Latest / Your Thoughts Your Reality / Empowering Veteran Healing: Michael Hall's Journey Through Equine Therapy, Brotherhood, and Community Transformation

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Empowering Veteran Healing: Michael Hall's Journey Through Equine Therapy, Brotherhood, and Community Transformation · Your Thoughts Your Reality

• 0:02
  Speaker 1: Welcome to your Thoughts, your Reality with Michael Cole, the podcast that shines a compassionate light on the journey of veterans battling through life's challenges.
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: Michael is a dual elite certified neuro encoding specialist in coaching and keynote training presentations dedicated to guiding military veterans as they navigate the intricate pathways of post-deployment life.
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: Join him as we delve into the profound realm of neuroencoding science, empowering these brave individuals to conquer universal battles procrastination, self-doubt, fear and more.
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: Together, let's uncover the strength within you to re-engage with families and society, forging a new path forward.
• 0:47
  Speaker 2: Hello, hello, hello everybody.
• 0:49
  Speaker 2: So today we have Michael Hall on.
• 0:51
  Speaker 2: I'm super excited about this.
• 0:53
  Speaker 2: He is an active duty Navy SEAL, dedicated 19 years of life serving the Navy SEALs, demonstrating exceptional bravery and commitment.
• 1:03
  Speaker 2: He's a founder of Hold the Reins.
• 1:04
  Speaker 2: We're going to talk a lot about that Super, super, super great organization and we're going to get into some details.
• 1:11
  Speaker 2: Passionate about equine therapy, which is what Hold the Reins is, and again we're going to get into some of those details.
• 1:17
  Speaker 2: Focused on human health, His organization uses equine-assisted services to enhance wellness and recovery for veterans and their families, and he is getting ready to transition into civilian life.
• 1:29
  Speaker 2: He's got about a year left and he's doing some really cool, exciting stuff.
• 1:35
  Speaker 2: So, Michael, why don't you tell us a little bit more about yourself?
• 1:38
  Speaker 3: Yeah, michael, thanks for having me.
• 1:40
  Speaker 3: I just want to start off by saying all the views and opinions that I've expressed on this podcast and in our well-anticipated interview are explicitly mine and mine alone.
• 1:51
  Speaker 3: They're not endorsed by the Department of the Navy, department of Defense or Naval Special Warfare.
• 1:55
  Speaker 3: You know I don't enjoy anything more than telling people about our program and the people that we serve, so thank you for this opportunity.
• 2:06
  Speaker 2: Oh, absolutely so.
• 2:08
  Speaker 2: Let's let's real quick.
• 2:10
  Speaker 2: Before we start off, always forget this.
• 2:11
  Speaker 2: On the top right hand corner there is a blue QR code that goes to empowerperformancestrategiescom Again, empowerperformancestrategiescom for people listening later on the podcast forums.
• 2:23
  Speaker 2: It takes you to all kinds of resources.
• 2:26
  Speaker 2: I've written a couple of free e-books you can get there, and we have a few different Facebook groups so you can join as a family or a veteran, whatever the case may be, but get involved and be part of our community.
• 2:38
  Speaker 2: So, with that said, I'm ready to get going.
• 2:42
  Speaker 3: Yeah, let's do it.
• 2:42
  Speaker 2: All right, excellent.
• 2:44
  Speaker 2: So you're as again you your new retirement after 19 years of service.
• 2:48
  Speaker 2: What inspired you to start Hold the Range and how has your journey with the organization been so far?
• 2:57
  Speaker 2: So what exciting stuff are you doing?
• 3:14
  Speaker 3: It's really started by my growth and my observation of watching families and the individuals endure a career in Naval Special Warfare.
• 3:17
  Speaker 3: I've seen and met and enjoyed the presence of some of the most magnificent people I think America has to offer.
• 3:27
  Speaker 3: I often say that Naval Special Warfare are just completely full of America's best sons.
• 3:38
  Speaker 3: You know, some of the people that support Naval Special Warfare are just equally as impressive.
• 3:44
  Speaker 3: And it doesn't come without a cost.
• 3:46
  Speaker 3: There's always a rub.
• 3:51
  Speaker 3: So watching those around me who I've been in for a while, that are my generation and older, seeing the effects that staying in the red has had on them, really grabbed my attention when we lost one of our teammates in 2018.
• 4:09
  Speaker 3: And it started there and then when COVID lockdowns impacted all of our lives.
• 4:17
  Speaker 3: I'd say it impacted my life the best because it gave me an opportunity to unplug, to take a step back from the normal grind.
• 4:24
  Speaker 3: Me an opportunity to unplug, to take a step back from the normal grind.
• 4:30
  Speaker 3: That uh, the high op tempo, the high training tempo, the high risk.
• 4:31
  Speaker 3: It allowed me to throttle down.
• 4:33
  Speaker 3: And I used that time during the lockdowns to volunteer my time on the farm and that's how I became acquaintance reacquainted with the horse.
• 4:42
  Speaker 3: I grew up with horses in a very recreational way, reacquainted with the horse.
• 4:45
  Speaker 3: I grew up with horses in a very recreational way.
• 4:47
  Speaker 3: I was never a cowboy, I was never a horseman.
• 4:50
  Speaker 3: I enjoyed horses casually friends going on rides, going to bonfires, different things.
• 4:58
  Speaker 3: But that didn't stop me from pursuing this, simply because I know how that horse affects me Right.
• 5:04
  Speaker 3: And when I saw things that occur in our community, I coupled that with my time at the farm volunteering with the horse.
• 5:15
  Speaker 3: I also took my kids out there and you know, feeling my reaction, seeing the kids' reaction, talking to the owner of the property, getting to know different people in the equine assistive therapy space, I was just like, wow, this is a thing I have to do this.
• 5:36
  Speaker 3: And I was lucky enough to get partnered with Rich Garner.
• 5:39
  Speaker 3: He's a retired Navy SEAL.
• 5:41
  Speaker 3: He retired back in 96.
• 5:43
  Speaker 3: He's much more wise than I am, but he grew up a cowboy, he grew up a horseman and when I approached him with this idea he said yeah, send me what you got and I sent him my business plan.
• 5:59
  Speaker 3: We had a couple interview type, friendly, get to know each other conversations, and he was in.
• 6:04
  Speaker 3: I said, yeah, know each other conversations.
• 6:05
  Speaker 3: And he was in, he said, yeah, I believe in this.
• 6:07
  Speaker 3: So that was it.
• 6:09
  Speaker 3: We were off to the races and Rich has been kind enough to take me under his wing and really taking every opportunity he's got at his disposal to teach me everything he knows about the horse.
• 6:21
  Speaker 3: And we've been working with Hugh Vale from Mustang Medicine to tie in, you know the the healing things using the horses for human healing.
• 6:30
  Speaker 3: Um, hugh has been able to.
• 6:32
  Speaker 3: He's been very instrumental in pointing us in the right direction, to how to do it ethically, um, be most effective and, uh, make sure that both the horse and the human get something out of it.
• 6:46
  Speaker 3: It's a beautiful process.
• 6:49
  Speaker 3: Now I really wish, I really wish I knew about this many years ago, but it's one of the challenges right, to stay present, stay, have the gratitude, just give thanks to God when we can and say I know it's your plan, not mine, right, because you've given me now.
• 7:08
  Speaker 2: So because maybe it wouldn't have been the right time and maybe you would have shoved it off.
• 7:12
  Speaker 2: You know, yeah, I mean, that's, that's the beautiful thing about when things come into our lives at the right times and how they change.
• 7:21
  Speaker 2: We could always look back and say, oh man, if I knew that then.
• 7:24
  Speaker 2: But would we have accepted it the same way?
• 7:26
  Speaker 2: You know, I think it's, I think it's just been it's.
• 7:29
  Speaker 2: It's really a beautiful thing, michael, the way, not only the way you talk about it, but you can tell the way it affects you, just just the feeling of it and so on.
• 7:40
  Speaker 2: So I'm excited to hear a little more obviously.
• 7:45
  Speaker 2: Can we talk a little bit about the organization itself, just so people understand what Hold the Reins is?
• 7:53
  Speaker 2: Yeah, just a little more.
• 7:55
  Speaker 2: I know you're a non-profit, but can we talk a little bit more about that?
• 7:59
  Speaker 3: Yeah, would you like me to start at the ground, the ground level, um about our farm absolutely.
• 8:06
  Speaker 2: Yeah, what?
• 8:06
  Speaker 2: What's Michael?
• 8:08
  Speaker 2: What is it?
• 8:09
  Speaker 3: let's go yeah, we use Rich's property.
• 8:11
  Speaker 3: Actually, we use his horses.
• 8:13
  Speaker 3: Uh, he has 10 horses on property.
• 8:14
  Speaker 3: We're on 38 acres, nice um of which I want to say over 24 acres are open pasture right now, so we have an opportunity to let the horses be horses, go on long rides.
• 8:28
  Speaker 3: We have a couple hundred acres across the street that we can use when it's not growing season.
• 8:35
  Speaker 3: It's tucked away in Cortland, virginia, which is about an hour west of Virginia Beach, and that drive has proven to be perfect.
• 8:42
  Speaker 3: When people come out, it's enough time to allow people to disconnect, cut the cord from their routine, have their experience on the farm and then allow for that time for maturation.
• 8:56
  Speaker 3: Just allow that soak time on the drive home.
• 9:01
  Speaker 3: I love that on the drive home.
• 9:10
  Speaker 3: Um, so we have a wide variety of uh, ages of horses, skills, levels and abilities and temperaments, um, different breeds and, uh, it doesn't matter if someone has been in the community for one week, if they don't know horses at all, if they've been in the community for 20 plus years or if they have a great background in horses.
• 9:24
  Speaker 3: We have a horse on the property that can challenge everybody.
• 9:28
  Speaker 3: So, uh, that's it at the ground level.
• 9:32
  Speaker 3: It's just me and Rich as practitioners right now.
• 9:35
  Speaker 3: Uh, we have a team behind us um mental health, um executive chair.
• 9:42
  Speaker 3: We have other people that help us behind the scenes.
• 9:46
  Speaker 3: It's really full of our families and our closest friends who have helped us.
• 9:50
  Speaker 3: Everybody jumped on board in the beginning just to support and their patriotism and their love for the veteran and active duty community, what started as a passion project.
• 10:04
  Speaker 3: We're all really just enjoying the work that we're doing and it's become everyone's starting to take it a little more serious as as time goes by and we see the results, we see the growth, we hear the testimonies.
• 10:16
  Speaker 3: You know it's, it's one of the beautiful things.
• 10:21
  Speaker 3: You know what's the saying?
• 10:22
  Speaker 3: You never work a day in your life if you enjoy what you're doing.
• 10:26
  Speaker 3: That's what it's turning into across the board.
• 10:30
  Speaker 2: That's fantastic.
• 10:30
  Speaker 2: I tell people all the time with what I do I don't call it work, I don't want to call it play, because then people don't take it seriously, but I'm so passionate about it.
• 10:41
  Speaker 2: That's what it feels like.
• 10:43
  Speaker 3: You are so hype.
• 10:44
  Speaker 3: How long do you think we've known each other?
• 10:48
  Speaker 2: Two, three, four weeks, Probably around there about four.
• 10:50
  Speaker 3: I think, and we haven't had one conversation where I haven't doubted that you've never had a bad day in your life.
• 10:57
  Speaker 3: You're just always, always hype Like I get off the phone.
• 11:02
  Speaker 3: Look at the wife my wife's name is Jennifer.
• 11:04
  Speaker 3: I look at the wife my wife's name is Jennifer.
• 11:06
  Speaker 3: I look at Jen.
• 11:06
  Speaker 3: I'm like that was Michael.
• 11:07
  Speaker 3: He's just cool man.
• 11:09
  Speaker 3: I don't know how to explain it.
• 11:14
  Speaker 2: That's not the first time people have not known how to explain to me yeah, yeah, no, I'm joking.
• 11:20
  Speaker 2: Thank you, man Brother.
• 11:21
  Speaker 2: I really appreciate you saying that.
• 11:23
  Speaker 2: You know life is too short and you know we all have our moments.
• 11:26
  Speaker 2: But you know I'm going to just share really quick and I'm going to move past this.
• 11:30
  Speaker 2: But learning neuron coding really has changed my life, and it literally, because you can just default yourself back to your best self.
• 11:39
  Speaker 2: You know we're going to talk about that.
• 11:42
  Speaker 2: You know, more obviously, we have conversations, we're going to have, but, um, it's, it's really just.
• 11:47
  Speaker 2: I've always wanted to live life and be happy and be passionate about what I do, and doing this has reignited passion in me like, like never before, and I've always been a go-getter, don't get me wrong, but helping and getting this mission moving is incredible.
• 12:05
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I appreciate the compliment and I truly do.
• 12:08
  Speaker 2: I take that to heart.
• 12:11
  Speaker 3: I look forward to hearing more about it as soon as someone starts talking about neuro anything.
• 12:17
  Speaker 3: Here's how your nervous system affects you.
• 12:19
  Speaker 3: Here's how the child you influences the adult.
• 12:23
  Speaker 3: You I'm just like tell me more.
• 12:23
  Speaker 3: Here's how the child you influences the adult.
• 12:23
  Speaker 3: You, I'm just like, tell me more.
• 12:27
  Speaker 3: It's such like an explorative process that once I think it is scary and it's almost to the point where I look back and I'm like Mike, I could kick myself sometimes.
• 12:41
  Speaker 3: But just like we got done talking about we have to be grateful for where we are in life and our past experiences and the mistakes and everything that's gone on has happened for us, not to us.
• 12:55
  Speaker 2: Amen.
• 12:55
  Speaker 3: That shaping and the refocus of life is just such an explorative process that I can't help but just lean in.
• 13:04
  Speaker 3: So I can't wait for you to cover more of what you have going on, lean in, brother.
• 13:08
  Speaker 2: We got work to do.
• 13:09
  Speaker 2: We're going to play, all right, all right, what's up?
• 13:17
  Speaker 3: I said all right, coach, put me in.
• 13:19
  Speaker 2: Hey, we're going to play.
• 13:20
  Speaker 2: Man Can't wait, um.
• 13:23
  Speaker 2: So let's talk a little bit more about some of the unique qualities that that horses possess that make them effective partners in promoting mental and emotional healing for veterans they can't lie, they don't have a prefrontal cortex, they can't make up a story.
• 13:42
  Speaker 3: they're in the moment.
• 13:44
  Speaker 3: We have a way of being in the SEAL teams where we just say team guy, your way through it.
• 13:50
  Speaker 3: It's kind of one of those what is it?
• 13:57
  Speaker 3: Take it till you make it, or act like you're supposed to be there and you'll be accepted.
• 14:02
  Speaker 3: Team guy, on your way through something also means be hard, get the job done at whatever cost it takes.
• 14:11
  Speaker 3: And I mean we could go down the road of compartmentalization, but I'll lose myself if I do that down the road of compartmentalization, but I'll lose myself if I do that the horse is a creature that you can't team guy your way around.
• 14:26
  Speaker 3: It's the only way I can put it.
• 14:28
  Speaker 3: You can't act macho, you can't put on your armor and act like nothing's wrong around the horse when we have guys show up and they're like oh yeah, I'm just here to learn some horsemanship.
• 14:41
  Speaker 3: We've had a guy flown out from Texas, spent a week with us, just came out for horsemanship, and when he started hearing us, rich and I, talked about the metaphors and paradox and how a horse ties in to the human experience.
• 14:56
  Speaker 3: He was like what is this?
• 14:58
  Speaker 3: He was like I want more of this.
• 15:00
  Speaker 3: Awesome, this awesome.
• 15:01
  Speaker 3: He said it's great to have the horsemanship, but what are y'all talking about?
• 15:04
  Speaker 3: He said I've, I have no clue.
• 15:07
  Speaker 3: I didn't know.
• 15:08
  Speaker 3: This is a possible, uh, possible outcomes associated with this.
• 15:12
  Speaker 3: So he was changed unintentionally on his part.
• 15:16
  Speaker 3: Me and rich, of course, took every advantage we could to educate him as much as we could right and is it a natural, would you say it's a natural um aspect with horses and just that connection.
• 15:29
  Speaker 2: When someone lets their, their walls down as well, obviously you can't go in there all macho and studly and you know, be as connected with an animal.
• 15:38
  Speaker 2: I think in general, but especially a large horse like that, there's so much power and everything else to it.
• 15:44
  Speaker 2: Do you think that when that's one of the things that really helps with veterans, is that connection to something bigger than themselves, if you will, and just that real connection?
• 15:57
  Speaker 3: Sure, you know, while you're asking your question, real connection.
• 16:02
  Speaker 3: Sure, you know, while you're asking your question, it got me thinking about other animal services.
• 16:04
  Speaker 3: So you know it felt like you're trying to grasp at what specifically is it?
• 16:08
  Speaker 3: So we look at other animal therapies.
• 16:10
  Speaker 3: Let's look at dogs.
• 16:11
  Speaker 3: Dogs are also predator animals, just like us.
• 16:14
  Speaker 3: They're reward driven.
• 16:17
  Speaker 3: You can feed them treats.
• 16:18
  Speaker 3: You can coax them with different modalities, different reward systems to get them to behave and acknowledge and get behavioral patterns.
• 16:28
  Speaker 3: Horses do not work like that.
• 16:30
  Speaker 3: If you go through a process of feeding a horse treats, in its mind it is taking something from you, it is alphaing you.
• 16:40
  Speaker 3: Um, there are many different societal behaviors that horses have considering their prey animals that we don't have.
• 16:50
  Speaker 3: Horses run off emotion.
• 16:53
  Speaker 3: Horses run on trust.
• 16:55
  Speaker 3: Just because he's 10 times bigger than you, doesn't matter to him or her.
• 17:00
  Speaker 3: It matters about what quality of person you are.
• 17:04
  Speaker 3: You can't coax the horse with treats.
• 17:06
  Speaker 3: A lot of people have peppermints all the time.
• 17:09
  Speaker 3: I mean, you can sit there and do these things, but you're not really building the trusting relationship with the horse that is going to last, because once you run out of treats, then what?
• 17:19
  Speaker 3: The horse has no use for you Unless you build that relationship with the horse.
• 17:26
  Speaker 3: Now the horse looks to you, now you look to the horse.
• 17:29
  Speaker 3: Now you have a common ground between you, that love, respect and trust.
• 17:34
  Speaker 3: You know, when we look at our horses we look for willingness and curiosity and the only way to get that and have it last is through that trust, through that relationship.
• 17:45
  Speaker 3: But that's how horses differ from other animal therapies, specifically the dogs.
• 17:50
  Speaker 2: Yeah, and that's what I meant by the connection.
• 17:53
  Speaker 2: You know you go in there with all the other stuff, but until when that connection happens, that's the most beautiful thing, right?
• 17:59
  Speaker 2: You know, my wife is from Colorado, she's, you know, ridden horses and you'll meet her someday, I'm sure.
• 18:04
  Speaker 2: So just the way she talks about it, the way you talk about it, it's just this beautiful connection.
• 18:13
  Speaker 2: You know, I don't want to go to Avatar, but it kind of seems, kind of like.
• 18:18
  Speaker 2: You know that movie.
• 18:20
  Speaker 3: I think that's where David Cameron, I think the director, 100%.
• 18:23
  Speaker 3: I think that's where he got that idea.
• 18:25
  Speaker 2: Yeah, and that's what I pictured.
• 18:27
  Speaker 3: There's people who aren't horse people out there got it, but there are Shetland ponies, for a reason you know.
• 18:36
  Speaker 3: Right, it's still the same package, still the same deal, just in a smaller package.
• 18:42
  Speaker 3: Yeah, you know there's.
• 18:45
  Speaker 3: There's a connection with the horse that brings us back to nature, cause a horse is not an inside animal.
• 18:56
  Speaker 3: You can't take the horse down the road, you can't take the horse to a horse park.
• 18:59
  Speaker 3: You can't take the horse down the road.
• 19:00
  Speaker 3: You can't take the horse to a horse park, you can't take the horse on a flight.
• 19:03
  Speaker 3: You have to get out in nature to be with the horse.
• 19:08
  Speaker 3: There's a grounding effect with the horse.
• 19:09
  Speaker 3: The horse's chi bubble is 18 feet.
• 19:12
  Speaker 3: As soon as you get in it, you're in it with the horse, you're grounded with the horse.
• 19:17
  Speaker 3: Your connection, your honest connection with the horse, reflecting back to you who you are and what you're experiencing.
• 19:24
  Speaker 3: There can be no greater ground.
• 19:27
  Speaker 3: It forces people to be honest with themselves.
• 19:30
  Speaker 3: So, even the people that aren't horse people, it's like okay, okay, we don't have to get on the horse, let's stay on the ground, let's just pet the horse, let's just groom the horse.
• 19:41
  Speaker 3: There's no turning back from there, that's it.
• 19:46
  Speaker 3: I've not seen anyone touch, groom, pet a horse and not just rediscover themselves and find things in life that they've been missing.
• 19:58
  Speaker 3: I've had guys tell me, mike, I really wish this program had existed a long time ago.
• 20:04
  Speaker 3: I didn't know I needed it as much as I do.
• 20:06
  Speaker 3: Wow, okay.
• 20:12
  Speaker 2: Those are the moments that make it all worth it.
• 20:14
  Speaker 2: Huh.
• 20:15
  Speaker 3: Yeah, that's when guys are like man.
• 20:17
  Speaker 3: My wife has to see this Cause there's that connection that like now don't get me wrong there's tears too.
• 20:24
  Speaker 3: I have cried numerous times on the farm watching guys interact with horses, because I see myself I told hugh this and I told rich this I feel like a ding dong sometimes because I'm helping shape, organize and run a non-profit that I should probably be a participant in.
• 20:44
  Speaker 3: Because when I have guys show up and they're working with rich and the horses in the round corral and I'm on the rails just taking it all in, I'm like, wow, listening to the conversations, walking the guy, watching the guy work with the horse, I'm like having my own self-discovery, likevery.
• 21:00
  Speaker 3: You don't have to be in it to get something out of it, absolutely.
• 21:06
  Speaker 2: And good for you.
• 21:07
  Speaker 2: Thank you for being vulnerable man and talking about that.
• 21:09
  Speaker 2: I don't expect anything else from you.
• 21:11
  Speaker 2: You're an amazing soul, but it's when you're doing good and you're witnessing it.
• 21:19
  Speaker 2: Not only do you learn as you go and you're taking things in, it becomes part of you.
• 21:25
  Speaker 2: Everybody else's victories and everybody else's wins and those amazing things that you share or witness, all becomes part of you.
• 21:38
  Speaker 2: I truly believe that.
• 21:39
  Speaker 2: Anyway, I truly believe that all of that is our, is can be our therapy, if you will, or you know our wins and and our victories.
• 21:48
  Speaker 2: I I truly believe that every, every win we see oh man, it's the best thing ever exactly, I share that 100%.
• 21:57
  Speaker 3: It really is.
• 21:58
  Speaker 2: That's awesome.
• 22:00
  Speaker 2: So you know, as an active Navy SEAL, how do you balance the demands of military career with the dedication with Hold the Reigns and its mission, obviously.
• 22:12
  Speaker 3: Yeah, I unfortunately feel like I'm half in half out, but I'm used to being in the career field where we wear a lot of hats.
• 22:19
  Speaker 3: We jokingly say we're the jacks of all trades but master of none.
• 22:24
  Speaker 3: And I know the actual saying is Jack of all trades, master of one.
• 22:28
  Speaker 3: But you know, it's exciting to be able to finish my career and move on to giving back to the community.
• 22:43
  Speaker 3: The teams, really the Navy, gave me my professional career.
• 22:48
  Speaker 3: I joined the military when I was 24.
• 22:50
  Speaker 3: I was kind of a late bloomer and, like you alluded to earlier me joining at 18, I probably wouldn't have made it through butts.
• 22:57
  Speaker 3: I probably wouldn't have been ready for the mental demands that special operations requires of our members.
• 23:02
  Speaker 3: So, considering NS Naval Special Warfare has given me a lot of things in my life that I never would have fathomed, never could have imagined.
• 23:13
  Speaker 3: I want to take the next 20 years to give back to the community, to make sure that the community continues to grow in healthier ways.
• 23:23
  Speaker 3: Because we've looked at past generations between me and rich his generation.
• 23:28
  Speaker 3: Um, we just went to the udt, udt, seal association reunion, east coast, and met up with some old boys I mean guys, guys who were in double-digit buds class guys from Vietnam Met a guy in his 90s who was a UDT underwater demolition team service member and here talking to those guys and hearing Rich's stories about who he knows.
• 23:55
  Speaker 3: There's a lot of generational trauma in naval special warfare.
• 23:59
  Speaker 3: There's things that just echo and repeat from generation to generation and it's our own doing and undoing, with all the stressors and high risk, high volume of time away from home.
• 24:13
  Speaker 3: I mean it is stressful not just us but the families, but it's just inherent to the job.
• 24:20
  Speaker 3: The community is a beautiful community.
• 24:22
  Speaker 3: The amount of support we have these days it stifles anything they had in the past.
• 24:30
  Speaker 3: But you can see the brotherhood and the generation that's come before me and that's one of the beautiful things that I no one could ever take away from me is that brotherhood of the SEAL teams and we also welcome the Special Warfare Combatant Crewmen we call them boat guys or SWCC operators and the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technicians.
• 24:51
  Speaker 3: That's the nucleus of Naval Special Warfare.
• 24:55
  Speaker 3: So we all have similar stresses, stressors in our career field and we all have the same foundation, that being Naval Special Warfare.
• 25:04
  Speaker 3: So as we start to grow in our capability and grow with our infrastructure and we're able to bring more people out.
• 25:14
  Speaker 3: We hope to grow from, you know, going from 17 to 19 to 20 sessions per month to doubling that.
• 25:22
  Speaker 3: And I bring that up because after I retire I really just want to focus all in on Holden Reigns.
• 25:28
  Speaker 3: I tell Rich all the time come December in my last six months of service I really hope to just take a bunch of leave and you're going to be so sick of me.
• 25:34
  Speaker 3: I was like you have to lock me out because I've really we've just started.
• 25:40
  Speaker 3: We got our 501 C3 in October.
• 25:42
  Speaker 3: We just started welcoming service members out in May.
• 25:45
  Speaker 3: So we always try to remind ourselves let's grow this thing in a healthy way.
• 25:50
  Speaker 3: It's a, it's a tempered steel.
• 25:52
  Speaker 3: You can't just bang it out in one session.
• 25:54
  Speaker 3: We have to keep making repeated blows that are precise so that it is exactly what it needs to be.
• 25:59
  Speaker 3: So that's where we are.
• 26:01
  Speaker 3: We're.
• 26:02
  Speaker 3: We're growing patiently.
• 26:03
  Speaker 3: We have a three and five year goals, but right now I feel half in, half out and then come later in my career, closer to retirement, I'm going to be all in.
• 26:17
  Speaker 2: Can't wait to see that.
• 26:18
  Speaker 2: My friend cannot wait to see it.
• 26:20
  Speaker 2: You're going to.
• 26:20
  Speaker 2: You're going to be all in.
• 26:21
  Speaker 2: Can't wait to see that.
• 26:22
  Speaker 2: My friend Can't wait to see it.
• 26:22
  Speaker 2: You're going to be one happy man.
• 26:24
  Speaker 3: Yeah, you're right about that.
• 26:25
  Speaker 2: Yeah, when you're fulfilling your destiny and what you've worked towards and, again, helping people and doing.
• 26:32
  Speaker 2: I know where your heart is because we've talked and we haven't talked a lot, but I don't need to.
• 26:36
  Speaker 2: I know where your heart is.
• 26:38
  Speaker 2: It's going to be it already is, but it's going to be a beautiful, amazing thing for many years.
• 26:44
  Speaker 2: Man.
• 26:44
  Speaker 2: That's fantastic I agree.
• 26:53
  Speaker 2: So we got about three minutes left.
• 26:54
  Speaker 2: So can I ask you and this could be you, this could be someone else please don't mention names, but unless it's you, you can mention you what has been maybe one of the most impactful sessions or people that you've seen go through your program.
• 27:11
  Speaker 2: You know so far, even if it's a day, whatever, whatever it's been, what is what is one of the most impactful things that sticks in your brain or in your mind?
• 27:21
  Speaker 2: That was just.
• 27:22
  Speaker 2: This person really got some serious help.
• 27:29
  Speaker 3: Um, last time I was asked this, I told a personal story Please.
• 27:36
  Speaker 3: And this time, if I could tell a story about a participant, I would talk about my wife.
• 27:48
  Speaker 3: She came out, he was in town and I was just like, hey, let's do some on-the-job training, let's get in there, let's figure out what you guys are made of, let's see what your program looks like.
• 28:03
  Speaker 3: Let me give you some tidbits.
• 28:04
  Speaker 3: I'll give you some live demonstrations.
• 28:06
  Speaker 3: And he took my wife in the round corral.
• 28:07
  Speaker 3: We had this horse at the time.
• 28:09
  Speaker 3: Her name was Joy, took about five minutes to get a halter on her.
• 28:13
  Speaker 3: Does not like her feet touched, doesn't really like people.
• 28:16
  Speaker 3: My wife does not know horses.
• 28:19
  Speaker 3: I was like, hugh, are you sure about this?
• 28:21
  Speaker 3: He's like, yeah, it's going to be perfectly fine.
• 28:29
  Speaker 3: My wife spends about an hour and 25 minutes in there.
• 28:30
  Speaker 3: I'm already getting after it.
• 28:31
  Speaker 3: I'm going to try to choke these back, but eventually, as they're working, I realized I'm going to try to choke these back, but eventually, as they're working, I realize I'm Joy.
• 28:41
  Speaker 3: I'm the crazy man at times.
• 28:42
  Speaker 3: I'm the one who doesn't want to be touched.
• 28:43
  Speaker 3: Leave me alone.
• 28:44
  Speaker 3: I'm a recluse.
• 28:50
  Speaker 3: Sometimes I can blow up.
• 28:51
  Speaker 3: I don't want to be touched.
• 28:51
  Speaker 3: Don't talk to me.
• 28:52
  Speaker 3: When Joy was resistant, my wife's feet did not move.
• 28:57
  Speaker 3: She's just like all right, joy, go ahead, do your thing, I'm going to be right here.
• 29:04
  Speaker 3: That's another example of me not even being in the round corral and getting life-changing experiences.
• 29:10
  Speaker 3: Watching my wife, I was just like what the heck is going on right now.
• 29:14
  Speaker 3: You just see God working through this whole farm, through Rich, through the horses, me and Rich.
• 29:20
  Speaker 3: We say we don't even do anything.
• 29:21
  Speaker 3: We really don't.
• 29:23
  Speaker 3: We provide a location and the horses, the horse and the human, the participant, do everything.
• 29:28
  Speaker 3: We ensure safety, we create conversation, but it's all the horse man.
• 29:34
  Speaker 3: And then, just to see, see my wife, when she got done with that again, her name is jen.
• 29:39
  Speaker 3: When jen came out, q has this little narrative that he spells out for what we would call a debrief and you know what, would the horse go back and tell creator about your experience in there.
• 29:52
  Speaker 3: And, uh, jen said the same thing.
• 29:55
  Speaker 3: It was like our hearts were connected.
• 29:58
  Speaker 3: She was like, yeah, when Joy was just doing her thing, I wanted her to know that I'm here for her.
• 30:04
  Speaker 3: She can trust me, I love her.
• 30:06
  Speaker 3: Then it's my turn to speak.
• 30:08
  Speaker 3: I was like, oh, joy, she's like, I know her.
• 30:10
  Speaker 3: I was like, oh, that's beautiful man.
• 30:12
  Speaker 3: I don't feel right telling other participant stories.
• 30:19
  Speaker 3: Totally fine, I can just my friend.
• 30:23
  Speaker 2: That was enough experience.
• 30:25
  Speaker 3: So yeah, that was enough to have other people tell their own story.
• 30:29
  Speaker 3: We're trying to have a gala next spring, michael.
• 30:32
  Speaker 3: You should come out.
• 30:33
  Speaker 3: You should bring your wife, um, and you'll be able to hear some of our participants tell their own story then.
• 30:38
  Speaker 2: That would be amazing.
• 30:39
  Speaker 2: I would love to come out there and be part of that.
• 30:42
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I would.
• 30:43
  Speaker 2: And then you can laugh at me with the horse for a minute.
• 30:47
  Speaker 3: Oh, you better believe you're getting around the horses, you better believe it.
• 30:50
  Speaker 2: Oh, there's no way I wouldn't.
• 30:52
  Speaker 2: There's no way I wouldn't.
• 30:53
  Speaker 2: We way I want it.
• 30:54
  Speaker 3: There's no way, I want it we won't let our wife laugh at you too much.
• 30:56
  Speaker 3: Say that again I'm sorry, are you familiar with horses?
• 30:59
  Speaker 3: Why have we never had this conversation?
• 31:01
  Speaker 3: No, so it's just a wife that has a background with horses.
• 31:05
  Speaker 2: Yes, I've pet horses.
• 31:07
  Speaker 2: When I was five I was on a little carousel thing.
• 31:10
  Speaker 2: I'm joking.
• 31:11
  Speaker 3: It's such like a husband and wife that has horses joke Like I pay for horses, I buy stuff for horses.
• 31:18
  Speaker 3: I buy trailers, I buy trucks, I buy blankets.
• 31:22
  Speaker 3: Do I like horses?
• 31:26
  Speaker 2: No, but I, like my wife, amen.
• 31:27
  Speaker 2: I love horses.
• 31:28
  Speaker 2: I've not been around them a lot.
• 31:30
  Speaker 2: I absolutely.
• 31:31
  Speaker 2: When I was young I'm not going to keep this story long, but I was young I almost got a horse.
• 31:36
  Speaker 2: Some things happened.
• 31:38
  Speaker 2: I'm not going to go into that whole story, but I loved horses.
• 31:42
  Speaker 2: I absolutely still do.
• 31:43
  Speaker 2: They're the most majestic, beautiful, amazing, powerful, like you won't believe, but also calm when they're not being skittish, calm and just this big soul man.
• 31:59
  Speaker 2: They're just.
• 32:00
  Speaker 2: I can't even tell you the respect I have for horses.
• 32:03
  Speaker 2: They're amazing.
• 32:04
  Speaker 3: Likewise Absolutely.
• 32:05
  Speaker 2: So, yeah, I will definitely come out there and we'll do this.
• 32:11
  Speaker 3: Yeah.
• 32:11
  Speaker 3: All right brother, hey man, so we are done with the show.
• 32:16
  Speaker 2: So a couple of quick things, if we can.
• 32:18
  Speaker 2: How do people get involved in your organization?
• 32:21
  Speaker 2: How do people reach you?
• 32:22
  Speaker 2: You know how does that happen.
• 32:25
  Speaker 3: Can you still hear me?
• 32:27
  Speaker 2: Yeah, not as well.
• 32:29
  Speaker 3: All right, one second.
• 32:30
  Speaker 2: I was swatting at the fly, no that's okay, that's okay, michael, we're just, I'll just, we'll just wait I'll swatting at the fly and swatted myself.
• 32:41
  Speaker 3: Oh it's all good.
• 32:42
  Speaker 3: Microphone went flying across the dang yard.
• 32:44
  Speaker 2: It's all good, hey you pivoted and we're back.
• 32:47
  Speaker 3: We're fine uh how do people still have the fly problem?
• 32:50
  Speaker 3: But I'll answer your question.
• 32:51
  Speaker 3: We're at wwwholdtherainsorg.
• 32:55
  Speaker 3: You can contact me directly at M as in Michael Hall, h-a-l-l at holdtherainsorg and visit our website, get involved, donate, apply to be a volunteer.
• 33:09
  Speaker 3: We really welcome any and all questions, anyone, from any background.
• 33:15
  Speaker 3: You don't have to be a member of naval special warfare to uh experience our program.
• 33:20
  Speaker 3: We do focus on that community, but we haven't said no to anyone yet.
• 33:24
  Speaker 3: So please come to the website, send me an email, let's start a conversation, figure out when you can come out to the farm or how you can get involved.
• 33:35
  Speaker 2: Awesome man.
• 33:36
  Speaker 3: Absolutely fantastic.
• 33:37
  Speaker 2: So, as always, you know the, the, the drill.
• 33:40
  Speaker 2: We need three tips to get veterans and their families further faster.
• 33:48
  Speaker 3: Be patient with yourself, be patient with your loved ones, have faith and pray.
• 33:57
  Speaker 2: I love it, man, I absolutely love it.
• 33:59
  Speaker 2: And on that note, everybody, first of all Michael, thank you so much, man.
• 34:03
  Speaker 2: I am honored to call you a friend.
• 34:06
  Speaker 3: Yeah, likewise.
• 34:07
  Speaker 2: Thank you so much for the time.
• 34:09
  Speaker 2: Absolutely, time is the most precious resource we have as human beings.
• 34:17
  Speaker 2: We don't get it back.
• 34:18
  Speaker 2: Thank you for spending the time with me.
• 34:19
  Speaker 2: I appreciate it in our audience.
• 34:21
  Speaker 2: So, on that note, we are out of here.
• 34:27
  Speaker 1: Thank you for joining us on another insightful journey of your Thoughts your Reality podcast with your host, michael Cole.
• 34:34
  Speaker 1: We hope the conversation sparked some thoughts that resonate with you.
• 34:38
  Speaker 1: To dive deeper into empowering your thoughts and enhancing your reality, visit empowerperformancestrategiescom.
• 34:45
  Speaker 1: Remember your thoughts shape your reality, so make them count.
• 34:49
  Speaker 1: Until next time, stay inspired and keep creating the reality you desire.
• 34:54
  Speaker 1: Catch you on the next episode.