Lava Lake Ranch owner Brian Bean is not only a sheep rancher, but a retired Marine who had long dreamed of creating a program that would share the peace and solace of Lava Lake with fellow military veterans. In 2012, that dream became a reality when the Lava Lake Injured Veterans Equine Program (LIVE) welcomed its first group of veterans for a week of horseback riding and camping in the backcountry.
Since then, women and men from the Boise, Idaho, and Palo Alto, California, VAs have traveled to Lava Lake each summer, accompanied by their VA recreational therapists.
The veterans come to Lava Lake after having an introduction to riding back at home in therapeutic riding programs, but the wide-open spaces and wild terrain of the ranch offer new and exciting challenges.
The week begins with pairing each veteran and therapist to their horses, and reviewing basic skills, such as tying knots and cinching up a saddle. Rides begin on the first day and increase in length and challenge as the week progresses. A typical week will see the veterans riding more than 50 miles in the beautiful Pioneer Mountains of southcentral Idaho.
The days begin at dawn with “cowboy coffee” in the cook tent, and end with stargazing around the campfire. Riding, fishing, card games and group support sessions fill the hours in between. Cowboy poetry and singing are a must!
The program is outfitted by Mystic Saddle Ranch, which runs the horseback riding concession at Redfish Lake. Owners Mat and Rebekah Cain contribute their services at a discount to support the veterans and help create an atmosphere of authentic Western hospitality.
Response to the LIVE program by the participating veterans is overwhelmingly positive, and their recreational therapists see measurable results, noting decreases in anxiety and isolation, and increased self-confidence and motivation. The work the vets do to plan and prepare for the trip helps build organizational skills and improve the ability to cope with challenges — life skills that are often impaired by post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) suffered by many veterans.
The bonds formed between one another and with their horses are expressed in smiles, laughter, hugs and tears. The gratitude and joy experienced over the week are not soon forgotten.
The Bean family (Brian and Kathleen, daughters Fiona and Phoebe and daughter-in-law Caroline), and ranch staff, including Pedro and Marina Loyola, look forward every year to welcoming veterans, and all agree that it is the highlight of the year at Lava Lake.
If you would like to contribute to the LIVE program, please contact Phoebe Bean at phoebe@lavalake.net, or send a check payable to the Lava Lake Institute, P.O. Box 2249, Hailey, ID 83333. The Lava Lake Institute is a 501(c)(3) organization, Federal Tax I.D. #90-0132172; all contributions are fully deductible as allowed by law.