HORSES & HEROES INC

H&H was founded in 2014 by a military wife, mother, and horse-lover, Julie Baker. From an early age, she discovered that traumatized horses require the same things as people to heal from neglect, trauma, and broken trust. These include emotional safety, physical security, trust, time, and space.
Rescued horses, once abandoned and neglected, offer us a glimpse of hope for our paths to growth from trauma. Rachel, the Clinical Director of H&H, notes that clients who witness rescue horses arrive with visible and invisible wounds are not taken aback but instead find common ground and genuinely relate to these animals. They see their wounds and scars in these horses. As clients observe transformations in the horses, they experience transformations within themselves. H&H provides a path to recovery for many individuals who might not seek traditional counseling and are struggling with traumatic memories or physical and emotional pain.
H&H utilizes baseline behavioral health scales as pre and post-measures of suicidal ideation, unresolved trauma, anxiety, depression, and perceived stress - all possible indicators of high risk for suicide. Supportive programs include peer support training, group workshops (both clinical and non-clinical), regular alumni recreational activities, community hours for veterans connected to diversion programs through Veteran Treatments Courts, and individual professional counseling to military and first responder families. H&H is regularly invited to Kansas City VA (KCVA) to optimize veteran outreach and networking efforts. Because of the predominant female leadership, H&H caters to a high population of veteran women who might not feel comfortable attending male-dominated programs.
Services
H&H is one of more than 600 EAGALA-certified programs and one of 30 national programs holding the esteemed Military Designation. H&H provides the following alternative services to the market not available from other organizations:
• Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP)
• Equine Assisted EMDR(EAEMDR aka EquiLateral)
• Therapeutic Massage (TM)
• Pulsed Magnetic Field Therapy (PEMF)

Need:
Suicide is a serious personal and public health problem that has far-reaching medical, economic, and psychosocial implications. Between 1999 and 2019, the suicide death rate increased by 33% (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, 2023). There were nearly 46,000 deaths by suicide in 2020, making it the 12th-leading cause of death in the United States (CDC/National Center for Health Statistics, 2023). https://www.americashealthrankings.org/explore/annual/measure/Suicide/st...
Women veterans have experienced an increase in suicide rates that has exceeded other reported US adult populations. In a recent study of post-9/11 veterans, lifetime suicidal ideation and suicide attempts were, respectively, 1.2 and 2.2 times more prevalent among women compared to their male counterparts (Monteith, Holliday, Dichter, & Hoffmire, 2022). This trend supports the need to support local community programs with targeted and strategic programs for women and men. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9198614/.

According to a published article in the National Institute of Health (NIH) Journal, “Even though the majority of women veterans do not enroll themselves in VHA care, they account for an increasing percentage of veteran suicides in recent years” (Monteith, Holliday, Dichter, & Hoffmire, 2022). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9198614/

When a mom or dad has lost hope and chooses to die by suicide, he/she has selected more than his/her life. Their kids are now subject to the negative impacts of loss, grief, and abandonment, leaving them vulnerable to debilitating developmental, physical, emotional, and behavioral health issues. The family is left to manage the loss of wages and quality of life. Joined by thousands of others who also make this permanent decision, the cost to the United States is more than $1 trillion yearly in medical expenses.
The outlook for struggling veterans is even gloomier. Veteran suicide rates continue to outnumber the National American average, with Kansas-Veteran rates more than doubling the general population. The reasons are complex. Many veterans can be resistant to traditional care, suffer from traumatic brain injury and chronic – debilitating pain, and face perceived barriers, negative stigmas, shame, and logistics. For some, delayed manifestations can cause reactive symptoms like nightmares, negative–intrusive thoughts, maladaptive coping skills, irritability, and anger. In an attempt to cope with these symptoms, they adopt masking behaviors such as drinking, drugs, and isolation, to name a few.
The United States has more than $1 trillion yearly in medical expenses.[2]
The outlook for struggling veterans is even gloomier. Veteran suicide rates continue to outnumber the National American average, with the Kansas-Veteran rate more than double the general population. [3] The reasons are complex. Many veterans can be resistant to traditional care, suffer from traumatic brain injury and chronic – -debilitating pain, and face perceived emotional barriers, moral injury, negative stigmas, shame, and challenging logistics. For some, delayed manifestations can cause physical symptoms like nightmares, negative–intrusive thoughts, sleep disturbances, irritability, anger, and hypervigilance. In an attempt to cope with these symptoms, they adopt masking behaviors such as overuse of alcohol, illegal drugs, pornography, and isolation, to name a few.[4]

There is hope because suicide can be prevented. Strategies for success require action and support from all levels of society and start with recognizing the signs of suicidal ideations, knowing when to seek help, and whom to connect with. H&H plays a crucial role in solving this complex puzzle by providing innovative solutions targeting the underlying causes, fostering community bonds, empowering women, and backing up our claims with proven results.
Hope is the anchor of healing. At H&H, we create an environment that fosters new possibilities for growth and wellness, as evidenced by the inspiring stories of veterans who have completed our program.
"I was so blessed to find Horses & Heroes during a time when I was feeling lost in the shuffle at the VA. As a disabled veteran, I received all of my care through the VA and was concerned about the costs involved in seeking help elsewhere. A friend recommended Horses & Heroes, and I am SO GLAD he did! Not only did I receive top-notch therapy (at no cost to me), but I was also able to make some horse friends! Being in the field with the horses during the sessions is an incredible experience. Petting the horses helped me stay grounded when I was sharing difficult things, and through observations of their behaviors, I could see parallels in my path to recovery. I have beautiful snapshots of that field and those horses I can revisit whenever I struggle. I will continue to recommend H&H to my peers highly. Thank you!"
-Kara, Army Veteran

Another female veteran, who lost her husband to suicide shares, “After my traumatic event, I longed for peace. I would never have guessed I would find it in a group of horses who shared my trauma. These beautiful creatures taught me how to be calm, how to be present, how to be congruent within myself in a way I was unable to achieve with more traditional therapy alone. I will carry the experience with me always.” -KBI Officer and spouse. Her daughter also expresses her experience after going through the H&H program. “I have been in therapy for around three years, and no treatment has brought me a greater sense of peace than being around the horses. You are so kind and easy to trust, and I am so grateful to have had this experience. Thank you”. A child who lost her first responder-dad to suicide.
Outcomes
Since 2015, H&H has consistently provided high-quality clinical sessions, with an impressive average of 300 sessions per season (Mar-Dec). As of the end of FY 2023, H&H has completed over four thousand-ninety (4090) clinical program hours, significantly impacting our clients' lives
Our clinical protocol is rigorous and consistent, ensuring that we provide, track, and measure the best possible outcomes of our clients. Our licensed clinical counselors complete pre and post-behavioral health scales, which are then analyzed to ensure we deliver effective and impactful programs.
At H&H, we take data privacy seriously, so we cannot share or discuss EAP-specific data. However, preliminary data analysis indicates that our EAP programs are highly engaging and effective. Our programs have resulted in significant improvements in resiliency, PTSD symptoms, anxiety and depression, and quality of life scores. Notably, 74% of our clients are veterans, while the remaining 26% are first responders with no military service. Additionally, our client base is diverse, with a ratio of 68% female clients to 32% male clients.
Community Partners: Suicide prevention requires integrative efforts from all levels: individuals, families, communities, and state and federal resources. In light of the steady increase in suicide rates, The Department of Veteran Affairs has identified the need to fund and enlist nontraditional mental health programs and community partners as well as a more gender-sensitive approach to suicide prevention (Monteith, Holliday, Dichter, & Hoffmire, 2022). H&H partners with and refers to the following Veteran Service Organizations as needed:
Veteran Administration Whole Health, Kansas City
Defenders of Freedom
The Battle Within
Veteran Treatment Courts: Cass, Clay, Johnson, Leavenworth, and Wyandotte counties