MOUNT WOLF, Pa. — Leg Up Farm in York County is a second home to U.S. Army veteran Ray Brown.
"This is my safe place," Brown said. "When I come out here. I just feel safer."
Even though he's no longer on the frontlines of a fight, he's still fighting a battle.
"I'm an Army Vet and I have PTSD," Brown said.
The former soldier has spent nearly three years with Leg Up Farm's Veteran's PTSD group, one of the many initiatives supported by Saturday's Benefit Horse Show.
"This program has changed my life so much that I will be shorting a lot of veterans if I didn't let them know how good this program is," Brown said.
The program connects veterans and first responders to equine therapy to help them address their struggles.
"It's very different than traditional talk therapy," Leg Up Farm President Tom O'Connor said. "And a lot of our veterans have been through traditional therapy or other forms of therapy and are here because what they've tried has not worked in some cases, or they're looking for something to supplement what they're doing."
Participants connect with a horse and trained professionals. Through Equine Assisted Psychotherapy, they can ease symptoms of PTSD.
"What we're offering here is a really unique opportunity to really be able to self-examine and understand through the horse what you're feeling and to be able to process that in a safe environment," O'Connor said.
Roughly 16 veterans take their lives each day, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Ray says more awareness can help others who feel helpless – and bring that number down.
"People may feel more comfortable speaking about it, and then they are down in their moments, with certain places like this, they know I got somebody," Brown said. "I can reach out to somebody, I can talk to something that may help them beat that battle that was suicide."
The groups are free and open to veterans in York County beginning on September 13.