Hooves for Heroes Veteran Program

Hooves for Heroes is an equine-assisted horsemanship non-profit program for military veterans which offers services found nowhere else in Northern Alabama. One particular benefit Hooves for Heroes provides that other barns cannot is the focus on veteran’s mental health by providing a tranquil facility for equine and non-equine activities. 

Hooves for Heroes was created by Hannah Padgett, who has 20+ years in the horse business. Having several military friends with PTSD that enjoyed coming to her family’s farm just to relax and be around nature, Hannah realized that an office was not the place for veterans to truly open up and work towards a better self. This is when the idea of an equine assisted program came to her. Hannah created Hooves for Heroes to provide an environment which feels safe and uses horses as a tool to help veterans feel whole again. This environment allows people to open up and share without feeling like they have or need to. Hannah strives to create an environment conducive in allowing veterans to gain their personal power back.

In order to facilitate trust, respect, and bond with their horses, participants are challenged to execute many tasks that require the demonstration of initiative, confidence, commitment, honesty, and empathy. Through the experiences gained in applying these attributes, a participant develops:  

• Purpose – Committing as the horse’s advocate
• Teamwork – Performing as the horse’s partner
• Leadership – Establishing one’s self as the horse’s leader
• Communication – Communicating clearly and concisely
• Commitment – Never letting down or giving up
• Self-awareness – Control of physical movement and posture
• Self-control – Controlling emotion
• Self-esteem – Building confidence by overcoming fear
• Self-efficacy – Experiencing accomplishment through success
• Self-understanding – Learning about one’s self through horse’s behavior
• Social skills – Using the relationship with the horse to enhance relationships with people