*Article from Resolute Mideastern Ohio, June 2026*
Written by: Katherine Troyer
Some healing happens in offices. Some happens in the barn. On any given Wednesday afternoon, you might find Navy veteran Andrew Brugger in the arena at Pegasus Farm, working through obstacles with a big, beautiful gray horse named Skeeter. To the outside eye, it looks simple. To Andrew, it’s been life-changing.
Andrew started attending Pegasus Farm’s Military and First Responders Center about two years ago, making the drive from Cuyahoga Falls several times a week. What kept him coming back wasn’t a program requirement. It was the people. The atmosphere. And honestly? Skeeter. Time in the barn reconnected him to childhood memories and gave him a place to quietly work through anxiety and self-doubt.
Last year, Andrew decided to put himself first. With support from the MFC community and what he calls his “biggest cheerleaders,” he made the comment to put his physical and mental health as his first priority. Andrew has been focused on a weight loss journey, seeking out support for his anxiety and staying very active and committed to all the programming at Pegasus Farm. He describes his experience at MFC in three words: welcomed, comfortable, and gaining health.
That’s the Pegasus Farm effect.
Founded in 1986 by three Canton City School teachers, Pegasus Farm began with five students, two horses, and one backyard. Forty years later, it has grown into a cornerstone of the Stark County community, serving veterans, active-duty military, first responders, and their families through therapeutic equestrian programs, vocational services, counseling, and family activities. All MFC programming is offered at no cost to participants.
The farm’s approach is intentional. Equestrian activities start on the ground: grooming, tacking and leading. Trust is built slowly, between human and horse, and between veterans who understand each other in ways that don’t always require words. Riding, carriage driving, archery evenings, family fire pit nights, and on-site counseling round out a program designed to remove barriers and meet people where they are.
Andrew now brings his two kids to the farm. They brush Skeeter. They shoot archery. They roast marshmallows. What started as his healing became something the whole family shares.
