we could help
in the local community that truly made a
difference, said Chief
Electronics Technician
Dustin Fore, assigned to
Naval Submarine School
(SUBSCOL). When we
learned about Horses
Healing Humans and we
understood that they help
traumatized
veterans,
including ones suffering from Post Traumatic
Stress Disorder (PTSD),
we couldnt imagine a
better cause to give to.
The facility, which has
11 horses, helps people
with physical, cognitive
and emotional challenges
through equine- assisted
activities and therapy.
According to the organizations website, the healing effect of interactions
with horses is becoming
recognized by the medical community as a valu-

able tool in the recovery

from physical, mental and
emotional trauma to the
body.
To show her gratitude,
Paradis invited the chiefs
to participate in an introduction exercise where
they were encouraged to
interact with the horses.
The chiefs re-grouped
into smaller, five-person
teams and began walking
around the perimeter of
an indoor arena, while a
Morgan, an Arab-Welsh
mix and one other horse
carefully watched each
human. Gradually, each
horse slowly approached
the groups, nuzzling
them, licking their hands
or asking for a treat.
We are crafting
equine-based
courses for people that dont
just involve riding, said
Lee Paradis, the facilitys
founder and executive STONINGTON, Conn. - A group of chief petty officers assigned to Naval Submarine Base New London (SUBASE) greet a horse inside the
director. Other equine- indoor arena at Horses Healing Humans, a non-profit organization devoted to therapeutic horsemanship and equine-assisted Healing Arts,
based courses include Jan. 16. The chiefs held a fundraiser and elected to donate remaining funds to help Horses Healing Humans.
QiCong, yoga, reiki,
visualization and guided
meditations. The donation comes at an ideal
time for us. During the
colder winter months, we
receive less donations, as
less people are riding or
visiting the facility.
Horses are majestic,
soulful creatures, and I
can clearly see how they
aid with psychotherapy,
said Fore. As our tour of
the grounds progressed,
I felt increasingly better
about our decision to
donate funds to this facility.

Photos by
MC1(SW/AW) Bill Larned

STONINGTON, Conn. - Above, Chief Electronics

Technician Dustin Fore, assigned to Naval Submarine
School (SUBSCOL), greets a horse at Horses Healing
Humans, a non-profit organization devoted to therapeutic horsemanship and equine-assisted Healing Arts,
Jan. 16. Fore was part of a chief petty officers mess
who was indoctrinated during the last chiefs season.
We were seeking a non-profit organization we could
help, said Fore, assigned to Naval Submarine School
(SUBSCOL). When we learned about Horses Healing
Humans and we understood that they were able to
help traumatized veterans, including ones with Post
Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), we couldnt imagine
a better cause to give to.

Left, Chiefs assigned to Naval Submarine Base New

London (SUBASE), pat Ruby, a Morgan horse at Horses
Healing Humans, a non-profit organization devoted to
therapeutic horsemanship and equine-assisted Healing
Arts, Jan. 16. Horses are majestic, soulful creatures, and
I can clearly see how they aid with psychotherapy, said
Chief Electronics Technician Dustin Fore. As our tour of
the grounds progressed, I felt increasingly better about our
decision to donate funds to this facility.