Equine-assisted services connect veterans with horses to provide a healthy recreational activity through riding, adapting the sport as needed for the veteran participant

This federal Project Grant award of $195,000 from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Veterans Health Administration (VHA) under the VA Grants for Adaptive Sports Programs for Disabled Veterans and Disabled Members of the Armed Forces (CFDA 64.034) program supports the delivery of equine-assisted services to connect veterans with horses for healthy recreational activities through adapted riding programs.

The grant recipient, Bravehearts Therapeutic Riding And Educational Center, a non-profit organization, will implement programs that provide veterans with opportunities to engage in equine-assisted activities and address mental health concerns by incorporating counseling and therapy alongside the equine activities. The project aims to benefit veterans' mental and physical health through adaptive sports and therapeutic activities involving horses. This award builds upon Bravehearts' prior VA grant funding for its adaptive sports programs serving veterans with disabilities.