Readers perhaps remember Greg Ziel from an article published in the May 2022 issue titled “Pay it Forward.” When that story went to press in late March, Ziel—a medically retired police sergeant from Las Vegas, Nevada—was awaiting the arrival of his new rope horse, Midnight, in South Carolina.
A MAN OF GOD
To briefly recap, 22 years of serving the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department left a traumatic mark on Ziel. Events like an officer-involved shooting and the unspeakable experiences of undercover work led to an attempted suicide by Ziel in 2011. In 2014, he fell victim to uncontrollable fits of rage that finally, and bravely, inspired him to seek the tools and help he needed from his department.
Ziel's medical retirement followed, and he continued to serve his community through his faith as a chaplain in the department. When a deranged shooter opened fire on unassuming Las Vegas concertgoers at the 2017 Route 91 Harvest Festival, as a chaplain, it was Ziel who provided help to his fellow first responders suffering from the impacts of that tragedy.
But even men of God are still just men. Ziel encountered innumerous PTSD triggers in every Las Vegas neighborhood he visited and struggled to carry the harrowing stories of his counterparts. Then, at his wife Angela's encouragement, Ziel found healing with horses.
GETTING HOOKED
Ziel's time spent with horses provided such
