HORSEMANSHIP FOR HEROES

Our mission at Horsemanship for Heroes is to empower and support veterans, emergency responders, and their families in their journey toward healing and well-being through equine-assisted psychotherapy and learning. We strive to create a safe and nurturing environment where participants can build meaningful connections with our horses and experienced mental health professionals. Our goal is to promote resilience, self-awareness, and personal growth, helping our heroes to thrive in their personal and professional lives.

The Horsemanship for Heroes © curriculum is a two-phased program that introduces Veterans and Emergency Responders (Heroes) to the fundamentals of natural horsemanship, both on the ground and in the saddle. The program curriculum is presented as equine-assisted psychotherapy (including a Nevada Board Certified Therapist) and equine-assisted learning (life-coaching model). The program leverages an experiential therapy model that partners a Veteran or Emergency Responder with a horse.

Therapy horses help people cope with feelings, communicate better in relationships, overcome fears, and learn to trust. A wonderful bond is established between the horse and the participant, as horses have high communication capabilities and respond to behaviors around them - they recognize emotions and can help reveal how a participant feels. There is a unique relationship between humans and horses. Horses, by nature, are prey animals and humans are the predators. When we domesticated horses, it changed the rules. Horses have the option to co-exist or resist the relationship with a human. Horses respond to our body language, our energy, and our intention. People learn through relationships, observations, and feedback. Horses provide all three.

H4H’s organizational values demand exceptional equine care and management and environmentally friendly practices.