Hope for Heroes Horsemanship Center

Mission

Provide horse therapy to veterans and active duty military suffering PTSD at no cost to them, while supporting the startup of other horse therapy centers around the world.

Description

We provide basic horsemanship group lessons to veterans and active duty military suffering from PTSD at no cost to them. We are working with over 40 participants weekly during 8 week semesters, and allow them to return for more advanced semesters as long as they wish. We anticipate serving over 100 participants in 2020.

Horse therapy has been proven to reduce PTSD symptoms in veterans by 50% in just 8 weeks, as measured by the VA tools. The results of this research, administered by Baylor University in Texas, has been published in 2 major medical journals. We supported this research study. A similar study run by University of Missouri, Columbia has also recently been published in a medical journal showing almost identical results. This horse therapy for veterans is so important because, according to the VA, 70% of ALL veterans suffering from PTSD in our country have chosen NOT to receive any traditional therapy for this diagnosis. This group numbers between 300,000 and 500,000 nation wide, and they are all isolating in their homes to avoid the community around them and reduce the anxiety attacks they suffer. Of this group, 22 veterans are committing suicide each and every day according to the VA. This suicide rate has been consistent for over the last 15 years! These veterans are committing suicide out of total hopelessness that any one or any thing can help them, evidenced by the fact that 70% of them were over the age of 50. This veteran suicide needs to be stopped, and our evidence shows that horse therapy is the very best method for addressing this. Many of our participants have told us how their horse saved their lives, either from suicide or chronic depression.