About two hours north of Winnipeg, surrounded by farmland and vibrant, autumn trees, is Red Rose Ranch.
Horses graze the pastures, preparing for an important job.
“There has to be a different way to approach our mental health than medicine and hospitals, and this is one of it,” Bobby Wuskynyk said.
Wuskynyk is a member of the Canadian Armed Forces and has served around the world for 20 years. He’s also the founder of Red Rose Ranch.
“A lot of us that are wearing uniform undergo stress in ways a lot of folks can’t comprehend, even ourselves,” Wuskynyk said.
Years ago, during an exceptionally stressful posting, Wuskynyk returned to his Manitoba agricultural roots and found comfort in riding horses.
He now shares his passion with others by teaching equine-assisted learning through his non-profit Red Rose Ranch Veterans Horse Camp.
Fellow veteran, Terry Degerness, helped Wuskynyk start the ranch and now volunteers as a wrangler during camps.
“Working with these animals forces you to be a better person,” Degerness said. “It gives you humility and it makes you recognize you’re not the centre of the world some days.”
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The week-long camp experience is open to veterans, military members and first responders at no cost.
“I just thought if this animal can be vulnerable with me, then it was an opportunity for me to grow,” police officer Sylvie Desmarais said.
Desmarais is part of the Red Rose Ranch women’s camp.
“I was actually diagnosed with PTSD, which now we prefer to call it PTSI, post-traumatic stress injury, in summer of 2023. It took me away from the workplace,” Desmarais said.
Through therapy, Desmarais learned that she could heal from her injury. The veterans’ horse camp is part of that journey.
“I’m humbled and extremely grateful,” Desmarais said.
The program is about veterans helping veterans, one horse at a time. The camp is run by volunteers with lived experience, like veteran Becky Lemon, who was a camp participant two years ago.
“Because of everything that had happened to me, I lost a lot of confidence. So when I came here, even though it was for a week, I got part of me back,” Lemon said.
Fellow volunteer and wrangler Erin Beaulieu is a mountie. She was part of the RCMP’s Musical Ride before returning home to Manitoba.
“I love to be able to teach, riding is a passion for me. It’s an amazing opportunity to be able to do that with my peers,” Beaulieu said.
Red Rose Ranch currently offers five-day camps twice a year, one for men and one for women. Wuskynyk worked with the Manitoba Horse Council to build his program’s curriculum.
“You’re getting tons of fresh air, small measurable tasks, easy goal setting and being with a horse is incredible,” Wuskynyk said.
Wuskynyk hopes participants continue with horses for the rest of their lives. He has big aspirations for the future of the ranch.
“I think future plans are going to revolve around having a family camp where our participants can bring their spouses and their children, because this is really a family affair as well with this lifestyle,” he said. “A couples camp, as well, is something we want to look at in the future.”
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