AMANDA HUG HOOVES founder Amanda Hug is passionate about using her knowledge of psychology biology and the healing power of horses to facilitate a safe space for people to heal from trauma
By: Anna Wozniak
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
anna@thevillagereporter.com
Everyone knows that here in Northwest Ohio, we love our United States veterans. Regardless of anyone’s take politically on the motives of war, these brave men and women gave themselves over to a purpose they felt was greater than themselves, and that was and always will be their friends, neighbors, and loved ones back home.
What Amanda Hug, founder and executive director, calls the “best kept secret that doesn’t want to be a secret,” has been embodying the historically honored values of supporting our veterans.
HOOVES (Healing of Our Veterans Equine Services), a farm sanctuary in Swanton, Ohio, is committed to healing, and The Patriot Project facilitates that for our veterans.
Hug is not only the HOOVES founder, she also proudly served as Air Force First Sergeant. This project is soon to see its very own film, with Josh Nagel Productions currently finishing a full-length documentary, with future hopes of a series.
The documentary will premiere on April 6th at the Maumee Indoor Theater, with a question-and-answer session with Amanda Hug herself after.
This project consists of a 5-day healing intensive, wherein Hug’s education on psychology and lessons from author, educator, and human behavior expert Dr. John Demartini, is used to provide serious healing to veterans dealing “with the psychological aftermath of their service.”
A three-day day camp is offered for children as well as those impacted by a life of military service. Hug believes that the answer to healing is to rewire one’s biological system, and “that’s through hard facts,” she shared, stating that “the human mind needs to be presented with solid evidence before it will change what it believes.”
Through methods of meditation and connection with animals and one another, HOOVES provides a safe space for those impacted by trauma to confront, address, and change the root of their problems.
They help veterans process social reconnection and aloneness, grief processing, emotional self-regulation, control and anxiety, self-confidence and self-love, communication skills, personal growth, interpersonal relationships, self-realization and confrontation, perspective shifts, self-worth, identity and purpose, and survivor’s guilt.
It was reported that veterans had over 77% success with addressing thoughts of suicide, night terrors and emotional numbing / disassociation.
HOOVES healing intensives are for everyone, and this program is just the beginning of what Amanda Hug has in store.
She has begun instructing a three-tiered system, wherein potential instructors can pick their tier based off the extent of the trauma they are addressing.
While equine therapy is nothing new, Hug is using a unique approach, combining holistic health with psychological practice and natural biology.
The documentary follows the journey of a skeptical veteran as he finds healing through horses and himself, and Josh Nagel said that he expects that there “won’t be a dry eye in the place” after watching it.
The point of the documentary is to not only get the word out about the HOOVES farm, but to also ascertain funding for the big plans that Hug has in store for the world of psychology.
HOOVES is right in Swanton, but Hug shared that most veterans travel in, and hopes to see more local veterans find healing.
HOOVES has a Facebook page and are working hard to share the “powerful transformations happening at HOOVES.”
