Cherokee saddle maker to craft saddles for worthy Veterans' cause

Leach Saddle

Not too long ago, Cherokeans Doug Woods and Bob Leach were discussing a program which they had heard about on a satellite radio show. The program, called 'Horses for Heroes' (or H4H) Cowboy Up, is run by New Mexico rancher Rick Iannucci. In 2007, Iannucci had heard about a program at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. where disabled soldiers were placed in therapeutic horseback riding programs as a means of helping returning veterans cope with the stress of integrating back into civilian life. He felt that while this was a great idea, he also felt that the Veteran's Administration and other government agencies have not been able to handle the large number of returning soldiers, nor the variety of problems that occur when soldiers come home from overseas deployment. Iannucci, a decorated former Green Beret and U.S. Marshal, operates the Crossed Arrows Ranch, south of Santa Fe, New Mexico, and he feels that the life of a working cowboy is very similar to the life of a soldier. With that thought in mind, he started the Horses for Heroes Cowboy Up Program. Cowboy Up, though, says Iannucci, "is not about just getting on a pony and riding around an arena.

Rick Iannucci

The cowboy culture is almost a parallel to the warrior culture. When these (veterans) came back from Iraq and Afghanistan, they were lost in a lot of ways." So, just what is this "Horses For Heroes - Cowboy Up!" program that Iannucci has developed? It is a free program, open to veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom-Afghanistan who have sustained physical injuries or combat trauma (PTSD) during their time serving our country. The time the veterans spend at the Crossed Arrows Ranch is "hands on" with the horses from the day they arrive, beginning with groundwork and progressing to riding, as well as participating in other aspects of life on the ranch, including working cattle and, more importantly, experiencing camaraderie with cowboys who are veterans themselves. Horses For Heroes is a non-profit corporation, totally funded by donations, and is the only program of its kind that is endorsed by, and partnered with,The Military Order of the Purple Heart - New Mexico, and the New Mexico Cattle Growers Association and its member ranchers. When Bob Leach and Doug Woods heard about the H4H Cowboy Up program, they investigated it further, and, finding that it indeed appeared to be as great as it sounded, they contacted Rick Iannucci to find out if he could use any "horse equipment" at the ranch. Iannucci told Leach that the program could sure use some good working saddles, and Leach - a retired law enforcement officer who crafts saddles as his "retirement job" - said he would make three Wade saddles for the program. The Wade saddle, named for Oregon cowboy Clifford Wade and named by another cowboy, Tom Dorrance, is built for the working cowboy, and is constructed for comfort and a full day in the saddle. It's rugged, stout and tough - truly a working saddle...more