No matter what you tell a horse, it will never repeat the story to anyone else.
And that’s what Army veteran Newell Schaub loves best. As a volunteer at Horses Spirits Healing in Billings, the former Vietnam vet works daily with other veterans, children with disabilities and anyone else who comes for some peace of mind.
And Schaub knows firsthand the healing and therapeutic power of horses.
“I had a lot of anxiety, depression and was drinking more than I should when I first connected with the nonprofit. I came in as someone who needed help,” he said. “And the amazing thing is, horses can understand what you’re going through, they can actually feel your heart rhythm while standing about 4 feet from you. There are still days when the horses know I’m feeling a bit down, they come over and give me a little more attention, nuzzling up to cheer me up.”
As a combat engineer and bridge crewman in Vietnam in 1970, Schaub, who has since suffered from mental health issues, was scared daily.
“Eventually, you got used to it and realized that there wasn’t always somebody around every building wanting to kill you, but you still had to be hypervigilant at all times,” he said.
When his first tour of duty was over, Schaub arrived home to protesters calling him and his fellow veterans “baby killers” and wanting to start fights with them. That was just moments after they arrived at their transport location in Washington state.
“That was hard. It was not a very welcoming moment,” he said. “Beyond those moments, though, I think acclimating to crowds upon my return was one of the hardest things to do.”
But Schaub stayed with the Army another 20 years, serving two stints in Germany and several rotations stateside, progressing through the ranks as squad leader, section sergeant, operations sergeant, drill sergeant, platoon sergeant and, ultimately, 1st sergeant.
“I loved being in charge as a sergeant,” he said. “I loved taking someone that thought they didn’t know anything, or someone who thought they knew everything and really didn’t, and teaching them to change their mind. To watch that happen was such an honor.”
While on his first deployment to Germany, he met his wife, Laurie, a fellow Army vet serving as a fixed station communications specialist. Originally raised in Havre, Montana, Schaub eventually moved with Laurie to Billings when entering back into civilian life.
The transition wasn’t easy. Initially, Schaub worked on pipelines, eventually getting a job as a distribution clerk for the U.S. Postal Service, where he worked for the next 20 years.
“The Army way is not the civilian way in terms of work,” he said. “In the military, if I told somebody or even suggested something needed to be done, it got done. In civilian life, the attitude is ‘I’ll get around to it.’ My Army training skills, however, were essential in learning how to teach and work with others no matter the environment.”
Now retired, Schaub enjoys working with Buddy and Bear, two of his favorite horses at the Horses Spirits Healing barn.
“Those horses brought me out of a hole,” he said. “And I say this to all vets: Even if you’re afraid of horses or have never been around them — and you’re in the same predicament that a lot of veterans are — get on a horse. Give it a try. It’s helped a lot of veterans cope.”
