Quantum Leap Farms

Instead of our normal hot takes today, a special segment on Veterans Day. We are looking at the battles that continue long after the uniform comes off. Army veteran Kyle Baker served dangerously in Iraq and went to fly Black Hawk helicopters, but his road home eventually led him to a kind of therapy that he never saw coming. These days, Kyle Baker looks right at home beside a horse. That alone is a pretty big leap. Come on. I really didn't know a whole lot about horses. In fact, I was terrified of horses growing up. Before the farm, there was the army. Kyle enlisted at 18, spent more than 10 years in uniform, earned the rank of sergeant, then became a warrant officer and Black Hawk pilot. But his first job in Iraq put him on the road, delivering fuel through a combat zone. You know, I've been shot at multiple times, almost blown up multiple times. And when you're in the military, specifically when you're in the army, you really don't have a lot of time to sit down and think. You know, the Army trains you to go, go, go, go, go, mission first. That's the first priority that we have. It wasn't until I got a chance to actually sit down and think about some of the things that I've been through, and that's when life kind of hit me. Kyle left the military. The mission was over. The weight of it, though, was not. My first question was, well, what do civilians do all day long? Can I put my hands in my pocket? I had no clue. What path life was going to take me down. I was at really one of the lowest points of my life trying to re-identify myself as a man. During one of those dark periods, a counselor with the Wounded Warrior Program told him about Quantum Leap Farm. The farm's Warrior Mission At Ease Retreat, combines mental health therapy with hands-on work with horses. Kyle arrived not knowing what to expect. I felt a moment of tranquility. You know, just peace as soon as I started interacting with the horses. I didn't know the effect that a horse could have on you as a human being. They can feel your emotions. Thank you. There's a connection that I have now with horses that I can't even put into words. Is that good? Nice little snack? Who is that? The horses don't ask about rank. They don't need Kyle to explain Iraq. The work is about trust, being present, and giving veterans a safe place to finally let their guard down. Sometimes we'll just sort of start to see their body language melt, their energy shift, even tears come to their face. Program Director Jenna Lemmer watched that change happen again and again, sometimes in just a matter of days. So many get here and just feel hopeless. Um, and then we see them on Monday and that light has reappeared in their eyes. They feel lighter. They look lighter. And yeah, every time I see you with him, like it's just so much better. Oh yeah, for sure. Kyle still comes back. He cares for the horses, shares his story and uses what he's learned here when life starts to feel heavy again. And the man who once wondered what his life would look like outside the army now has a pretty clear answer. No. Life has gotten so much better for me. Being a father, being a husband, I want to be here. I want to be the best man that I can be. Kyle Baker spent years learning to fly at Quantum Leap Farm. With both feet on the ground and a horse beside him, he's found his way forward. Mike Hughes put that together nicely done. Thank you. Quantum Leap Farm's military programs are available to veterans, active duty service members, and military families. You can learn more about the programs at quantumleapfarm.org.