Equine Assisted Therapy Organization Helps Veterans and Their Families
After moving to Colorado, I became acquainted with a nonprofit organization called Remount Foundation that focuses on equine therapy for veterans. This past May, I attended an event that was billed as a partnership kickoff and information session. A select group of Remount Foundation supporters gathered to learn more about an exclusive collaboration between Remount and Mt. Carmel Veteran’s Center. By the end of the evening, I had a deep appreciation for the work Remount does and felt compelled to share this story with the readers of The Northwest Horse Source.
Horses have a remarkable way of connecting with us—through touch, smell, and a sense that goes beyond the visible. They mirror our emotions and respond with honesty. Remount Foundation has embraced this magic, using horses to help military members and their families find healing in deeply transformative ways.
Founded in 2009 by Billy Jack Barrett and Jeanne Springer at the U.S. Air Force Academy Equestrian Center in Colorado Springs, Remount Foundation has helped over 25,000 individuals recover from trauma, including PTSD, through equine-assisted therapy. This program provides services at no cost to more than 3,000 veterans, active-duty service members, and their families each year.
What sets Remount apart is not just the therapy—it’s the peer-to-peer mentoring, the focus on suicide prevention, and their personalized, compassionate approach. Many participants describe Remount as the last step in their healing journey after trying other programs that fell short. Even more astounding, Remount receives no financial support from the military.
Operating with a committed team of 60 volunteers including 40 certified in Equine Assisted Philosophy (EAP)—many of whom are combat veterans themselves—the foundation donated over 9,000 hours in 2024 alone. Their efforts are rooted in a mission to address the mental health crisis among military families through education, intervention, and ongoing support.
Consider this: nationally, an average of 22 veterans die by suicide every day. In Remount’s program, about 60% of participants are active-duty, 40% are veterans, and the gender split is roughly 50/50.
Remount’s holistic programs include:
- Equine-assisted Philosophy – individual and group sessions grounded in emotional healing
- HeartMath – a scientifically-backed tool for emotional and physiological self-regulation
- Family Play Days – nurturing play-based engagement; especially impactful for those with neurodiverse diagnoses (including PTSD, ADHD, and autism spectrum)
These services are grounded in the understanding that the wounds of war are often wounds of the soul. Neurodiversity, in this context, celebrates the natural variations in how human brains function—not just diagnoses, but the broad spectrum of mental and emotional differences.
The testimony from program participants left me both awed and deeply moved. One veteran shared how his seizures from TMJ diminished significantly through consistent time with the horses. He believes they saved his life. Another, a Navy veteran who endured a horrific assault and was left for dead, came to Remount after struggling with substance abuse and hopelessness. Meeting a gentle Gypsy Vanner named Franky changed everything. She’s now sober, healing, and full of purpose—thanks to the horses and the people at Remount.
Here’s what makes Remount’s approach unique:
- Military-focused with peer-to-peer mentoring
- Personal, customized programs and completely free services
- Access to 100+ horses on over 1,000 acres
- A large team of dedicated volunteers
- Remarkably high success rates
- Education and outreach through the Military and Veteran Care Network (MVCN)
And yet, even with all this impact, Remount is facing financial strain. The monthly cost per individual served is $1,600 and group sessions total around $12,000 per month. Horse care alone runs $9,000 per month, and volunteer coordination adds another $1,250/month. To grow and meet rising demand, they urgently need an additional $5,000 per month—and a financial audit (costing about $8,000) to help secure new grants and funding sources.
My impression of this organization and its founders is deeply positive. It takes passion, grit, and unwavering commitment to serve the military community this well. Listening to these stories gave me chills. Seeing this program in action reaffirmed for me how vital it is to support Remount—not just for today’s warriors, but for generations to come. Let’s help them continue the mission. Let’s help them help others.
Learn more and donate today at:
(719) 766-8567
See this article in the June 2025 Online Digital Edition:
June 2025
Owner/Publisher Karen’s lifelong love of horses began at a very early age when she wore out a couple of rocking horses before convincing her parents to get her the real thing. That ill-tempered bay gelding, Brandy, was a challenge for the young horsewoman, but it drove her ambition to become a horse trainer. After attending Canyonview Equestrian College’s Horsemanship Program, Karen realized she needed work that was a little more lucrative than training, so she took a job with Customs Brokerage to pay the bills. There, she discovered an affinity for computers and a talent for creating informative, entertaining newsletters. The Northwest Horse Source began as such a letter in December 1995, with a distribution of 1000 copies for its 12 black and white pages. Now 29 years later, it’s an online magazine and website with a reach of over 10,000 per month and growing! Not bad for the results of one woman’s dream to work with horses!
Today, Karen remains involved with every aspect of the magazine and treasures the community of thousands who share a common passion.
