Veterans and Active Duty Military Programs

Veterans, military, and first responders have been put into situations most of us will be blessed to never experience, and in doing so, they experience injuries, post-traumatic stress, and other disorders far more often than those of the general population. We are honored to offer programming to our national and community heroes.

Programs are held in a private environment at the farm. No other program runs during these sessions, so our guests have the ability to be free with their feelings and stories as they share with the horses and other veterans, servicemembers or first responders.  

We appreciate the sacrifices made for our safety and freedom, and as a way of expressing our thanks, we offer all programming to active duty, veterans, and first responders at no cost. 

Veterans and Active Duty

Horses and military members are similar. Horses use body language to express themselves and in doing this, they also read others' non-verbal communications.  They are hypervigilant like most service members and veterans. The horse and the servicemember both watch for potential dangers in their environment and are aware of every move around them. Both horse and member use these environmental clues and the body language of others to quickly read a situation. 

Horses sense, almost magically, our pain, stress, emotions, and fears and are still willing to offer their trust and healing powers to us. Through this giving and understanding, a horse-human partnership begins.

We build upon that in our programs, and Veterans and servicemembers can then use what they learn from their horse partners in their personal and professional lives, be that relationship, communication, anxiety management, or other skills.  

First Responders

Our programs welcome, police, fire, EMT and paramedics, dispatchers, and search and rescue teams.  Through horse-centered activities, our programs encourage stress relief, anxiety management, patience building, physical wellness, mindfulness, and reconnection with co-workers, friends and family.

Liberty Call is our Military and Veteran's support group that meets weekly for six (6) weeks. The group is hosted by James, a retired Marine Master Sergeant. Get to know other servicemembers and veterans in the quiet environment of the farm, and while you share and bond with others, you'll be spending time with the horses, too.  

Weekly workshop-esque meetings involve horse-centered activities and address different areas of the Six Dimensions of Wellness including topics such as relationship building, healthy communication, work/life balance, and mindfulness and stress management.  The group meets for six weeks and participants can repeat programming as often as we offer it. Each program is different than previous programming.

Horse experience IS NOT necessary. Skills learned are built upon session to session. (Guests won't be riding/driving their first time to the farm.) Some activities guests encounter include feeding the horses, grooming, leading them, and optionally learning to hitch them to a cart and/or saddling then driving and/or riding them around the property. In the winter, we try to skijor at least a few times, which is a lot of fun. 

All workshops are facilitated by a certified equine assisted life coach and an experienced equine specialist and handler.  

We want our military and veteran guests to feel comfortable joining this group.  This is an inclusive workshop and horse interaction up to and including riding or driving is encouraged but always optional. 

Code Wellness is open to all first responders. This workshop meets once a week for six (6) weeks, and targets the Six Dimensions of Wellness using horse-centered activities. Topics will include  emotional, occupational, physical, social, intellectual, and spiritua wellness. 

Horse experience IS NOT necessary. Skills learned are built upon session to session. (Guests won't be riding/driving their first time to the farm.) Some activities guests encounter include feeding the horses, grooming, leading them, and optionally learning to hitch them to a cart and/or saddling then driving and/or riding them around the property. In the winter, we try to skijor at least a few times, which is a lot of fun. 

All workshops are facilitated by a certified equine assisted life coach and an experienced equine specialist and handler.  

At the end of the six week course, participants are invited to attend the next six-week workshop if they would like. Each course is different from previous courses.

We want all first responders to feel comfortable joining this group.  This is an inclusive workshop and horse interaction up to and including riding or driving is always optional but encouraged.