Veterans ride through Manhattan on horseback to raise awareness about suicide during the 8th annual Trail to Zero event

Trail to Zero Ride Raises Awareness for Veteran Suicide

On Saturday, veterans and law enforcement came together for the 8th annual Trail to Zero ride, organized by an equine therapy nonprofit. Many believe this initiative has played a significant role in saving lives after challenging missions.

A group of 15 military veterans undertook a demanding 20-mile journey on horseback through Manhattan, aiming to raise awareness about suicide, particularly among veterans who often find it hard to transition back to civilian life.

The event, hosted by BraveHearts, took over eight hours. It began at Ground Zero, traversed through Times Square and Central Park, and eventually returned to One World Trade Center.

This year’s participants hailed from the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force, representing states like Texas, Indiana, and Illinois.

Each horse bore a ribbon attached to its mane, honoring veterans who have died by suicide. Amber Eck, who oversees veterans services at BraveHearts, mentioned that these names are typically submitted by loved ones wishing to pay tribute, with ribbons later returned to the families.

BraveHearts, known for using equine therapy to assist distressed veterans, reported that close to 20 veterans take their own lives daily.

At the 18th Squad Fire Station on West 10th Street, a refreshment stop was set up around 3 p.m., where firefighters provided large blue buckets for the horses. Interestingly, one particularly finicky pony refused to drink from them and was offered lemon-flavored Gatorade instead.

The final stretch took them back to One World Trade Center, completing the journey that symbolically represented nearly 20 veterans lost to suicide each day.

“This is a tough journey for many, considering our mission. This is personal for the veterans involved; they’ve lost friends to suicide and some have expressed feeling they could end up as statistics themselves,” Eck explained.

Among the participants was Ellie Schlotz, 42, a former Air Force analyst who made the trip from Wisconsin with her 13-year-old mustang, Velvet. Her horse wore two ribbons in memory of Navy and Marine Corps veterans.

Schlotz shared her lifelong passion for horse riding and her desire to introduce this love to her children while fostering the BraveHearts community.

Ryan Ormund, 51, who served in Iraq’s Congressional Battalion from 2006 to 2007, also traveled from Wisconsin. He believes every veteran can name at least one person who has taken their own life after military service.

He pointed out that equine therapy offers more benefits than people tend to recognize, describing how it can aid in suicide prevention, speech disorders, amputations, and PTSD recovery.