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Horses for Mental Health collaborates with nonprofits to expand access to equine-assisted services



Girl in a green jacket hugs a brown horse with closed eyes, smiling contentedly. Blurred green field and brown fence in background.

The Horses for Mental Health Campaign (formerly Seen Through Horses Campaign) is about collective visibility, shared momentum, and expanding access to mental health services incorporating horses. For 31 days each May, Mental Health Awareness Month, Horses for Mental Health brings together programs nationwide to increase awareness, raise funding, and advocate for the integration of horses in mental health care and personal growth services.


The Horses for Mental Health Campaign Initiative


The campaign unites individuals, nonprofits, mental health professionals, celebrities, influencers, and businesses to create a cohesive community, empower nonprofits, and share impactful stories of healing and transformation through the horse-human connection.


Focus on Collective Visibility

The Horses for Mental Health campaign is dedicated to enhancing collective awareness regarding the profound benefits of equine-assisted mental health services within various communities and among potential donors. This initiative aims to bridge the gap between the therapeutic potential of working with horses and the individuals who could greatly benefit from such services.


Woman in red plaid shirt kisses a brown horse's nose in a sunny, grassy field, surrounded by green trees. Calm, intimate moment.

Shared Momentum Across Communities

Collaboration with local mental health organizations, equine therapy practitioners, and community leaders is emphasized in each annual campaign. By forming partnerships, the campaign can amplify its message and reach a wider audience, ensuring that the information about these services is disseminated effectively. This collaborative approach not only enhances the credibility of the campaign but also fosters a sense of community involvement and support.

Expanding Access to Mental Health Services with Horses

Equine-assisted therapy has emerged as a transformative approach in mental health treatment, utilizing the unique bond between humans and horses to foster emotional healing and personal growth. By promoting this innovative therapy, the campaign seeks to educate communities about the various mental health challenges that can be addressed through equine interactions, such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, and more.


To achieve this goal, the campaign employs a multi-faceted strategy that includes community outreach programs, educational workshops, and engaging storytelling. These efforts are designed to inform individuals about how equine-assisted therapy works, the science behind its effectiveness, and the personal stories of those who have experienced life-changing results. By showcasing real-life testimonials and success stories, Horses for Mental health aims to create a relatable narrative that resonates with both potential clients and donors.


Supporting Mental Health in Rural Communities

Ways to Support the Campaign


Individuals globally are experiencing anxiety, trauma, stress, burnout, and a sense of disconnection. Horses provide a strong, grounding presence that enables people to feel acknowledged, balanced, and supported.


Worldwide, licensed therapists and trained facilitators partner with horses to assist individuals and families in improving their mental health.


Your support ensures more people can access these life-changing services. Every role — partner, ambassador, donor, sponsor — moves this mission forward. Below are four meaningful ways to get involved:


1. Advocate for Life-changing Programs

Help turn awareness into action by sharing the campaign with your friends, family, colleagues, and community on your social media accounts with a link to Horses for Mental Health's Campaign page.


2. Become a Fundraising Ambassador

Choose a specific Program Partner you care about and create your own fundraising page in support of their work.


3. Donate Directly

Select a Program Partner and donate securely on their campaign page. Every dollar raised directly supports local programs transforming lives in their communities. Participating organizations keep 100% of the funds they raise, so the impact stays where it’s needed most.


4. Become a Campaign Sponsor

Sponsors help power the campaign’s reach and infrastructure while aligning your brand with mental health, community well-being, and horses. To explore sponsorship opportunities, contact: Tyler Brklacich, Executive Director tyler@horsesformentalhealth.org


This is More Than Awareness. It's a Global Movement.


  • Your support expands access to mental health and well-being services with horses

  • Programs keep 100% of the funds they raise

  • Every participating organization is vetted for safety, professionalism, and impact

  • Your action stays local and strengthens community-based mental health care


When you participate, you’re not just giving. You’re changing lives.


Blue ribbon logo with horse silhouette and "HMH" text. Brown text reads "Horses for Mental Health Campaign." White background.


Gray logo of "HMH" with a horse head silhouette. Text below reads "Horses for Mental Health." Minimal design, calm tone.




EquuStyle Art & Advocacy Magazine is proud to support the May 2026 Horses for Mental Health Campaign, especially during Mental Health Awareness Month. Please share the link to this article and consider ways you can support the Horses for Mental Health Campaign.


Special thanks to Tyler Brklacich Co-Founder & Executive Director of Horses for Mental Health, Lynn Thomas, Co-Founder & President, and Jacque Baumer, Co-Founder/Vice-President. The YouTube video is protected by copyright Horses for Mental Health and Zoetis Equine-all rights reserved.


 
 

Updated: May 1, 2025


A veteran in a black hoodie hugs a black and white horse labeled "I AM VALUED" in an outdoor setting, conveying a calm, comforting mood during an equine-therapy program.
A veteran engages with a therapy horse during a H.O.O.V.E.S. program. Photo credit: Sean McConnell

For many Veterans, returning to civilian life comes with invisible wounds. The weight of post-traumatic stress, traumatic brain injuries, and the challenges of reintegration can diminish well-being and quality of life. Yet across the country, Veterans are discovering a unique path to healing—through the profound connection between humans and horses.


Healing Through Horses


In 2024, Horses for Mental Health (HMH) and Arenas for Change (ARCH), with funding from the Veterans Affairs Adaptive Sports Grant (VA ASG), partnered with 14 organizations across 11 states to provide equine-assisted learning services for 354 Veterans.


To assess the impact, 213 Veterans completed pre- and post-program assessments, and the results were remarkable:

✅ 93% reported improved mental health and well-being

✅ 99% said working with horses significantly enhanced their healing


The true impact is best understood through the voices of those who experienced it firsthand:


A veteran in a striped shirt and cap stands walks a white therapy horse with other veterans looking on. Lush greenery background, relaxed mood. Photo credit: Sean McConnell - H.O.O.V.E.S.
Photo credit: Sean McConnell - H.O.O.V.E.S.

"I was barely a shell of a man when I came here. Now, I have confidence, clarity, and for the first time in decades, I see a future for myself."


"Horses don’t judge. They just meet you where you are. That made all the difference."


"For the first time, I feel like I’m not just surviving—I’m actually living again."



A Path to Transformation

At the heart of this work is transformation—what Arenas for Change calls an “ARCH Moment.” These life-changing turning points mark the shift from struggle to hope, allowing individuals to step through a metaphorical arch of new perspectives and personal growth.


For Veterans, healing unfolds in the presence of a horse, where the nervous system—often overstimulated and dysregulated by trauma—can begin to settle. Horses offer a calm, nonjudgmental space, allowing Veterans to experience safety, connection, and trust.


"Being in their presence is the greatest peace I have ever experienced!" – Veteran participant


Horses’ intuitive responses provide honest, unfiltered feedback, reflecting emotions and behaviors in ways that help Veterans process their experiences from a new perspective.

 

“They showed me how I was showing up to others, and I did not realize that at first. It was eye-opening, for sure.” – Veteran participant


Through these interactions, many Veterans describe a profound reconnection—not just with the horses, but with their own authentic selves.


“I feel lighter and more free to be myself.” – Veteran participant


Rustic sign reading "H.O.O.V.E.S. Healing Our Veterans Est. 2018" hangs on wood post. Background of green fields and trees under blue sky. Photo credit: Sean McConnell - H.O.O.V.E.S.
Photo credit: Sean McConnell - H.O.O.V.E.S.

Amanda Held, founder of H.O.O.V.E.S. in Ohio, has witnessed these transformations firsthand. “Many Veterans walk into our program feeling disconnected and hopeless. But after working with the horses alongside our personal growth curriculum, they rediscover trust, confidence, and purpose. The grant funding allowed us to serve Veterans who might not have had access otherwise.”



For Carol Young at Healing Strides of Virginia, the experience is just as profound. “The most powerful thing is watching a Veteran who was once withdrawn begin to reconnect—with themselves, with others, and with life. These programs aren’t just helping—they’re saving lives.”





Sustaining the Impact - Seen Through Horses Campaign


Providing these services takes dedication—not just to the Veterans, but also to the horses. Programs rely on financial support to ensure proper care for their equine partners, maintain facilities, and train skilled facilitators.


A veteran in a cap smiles beside a brown horse in a wooded area. He wears a black shirt with the text "Not all wounds are visible."
Photo credit: Sean McConnell - H.O.O.V.E.S.

Beyond the VA Grant, programs like H.O.O.V.E.S. and Healing Strides of VA expanded their reach through the Seen Through Horses Campaign, a national awareness and fundraising effort led by Horses for Mental Health, with support from title sponsor Zoetis


Through this initiative, these organizations gained visibility, attracted new supporters, and secured additional funding to continue serving Veterans and caring for their horses.


"Participating in the campaign allowed us to reach more people who believe in the power of horses to heal," said Young. "It helped us sustain our work, not just for the Veterans, but for the horses who make it possible.”


The Bigger Picture: Horses for Mental Health & ARCH


The Seen Through Horses Campaign, produced annually by Horses for Mental Health during May, Mental Health Awareness Month, brings together programs nationwide to increase awareness, raise funding, and advocate for the integration of horses in mental health care and personal growth services.


Additionally, many of these programs benefit from training and support through Arenas for Change (ARCH), which equips facilitators with an innovative, story-based approach in their equine-assisted work. This approach helps professionals create safe, engaging, and meaningful experiences, empowering clients to author their own transformative journeys.

  

The results are clear:

✅ Veterans are healing

✅ Programs are growing

✅ More people are recognizing the power of horses to change lives.


And for the men and women who have served our country, that means hope—not just for today, but for the future.



Support the Mission


To learn more about these programs or to get involved:

Horses for Mental Health: https://horsesformentalhealth.org/ 

Arenas for Change (ARCH): https://arenasforchange.com/

To access the full VA Grant outcome report, visit: https://horsesformentalhealth.org/veterans-2024grantreport/






EquuStyle Art & Travel magazine thanks Tyler Brklacich Co-Founder & Executive Director of Horses for Mental Health and Lynn Thomas, CEO and Founder of Arenas for Change (ARCH). Please share the link to this article to help raise awareness about HMH’s Seen Through Horses Campaign, especially during May which is Mental Health Awareness month.


All images Copyright Horses for Mental Health, H.O.O.V.E.S. and Healing Strides of VA -all rights reserved. Cannot be reproduced for any purpose without permission from Horses for Mental Health , H.O.O.V.E.S. and Healing Strides of VA.


 
 

The statistics surrounding mental illness are staggering: one in five people will be affected by mental illness in their lives, with depression becoming the leading cause of disability worldwide (NAMI, 2020). Despite the prevalence of this issue, two-thirds of those affected never seek help, and of those who do, only about 50% find traditional talk therapy successful. However, it’s encouraging to note that in recent years concerns for mental health have gained increasing recognition. It’s crucial to increase public awareness of the myriad ways horses can help in one’s journey to pursue healing.


A young man rests this forehead on the forehead of a therapy horse during an equine therapy session
Young man benefitting from equine therapy

Horses for Mental Health is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to amplifying awareness, engagement, and access to services incorporating horses for mental health and personal growth. Individuals navigating challenges such as anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), grief, relationship struggles, or life transitions like divorce, or who may be seeking to improve their overall well-being, can experience tremendous benefits through professional services involving horses.


Horses are highly intuitive to nonverbal messages and help provide a safe and dynamic environment for healing through the relationship facilitated by trained professionals. At its foundation, these services mean that rather than going to see a psychotherapist or counselor in an office setting, clients experience some or all of their sessions in an environment with horses.


Witness the profound impact these powerful creatures can have. Watch "Breathe: A Story of Transformation" to see how a veteran healed from PTSD with the help of a horse, learning to breathe freely once again.





Young woman in an equine therapy session kissing the face of a horse while holding its chin in her hands
Young woman participating in an equine therapy session

Horses for Mental Health's flagship initiative, the Seen Through Horses Campaign, is an annual peer-to-peer awareness and fundraising campaign uplifting organizations that offer mental health and personal growth programs and services incorporating horses. 


Now in its third year, the 2024 campaign unites over 80 non-profit organizations nationwide, amplifying their mission and raising critical funds. Donations are directed straight to these organizations, supporting their work in making this unique therapy accessible to all.


Join Horses for Mental Health this May, during Mental Health Awareness Month, for the annual Seen Through Horses Campaign! Together, we can bring our shared vision to life: a world where everyone has access to the transformative power of horses.


The Power of Horses: Breaking Barriers


Watch the story of the incredible impact that a small nonprofit organization is having on the community of Oakland, California. “We Ride Too” is committed to serving a wide range of young people in the Oakland area who face various challenges and traumas with limited access to resources. Through programs for youth to connect with nature and horses, each child has a place where they are told they "can," instead of "can't," breaking barriers and making a difference for their mental health and future.




The Power of Horses | Advocating for First Responders


First responders face daily challenges and overwhelming stress from their intense jobs, resulting in higher rates of depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Despite this, they courageously serve as our first line of defense against emergencies, fires, and life-threatening situations. More than ever, we need to rally together to support our first responders to support their mental health and well-being on a local, state, and federal level through advocacy, legislation, and funding for programs and services incorporating horses.




Horses for Mental Health would like to thank Zoetis Equine, the Title Sponsor of the Seen Through Horses Campaign.


To get involved in the Seen Through Horses Campaign, visit https://horsesformentalhealth.org/campaign/

 

To learn more about the incredible impact horses can have on mental health and overall well-being, please visit https://horsesformentalhealth.org/how-horses-help/


Media Links: 




EquuStyle Art & Travel magazine thanks Tyler Tyler Brklacich and Lynn Thomas, Co-Founders of Horses for Mental Health, for providing us with Amanda Alden’s article and the well-produced videos which are also available on Horses for Mental Health’s YouTube channel. Please share the link to this article to share HMH’s Seen Through Horses Campaign, especially during May which is Mental Health Awareness month.


All images Copyright Horses for Mental Health -all rights reserved. Cannot be reproduced for any purpose without permission from Horses for Mental Health.




 
 

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