Veteran's Program
HORSEPOWER’S Veterans Program invites and actively seeks both retired and active duty Veterans. Our program is offered to service members at no charge thanks to our sponsor The Marine Core League.
The Veterans Program design and purpose is to use horses and their ability to teach and connect with our veterans. The horses innate traits of structure, routine, leadership, and trust will be familiar to veterans. It is this common understanding that makes this program so beneficial for veterans and the horses they work with.
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The Program is divided into three different levels with everyone starting out at Level 1.
Level 1- Introduction to Horses
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You will learn about horses and their behavior
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Introduced to how horses think and why
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Be introduced to different horses
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Learn to groom horses properly
Level 2- Groundwork with Horses
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Learn how to use tools to communicate with horses
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Learn to halter and lead horses
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Learn to communicate with horses on the ground
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Learn to navigate horses through obstacles
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Working horses at Liberty
Level 3- Mounted/Riding Horses
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Learn to saddle horses
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Learn to mount horses
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Learn to control and steer
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Learn to ride at the walk and trot
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Trail/Obstacle work
Level 1 is available for everyone and is 2 sessions long, longer for those that can only do Level 1.
Level 2 and Level 3 are 6 sessions long and subject to HP approval.
Do you know someone that would be a good fit for the program?​
Schedule your tour today!
contact Emily, ride@horsepower.org
or call the office 336.931.1424
Ever since the revolution in 1776 horses have been a part of the military serving alongside our soldiers on the battlefield. A soldier riding a horse has become a symbol of war and physical courage. The mutual bond and respect between soldiers and horses has been forged through many battles and wars throughout American history.
Working with horses requires patience, being in the present, attention to detail and other attributes needed to be an effective leader. Horses’ instinct to bond, and awareness of their surroundings including feeling the emotions of their riders and handlers make them perfect partners for this program.
This Veterans Program is beneficial in so many ways:
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Teaches leadership skills
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Develops a “in the present” mindset
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Gain inner core strength and balance through riding/grooming
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Gain a sense of self awareness, confidence, task completion and reward
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Brings back a sense of routine and trusting your partner
Military personnel may find this lacking in civilian life, and bonding with the horses is often a way to work on a partnership built on trust, earned respect, and working towards a mutual goal. Our program emphasizes a true learning to interpret and respond to non-verbal communication through a combination of ground and riding activities. Because horses are prey animals, they are highly intuitive at picking up cues from their environment, especially from other living things.