Horses for Mental Health Campaign Expands Access to Mental Health Services with Horses

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

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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.

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.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSILrEtZXsA

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.

Support the 2026 Campaign

Visit Website

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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.

#horsesformentalhealth #horsesformentalhealthcampaign  #equinetherapy #mentalhealthawrenessmonth #horseshelpingpeople #veterans #zoetisequine #therapyhorses #equustyle #equustylemagazine

Operation Equine: Harnessing the Healing Power of Horses for Military Service Members, Veterans, First Responders, and Their Families

Operation Equine serving the Aurora Fire Peer Support Team at Praying Hands Ranch

Operation Equine offers transformative equine assisted therapy experiences tailored specifically for military service members, veterans, first responders, and their families, as well as for organizations who also serve our country’s Warriors and Protectors.

Founded on the belief in every human’s innate capacity for resilience, and the understanding of the profound healing bond between humans and horses, Operation Equine operates from a holistic approach, combining the naturally curious, powerful, and relational personalities of horses with evidence-based therapeutic techniques. Our team comprises experienced mental health therapists, certified equine specialists, and our multifaceted equine partners, providing a safe and non-judgmental environment for all participants.

Josh receiving a horse hug

How Operation Equine Works

Building trust is a foundational aspect of our program, mirroring the process of earning a horse's trust. By learning how to calm their nervous systems using mindful breathing and grounding techniques, and by practicing patience and the power of observation, participants learn to establish connections with their equine partners, fostering an environment of honest communication and relationship-building, encouraging them to embody what it truly means to feel present in the here-and-now.

Most sessions include ground-based activities such as grooming, leading, groundwork exercises, and experiential exercises specifically designed for building self-confidence, improving communication skills, and encouraging emotional regulation, fostering a sense of empowerment and connection: both individually and with their families.

For those grappling with the challenges of post-traumatic stress, moral injury, depression, anxiety, military sexual trauma, transition stress, and family challenges, the therapeutic presence of horses provides a calming and grounding influence, allowing participants to learn and/or regain a sense of agency within themselves, develop healthier coping strategies, and forge a renewed sense of purpose for themselves and for their families in a therapeutic, non-clinical environment.

WARRIOR Pack Trip Video 2020 Award at Equus Film Festival

Our signature program - The WARRIOR Pack Trip - incorporates the best of what we do on the ground with the experiential nature of wilderness therapy by hiring professional outfitters to take small groups of Veterans out on horseback, culminating in an integrative 6-day experience. This program is intended to not only partner with our participants to help them set and reach their personal goals, but also to provide the teamwork, camaraderie, and renewed sense of purpose that they yearn for.

By harnessing the innate wisdom, sensitivity, and relational nature of horses, Operation Equine

offers the unwavering support of a community dedicated to our participants’ ultimate well-being,

providing sanctuary where wounds are transformed into sources of strength, self-acceptance, and resilience.

Founder Michelle Kaye

WARRIOR Pack Trip participants

Training - Praying Hands Ranch

Through our innovative approach and our culturally competent providers, we honor the courage, the passion, the creativity, and natural leadership of military service members, veterans, first responders, and their families, reminding them of a brighter future filled with more possibility, self-forgiveness, and renewed purpose.

Equine-assisted therapy resonates deeply with veterans for several reasons:

1. Nonverbal Communication: Veterans often struggle to verbalize their experiences and emotions, especially those related to trauma. Horses communicate primarily through body language, offering a nonverbal avenue for veterans to express themselves and feel understood without the pressure of articulating their thoughts.
   

2. Trust and Agency: Veterans who have experienced trauma may struggle with issues of trust and self-regulation. Working with horses requires building trust and mutual respect, allowing veterans to regain a sense of agency in their interactions. As they develop a bond with their equine partners, veterans experience a shift in perspective, realizing that trust can be earned and agency over oneself can be regained.
   

3. Presence and Mindfulness: Horses are inherently present creatures, attuned to their surroundings and the emotions of those around them. Through interacting with horses, veterans learn to be present in the moment, practicing mindfulness and grounding techniques that help alleviate symptoms of anxiety, “checking out,” and hyperarousal.
   

4. Empowerment and Self-Reflection: Equine-assisted activities often involve setting and achieving goals, whether it's guiding a horse through an obstacle course or building a relationship through grooming. These accomplishments foster a sense of empowerment and self-efficacy, allowing veterans to see their strengths and capabilities in action. Additionally, horses are highly perceptive animals that reflect back the emotions and behaviors of those around them. Through observing the responses of their equine partners, veterans gain insight into their own emotions and behaviors, facilitating self-awareness and self-reflection.
   

5. Connection and Community: It’s about community: Military Service Members operate in “units,” horses operate in a herd. Equine-assisted therapy provides a unique opportunity for veterans to connect with others who share similar experiences. Group sessions foster camaraderie and support, creating a sense of belonging and community that is crucial for healing and recovery. The shared bond of working with horses and with each other transcends verbal communication, creating a space where veterans can feel more connected, less “on guard,” and better understood.

Annual Barnyard Julilee!

Help to support our Military Service Members, Veterans, and their families through the unique power of working with horses.

Save the date for Wednesday, September 18 to celebrate Operation Equine's 5-year anniversary and annual Barnyard Jubilee! Follow us on Facebook for tickets and more information as it becomes available.

Follow Us on Facebook

Operation Equine's 5th Anniversary Celebration & Barnyard Jubilee Fundraiser

Barnyard Jubilee

2023 Hero Awards Winner - Community, Michelle Kaye & Opertion Equine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6k45_CWCeQ4

Operation Equine

Operation Equine Team

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EquuStyle Art & Travel magazine thanks Michelle Kaye, Founder and Executive Director, Operation Equine for writing an excellent article and sharing photographs. Our sincere thanks to everyone involved in Operation Equine for providing equine-assisted services for Active Military Members, Veterans, First Responders, and thier families.

All images Copyright Operation Equine -all rights reserved. Cannot be reproduced for any purpose without permission from Operation Equine.

#OperationEquine #equine-assistedtherapy #VeteransEquinePrograms #FirstResponders #ActiveMilitaryMembers #horseshelpingpeople #equine-assistedservices #mentalhealthservices #therapyhorses #equustyle #equustylemagazine

Equine-assisted Services: For the Benefit of Horses and Humans Alike

Dr. Temple Grandin with a therapy horse at TGEC

World-renowned Autism advocate and livestock handling and welfare expert, Dr. Temple Grandin, claims “Horses were my salvation.  Horses saved my life.”  Therefore, it was natural to create an initiative in Dr. Grandin’s honor where horses and the horse environment were studied and used to help benefit human lives as well as where those studies also focused on equine welfare and the horse’s role in society.  Voiila, the Temple Grandin Equine Center!

The Temple Grandin Equine Center (TGEC) is Colorado State University’s initiative focused on research, education, and outreach in equine-assisted services (EAS).  Named after CSU Professor of Animal Sciences, Dr. Temple Grandin, the TGEC operates out of two locations: the flagship center is at the CSU Foothills Campus in Fort Colorado, CO (https://agsci.colostate.edu/tgec/) and the second center has recently opened at the CSU Spur campus at the National Western Center in Denver, CO (https://csuspur.org/tgec/).  Both centers have research studies pertaining to EAS and host EAS programs and services such as occupational and physical therapy, mental health counseling, and therapeutic and adaptive horsemanship.  The TGEC in Fort Collins is home to undergraduate education focused on EAS, while TGEC at CSU Spur hosts internships and fieldwork for high school, undergraduate, graduate, and PhD students.

A young client receiving equine-assisted services at TGEC

Research is the foundation of the TGEC.  Commencing in 2015, TGEC faculty and students performed a Systematic Mapping Review of the EAS industry to determine the state of knowledge based on scientific research studies and results.  Since that time, the TGEC’s research efforts have included three ongoing programs of research:   1) Continued Mapping Reviews of the literature on EAS, 2) Occupational Therapy in an Equine Environment for Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder, and 3) Adaptive Riding for older adults with dementia. 

Additionally, the TGEC has identified six emerging initiatives in which TGEC researchers have engaged with a diverse collective of practitioners and researchers in Colorado and nationally: 1) Practice and Safety Patters of OT, PT, and SLP Incorporating Equine Movement, 2) Therapeutic Riding for Youth with Autism, 3) Optimal Terminology for Services that Incorporate Horses to Benefit People, 4) Psychotherapy Incorporating Horses for Transition-aged Students, 5) Measuring Participant Outcomes of Community-based Adaptive/Therapeutic Riding, and 6) Effects of Equine-assisted Social-emotional Learning on Human and Equine Wellbeing.

Temple Grandin Equine Center offers equine-assisted services to benefit people.

The TGEC is proud to boast an elite leadership team of industry experts.  Dr. Sharon Butler, DVM, CTRI and Associate Professor is the Program Coordinator of the TGEC center in Fort Collins.  Debbie Mogor, PTA, CTRI, and Registered Therapist is the Program Coordinator of the TGEC center at CSU Spur.  Dr. Caiti Peters, PhD, OTR/L and Assistant Professor is the Director of Research. 

For more information about the TGEC research, education, or programming, any one of these individuals can be contacted, as well as the Director of the TGEC and the Associate Director of Equine Sciences, Adam Daurio, Esq.

The TGEC was recently featured by the City of Denver in their Elevating Denver campaign, which showcases people and programs making positive impact in Denver.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWuIg0sGLwE

Launching the TGEC program at the CSU Spur campus was also featured as a premiere University program through STATE, The Magazine of Colorado State University System, and that story can be read here https://magazine.csusystem.edu/2022/01/03/a-gift-horse/.

Visiting the TGEC facility in Fort Collins is by appointment only and can be scheduled by calling (970) 491-1651.  Visiting hours at the TGEC facility at CSU Spur are between 10am and 5pm Monday through Friday and the second Saturday of every month.

This video explores the unique role of the horse with providing comprehensive therapy to help individuals heal from physical, emotional, and developmental challenges.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbloYFyfDK8

Temple Grandin at the Exceptional Rodeo. Each year the Temple Grandin Equine Center at CSU Spur hosts the PRCA Pro Rodeo's Exceptional Rodeo — an adaptive, accessible rodeo for children of all abilities.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lb68UCg7m70

Temple Grandin Equine Center Website

Follow TGEC on Facebook

Follow TGEC on Instagram

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EquuStyle Art & Travel magazine thanks Adam Daurio, Director of Administration and Outreach at Colorado State University, for writing an excellent article and sharing photographs. Our sincere thanks to Dr. Temple Grandin for her outstanding contributions to the humane treatment of livestock and autism.

All images Copyright Temple Grandin Equine Center and Colorado State University -all rights reserved. Cannot be reproduced for any purpose without permission from Temple Grandin Equine Center or Colorado State University.

#templegrandinequinecenter #csuspur #coloradostateuniversity #templegrandin #equine-assistedservices #therapeuticriding #adaptivehorsemanship #autism #vetranequineprograms #therapyhorses #horses #equustyle #equustylemagazine