Featured Subscriber’s Comment:
“As one of the currently 3 percent of readers on Substack who pays for a subscription to The Counteroffensive, I sincerely believe that Tim’s publication is worth every dollar of the subscription fee.
First and foremost, because of the hard work of Tim and his reporting team in Ukraine and beyond providing human-focused journalism. Second, the stories cannot be found anywhere else online. Third and finally, as Tim has stated many times, paying subscribers provide the financial support necessary to cover the costs of reporting.
Meaning: financial support literally helps provide what is needed to report in a war zone. Having become a paid subscriber in 2023 months after the publication launched, I can state definitively that The Counteroffensive is worth supporting financially.”
By: Blake Roberts
Being so close to it, the horse seemed even more majestic, but surprisingly calm.
At that moment, I thought I wouldn’t be able to ride him – I’m just 160 centimeters (over 5 feet) tall, which put me roughly at the level of the horse’s belly.
But when it’s my turn, I suddenly realize that I have only a few seconds to get ready. The coach tells me how to sit properly, but all I can hear at that moment is the beating of my own heart.
A moment later, I swing my leg over and find myself in the saddle. I feel so small compared to this powerful, magnificent animal. Even though I’m the one holding the reins, my life now depends entirely on the horse’s movements.
As the Russian military continues to shell Ukrainian cities, the war is harming horses and humans alike. A Russian drone crashed into a stable in the Kyiv region just last month, killing seven horses, attracting worldwide attention.
The horrors of the front line follow soldiers into civilian life, where even ordinary situations can trigger stress and anxiety. But equine therapy is gaining popularity in Ukraine, with more and more military personnel wanting to try it for relief from trauma.
After the paywall:
How do horses help the military cope with psychological trauma?
Is it really possible to relax while riding a horse?
Who was in charge: the horse or Zoriana?
