Horses for Heroes Program
Faith Equestrian Therapeutic Center is a NARHA (North American Riding for
the Handicapped Association) Member Center. As such we are working to
expand our programs to offer services for military veterans and their
families through the Horses for Heroes .
Horses for Heroes assists military veterans through services provided by NARHA members like FETC. To accomplish this mission, NARHA centers connect with Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Centers and Clinics, as well as individual veterans. Veterans of any age can benefit from the program and by being involved with equines.
We are now looking for adult volunteers to train for our Horses for Heroes program and to help with building our new visitor center for the volunteers and veterans to relax and socialize between classes. We need donations of labor, money and/or lumber to complete this 1700sq ft area. Please donate on our PayPal secure site.
Program News
The Horses for Heroes Program is up and running. We will however be closed for the month of August and re-open in September with classes on Friday afternoons. Anyone interested in the program either as a participant or as a volunteer can contact Lee Ann Marrie at 912.596.5673 or via e-mail at horsesforheroes1@gmail.com
Also, check out the story that ran recently in the Savannah Morning News about the program — Local veterans find healing working with horses.
Wish List
Click here to download our wish list. Your donations help keep our programs free.
Click here to watch the Heroes for Horses video
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NARHA Press Release (excerpt July 2007)
NARHA Horses for Heroes provides Equine Assisted Activities (EAA) and Therapies to returning military and veterans across the United States. For individuals with special needs, EAA has shown to improve muscle tone, balance, posture, coordination, motor development, as well as emotional well-being.
After a meeting at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in Washington, D.C. in March 2007, several members of the NARHA Horses for Heroes task force have been involved with national conference calls with the VA and provided information to the Voluntary Services, the Blind Rehabilitation Services and Recreation Therapy Services groups. Each presentation has received positive responses and a pledge for continued support to grow the program. These service groups are divisions of the VA and provide assistance to veterans across the United States.
“This has been an incredible opportunity and honor for NARHA to be working with the Veterans Administration and its service areas to provide Equine Assisted Activities (EAA) to the wounded military returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan and to the many other veterans who can greatly benefit from the various programs all NARHA Member Centers provide,” said Sheila Kemper Dietrich, NARHA’s Chief Executive Officer. “It is a great partnership that we are building with much more good to come in the future.”