Veterans Day was nationally observed last Tuesday, Nov. 11 to commemorate the service of all U.S. veterans. For speaker Toni Mattson, however, this holiday is not “just about the uniforms and ceremonies. It’s about the people behind them — the faces, the stories, the sacrifices that don’t always make the headlines.”

From 12:30-1:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 13, a group gathered at the Blue Hills Lecture Hall at UW-Eau Claire – Barron County to attend Mattson’s presentation titled “Where the Battle Ends and the Healing Begins.” 

The event was part of the “Thursdays at the U” series partially funded by the UW-Barron County Foundation. The series involves weekly lectures open to the public each Thursday.

Mattson’s presentation discussed the negative stigma surrounding veterans’ mental health, impacts on the family and the dangers of improper healing from traumatic events they’ve experienced. According to the 2024 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, an average of 17.6 veterans die from suicide per day. 

“I’m sold out on the idea that if we stop supporting the stigma that surrounds mental health, we will bring down the suicide rate, we will have much better transitioning people coming out of the service and people who’ve been out of the service forever but yet still struggle with those demons,” Mattson said.

While Mattson is not a veteran herself, she said she comes from a long line of them. Her mom was an army nurse, her dad was a lieutenant colonel, she has veteran brothers, cousins and uncles and also married a veteran.

Mattson said although each of her family members who served returned “changed” in varying degrees, her dad was affected the most. She shared a personal story from her childhood of accidentally startling her dad and triggering a violent response from him.

“His eyes were huge, and they were wide open, but he wasn’t there at all,” Mattson said. “Even as a nine-year-old, I knew that our family was different from other families.”

Around that same age, Mattson said she started horseback riding. Now 67, she is the co-owner and director of programs at the Trinity Equestrian Center in Eau Claire. 

For the past 16 years, Mattson has been combining her passion for horses and her compassion for veterans and their families by offering free equine assisted therapy. She said the center currently has eight equine specialists, five Wisconsin-licensed therapists and is assisting 19 veterans per week.

Mattson said there is a “cycle to service” for veterans: recruit, risk, recover and reconnect. The silence and the stigma often lies in the gap between “risk” and “recover,” and that’s where Trinity comes in. They believe that since this cycle is predictable, it’s also preventable.

As many veterans struggle with what is commonly known as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), one way that Mattson said they combat the stigma is to “drop the D,” instead using the term post-traumatic stress (PTS) or post-traumatic stress injury (PTSI).

“‘Disorder’ feels permanent,” Mattson said. “‘Injury’ feels like it can heal, because it can.”

According to Mattson, the center is usually considered a “last resort” option, and she often hears the same question from frustrated veterans whose families pushed them to attend: “What in the world can a horse do to help me?”

Right away, the veteran is taken out to the pasture to “find their fit,” a.k.a. their horse, Mattson said. There are no arranged pairings; a horse naturally decides on its own whether it wants to match with a veteran and vice versa.

“Horses are incredibly intuitive,” Mattson said. “They are so tapped into our energy and our emotions that if I were standing five feet away from a horse, not touching him, he would tap into my heart rate … if I’m anxious, if I’m angry, my heart rate will be higher and they’re going to know it.”

Mattson said horses are very honest and do not like inconsistency. The veteran’s outside expression must match the inside feelings the horse detects.

“They don’t judge you or try to fix you,” P. Bauer, a veteran who previously attended the Trinity program, said. “They just read what’s real and meet you there. Somehow, that makes it safe to drop your guard.”

Most of the sessions are completed “on the ground,” according to Mattson, meaning the veterans don’t actually ride the horses unless they want to and are physically able.

Mattson said every veteran’s journey through their program is different. It consists of a weekly 50-minute session and can last a few months or even a few years. 

As their program is completely client-driven, there is no set time frame, according to Mattson. Typically, however, veterans are in the program for four months to one year before graduating, which is based on whether the individual has met their goals and feels ready.

Mattson said program graduates are always welcome to return to Trinity whenever they want or need to.

“We see moments when a veteran finally exhales and when the fight just quiets down inside of them and something inside starts to settle again,” Mattson said. “And to every veteran and family member, we see you. We’re grateful for your service but even more for your heart and your grit and your trust in letting us be part of your journey.”

To watch the full presentation, visit this link.

Matczak can be reached at [email protected].