Equine Therapy for Veterans

Winston Churchill once said that "there is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man." That belief has led to several programs that help veterans facing physical or mental challenges because of service to their country.

  1. Horses for Heroes

    • In 2007 the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association, Inc. (NARHA) began the Horses for Heroes program with a goal of providing veterans and wounded service personnel access to equine therapy programs across the country. Veterans from World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, the Iraq War and the Afghan War are eligible to participate.

    Back in the Saddle Warriors

    • Back in the Saddle Warriors is a division of Heartbeat, which also serves injured servicemen and veterans. Using equine-assisted therapy, Back in the Saddle Warriors seeks to provide aid to those with traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, missing limbs and post-traumatic stress disorder as well as other service-related disabilities.

    Ride Up to the Challenge

    • The goal of Ride Up to the Challenge is to provide information on equine-assisted therapies available to veterans, injured service personnel and the families of servicemen who have died in action. The group also tries to facilitate the delivery of services to those people.