Hooves & Heroes is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to providing supportive services to Veterans, First Responders, and their family members, primarily through equine-based experiences.

Equine based experiences include activities such as learning about herd dynamics and how they communicate and build relationships with each other, as well as individual interactions with a horse or horses where the individual gains insight through somatic (felt/experienced) activities. Through this connection, the individual finds a relationship with the horse which can be translated to how they relate to and show up in their daily environment.   

As a prey animal, horses rely on their senses and awareness of their surroundings to stay alive, and therefore are excellent at communicating their comfort/discomfort with how we show up in their space as a predatory animal. Their calm awareness is an excellent tool to help us learn how to be fully present without anxiety or additional stress on our body.  They are also masterful at returning to a balanced state after a threat has passed, and therefore act as an example which we can draw from for our own experiences.  

These experiences can help build stronger coping skills with regard to managing stress, anxiety, PTSD, and when faced with real-time work-related traumas which are part of the role of those in public service such as our military, first responders, and healthcare workers.