Photo credit: Olivia Erikson
Corey Briggs, a veteran from New Jersey, discovered the healing power of horses through Project Horses for Forces, of Long Valley, NJ. Growing up in Baldwinsville, NY, Corey always thought that being a soldier would be exciting, but he never knew that would be the path he would take. “I remember drawing a picture for my dad when I was about 8 or 9 and it was me as a soldier,” Corey explained. “I believe I said something along the lines of ‘I want to be a soldier someday’ but it was never really something that I thought about as I grew older and went through high school.” After graduating high school, he attended a local community college, which ultimately was not right for him, and left him with a feeling that he needed to spend time maturing and finding his purpose in life.
After a summer of soul searching, he realized that the military was the perfect answer--his grandfathers had both served, one in the Air Force and another in the Marine Corps, and it would give him the structure he needed to grow up. On November 29, 2010, he stood on the yellow footprints at Parris Island to earn the title of Marine.
During Corey’s seven years in the Marine Corps, he spent the majority of his time at Camp Pendleton, CA, where he worked in the intelligence field. In 2013 he did a tour in Afghanistan before returning to Camp Pendleton. Throughout this time, Corey found a true love for the Marines and wanted to make it his career; however, in 2015, he damaged an old injury, which led to his medical discharge in 2017. It was at this time that Corey felt lost. “I had no direction as to what I should do with my life,” said Corey. “I left all of my friends behind in California and moved to New Jersey to start a new chapter in my life.”
In 2018, Corey began studying at Raritan Valley Community College, where he saw a flyer for a veteran’s program, Project Horses for Forces. This program gave veterans the chance to work with horses as a form of therapy, and was designed to bring veterans together to help them heal because they share a common ground that most others are unable to understand. This particular program was attractive to Corey because it allowed him to share how he felt when he was ready to, and there was no time limit on how long one could remain in the program--they were committed to the veterans and knew that not all will heal in a set amount of time.
“I got in contact with the program and set up a day to meet at the farm, learn about the program and see if it was a good fit for both the program and myself. Since that day my life has never been the same,” said Corey.
In working with the horses in this program, Corey has had the opportunity to relearn how to build the bonds he once had with his fellow Marines, and the horses’ natural desire for a leader allowed him to use the leadership skills he gained in the Marines to better communicate with the horses.
One horse in particular changed Corey’s life. Kody, a horse that caught Corey’s eye the first day he met him, was willing to build a bond with Corey that would take them through any challenges they faced. If Kody felt anxious about a task, Corey was able to gain his trust and guide him through it.
“I had tried a lot of different therapies for myself and I really never found anything that helped me. I had given up on myself and finding anything that would help me. So, when I saw the flyer for Project Horses for Forces I thought why not, one more wouldn’t hurt,” said Corey. By working with horses, Corey has gained the ability to trust and build bonds with others.
Recently, Corey began attending Centenary University and is majoring in Equine Business Management. The school’s small size and location was very attractive to him. While pursuing a career that will allow him to keep working with horses for the rest of his life, Corey has also been able to remain in the Project Horse for Forces program and maintain friendships that he made in the area.
Following his graduation from Centenary, Corey plans to continue his education and get his MBA, as well as become involved in a veteran’s equine assisted therapy program in a leadership role. “I feel that if I can help at least one fellow veteran get back on the right path, then my degree would be worth it,” said Corey.
In a class he recently took, Corey was asked to create an equine facility and business plan. He created a veteran’s program that he called Horse and Veteran, but quickly realized that the dream of building the facility and business from scratch would be an incredibly difficult goal to achieve in the near future. Therefore, he created a social media account designed to match veterans with equine assisted therapeutic programs and be a general resource to veterans. Corey plans to have Horse and Veteran Launch on Facebook on October 1st, 2021.