Retired Special Forces Weapon Sergeant Ryan Cowley became involved with horses about four years ago when he started working with mustangs. Over the last few years, he was introduced to [NRHA Million Dollar Rider] Nathan Piper, and it was then that he fell in love with reining.

“My introduction to riding was through breaking mustangs and learning how to ride, and I quickly realized I needed to gain some technical riding abilities to get better,” said the Green Berets veteran. “Everyone I talked to mentioned that reining has the best foundation, and a lot of techniques go with it, so I really enjoy all the aspects of reining— like the control of the horse. I feel a lot more confident with horses now after I started riding reiners.”

After graduating high school, Cowley joined the U.S. Army and his career far exceeded his expectations.

“I was at high school when 9/11 happened, and once I graduated, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, so I went to college for a little while but realized it wasn’t for me,” he said. “I wanted to do something where I felt like I was giving back and serving the country, so when all the deployment was happening, I figured, ‘why not me?’ At the beginning, I thought it would be for just four years, and I would come back and finish school; I never thought it would turn into 16 years. It has been a blessing to me.”

After spending 16 years in the U.S. Army, Cowley retired and was looking for an occupation that would bring him similar excitement to the Army.

“I really wanted to find a community that matched the small, close-knit community of Special Operations, and from the time I have spent in the horse community, I can say it is just that – very welcoming, purpose-driven… There is enough excitement and danger to keep me interested, which I think is important for a lot of the veterans,” he said. “I think we are used to the danger and excitement, and having that with the horses, and to build a connection with them is a big advantage for the veterans, especially those transitioning out of the military.”

“I would 100% recommend this to all veterans, and that’s why I took the opportunity to help out with the Two Ravens Foundation,” he said. “My two passions are veterans and horses. Being able to introduce veterans to horses and the therapeutic aspect that comes with it, even if you are not competing and just working with horses, is an outlet I think more veterans need to have access to.”

Cowley met Reed Knutson of Two Ravens Foundation shortly after he moved to Nashville, Tennessee, and the two joined the same equine program.

“Reed told me what he was doing with the foundation and I really wanted to be a part of it, so I jumped right in to help out,” said Cowley. “I would really like to expand the foundation in the future, so we can have more veterans go through the program.”

The Two Ravens Foundation is located right outside of Fort Campbell, which has a large Special Operations community, making it incredibly accessible.

“We are right there, so the veterans don’t have to fly to a different state and leave their family behind, which is a big thing for us too to have their families come out and experience it with them.”

As veterans develop their horsemanship skills, the foundation connects them with various horse trainers so that they can continue to advance.

“Right now, Nathan [Piper] is the main professional horse trainer that we work with, but there are some new opportunities coming up, and we are looking to pair up other horse trainers with more veterans.”

Cowley was pleased with the outcome of the partnership between NRHA and Two Ravens Foundation, as it gave the foundation the opportunity to talk to several NRHA Professionals.

“All the trainers we talked to at this show are really excited about the program and want to give back to veterans, so as we grow and get connected with more trainers, we will be able to send out more veterans to them and spread the word as we grow, which is great.”

Come support Cowley and the other veterans as they compete at the inaugural NRHA Military Slide on December 4 at 2 p.m. at the Oklahoma City Fairgrounds. The event is FREE for all military veterans and first responders (+1 guest) to attend, and a full schedule can be found at nrhafuturity.com.

About Two Ravens Foundation

The mission of Two Ravens Foundation is to provide our nation’s heroes with a transformative experience that fosters personal growth, enables reflection, and empowers our combat veterans and first responders by using coaching, horsemanship, and community support while leveraging the power of horses and the western way of life.

For more information about the Two Ravens Foundation, visit tworavensfoundation.org.