Over the last six years, I’ve profiled 14 organizations combating veteran suicide in non-traditional ways. As many of you know, thousands of vets take their own lives every year, and I’ve tried to use my platforms and shows to call attention to a myriad of bottom-up solutions helping these troubled men and women. Among the more memorable efforts, was a program in South Florida that took vets on python hunts in the Everglades, and a garage in Indiana that taught veterans how to repair and rehabilitate old motorcycles. All of these initiatives worked to varying degrees, thanks to a few devoted individuals committed to ending the scourge of veteran suicide. But no one has come close to the success rate currently enjoyed by Steve Hotz, the man behind Black Horse Forge.
Long story short, Steve came home from the wars battered and broken. Countless jumps from airplanes had compressed his spine, and a battlefield injury cost him an eye. At his lowest point, desperate for some kind of emotional relief, he started working with an old forge, hammering chunks of metal into something useful. The work provided a kind of relief he couldn’t get from traditional therapy, and soon, Steve was hooked. So, he opened his forge to veterans in distress and built a community. When I met him, several months ago, 22,000 vets had come through Black Horse Forge —many as battered and broken as he once was. As of today, there have been zero suicides.
That’s simply astonishing, and proof positive that there ought to be a Black Horse Forge in every town.
Please give this episode a look, and if you agree, share the hell out of it. https://bit.ly/PYSKEpisode3
Mike
PS. Big thanks to PureTalk for helping us surprise Steve with some much needed assistance.