05/26/2026
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and to celebrate, we want to share a perspective from Karen, one of our amazing Equine Specialists:
"It starts with the arrival to the barn. The smell of the horses, seeing the beautiful creatures, hearing them crunch their hay or blow out a sigh.
It’s one of those things you may not believe until you see it!
I’ve seen participants begin their journey withdrawn, discouraged, and barely able to make eye contact, and over time grow into confident, hopeful individuals with meaningful goals—just as I’ve seen a mother and daughter who could barely look at one another eventually laugh together, work as a team, and genuinely enjoy each other’s company.
Personally, when my husband was in a serious mountain bike crash in 2023; around horses was the only place I could take a full deep breath and not feel so much anxiety and fear!
I’ve seen people come reluctantly to services at first, only to eventually look forward to every session. Horses truly have a beautiful way of helping create healing and growth."
Join us in a global campaign to raise awareness and funding for equine programs across the world: https://horsesformentalhealth.org/campaigns/healing-strides/
