In his previous career, therapy horse Bojangles participated in Civil War reenactments. His quiet, stoic demeanor stood him in good stead as artillery fire rang out around him on historic battlefields. Now, Bo assists military veterans with us as they move past the sound of battle in their own minds. For veterans dealing with the everyday challenges of PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury, and other service-related conditions, Bo's calm presence provides a chance to heal.

"People Helping Horses Heal People" New resident, Danebury, a 2013 New York State Bred Thoroughbred, offers Dr. Julie Clas some love after meeting for the first time.

Harry has a heart of gold. This 17 year old Haflinger/Gypsy gelding's gentle and sweet nature makes him a pleasure to partner with volunteer Diane during therapeutic riding lessons. Harry's trustworthiness allows riders, like Carrie, who has a visual impairment, to experience joy and a sense of freedom beyond her imagination!

Blue roan Percheron gelding Zeus arrived at the shelter as one of a herd of 20 severely neglected horses. Thin, loaded with parasites, and crippled by lack of hoof care, Zeus has blossomed during rehabilitation. Brushing up on his ground manners with MSSPA's Barn Manager Jeff Greenleaf helps ensure this beautiful big boy's eventual adoption to the perfect home.

Minnie is an 18-year old Norwegian Fjord who has been with Mane Stream since 2011.

Haven's flashy looks and sweet spirit has provided "Hope on Horseback" for over 5 years.

Blue Moon is a six-year old American Miniature Horse that proudly represents Mini Therapy Horses. Here, Blue Moon is visiting with a patient and his sibling at Shriners For Children Medical Center. Whether she is participating in physical therapy sessions with the kids or comforting patients bedside as they come out of anesthesia, Blue Moon always brings joy, comfort and hope to everyone she meets.

Though Charm came from a long line of proven racehorses, a runner she wasn't so her owners banked on her genes as a brood mare. Bred 18 times in 18 years, her owners planned to euthanize her -- instead -- an opening allowed Charm to live out her life at Mitchell Farm.

Bonita is a sweet, 6 month old filly that came to MVHR after being rescued from severe neglect. Virtually unhandled, but curious about the kind people she has met, and quickly gaining weight and recovering from parasites and malnutrition, MVHR is looking forward to helping Bonita find a life free from the uncertainty that were her first few months.

Ted, short for "Teddy Bear", which this sweet big boy thinks he is, was near starvation when we rescued him. With a special diet and loving care, Ted has regained approximately 700 lbs. and is now a healthy, happy love bug! At 18.2 hands, Ted is the biggest boy in our stables but thinks he's still a cuddly little foal. He would sit on your lap if you let him but we don't advise it!

Simba is a 14 year old Gypsy Vanner who has been with us since 2017. Since joining our team, Simba has been a great partner to work with. He loves his job and enjoys helping with equine-assisted therapy as well as Hippotherapy. Simba quickly became a favorite among all patients, staff, and volunteers with his long flowing mane and his big teddy bear attitude.

Q's first 3 years took him to Kentucky, Puerto Rico, and Florida despite a lackluster racing career. He's getting lots of love and training shown here with junior volunteer, Mallory, and is available for adoption here.

Our sweet Welsh pony, Midnight Blues, AKA Blue, came to us 20 years ago after a show career. Now in his early 30's, Blue is kind-hearted and super fun to groom and ride. He's taught hundreds of our horsemanship and therapeutic students. Fun fact: Blue has ticklish withers.

Dayzi suffered a devastating kick to the side of her head prior to arriving at NEER North. The kick resulted in severe damage to her eye. Upon intake and evaluation, our vets determined that removal of the eye was the next step in her recovery. She is itchy but otherwise adapting well and healing! We know that Dayzi has a long road ahead to recovery, but we are committed to helping her find her forever home however long it takes.

Named after the U.S.S. Cole, Cole first arrived at New Freedom Farm on Memorial Day of 2021 after being rescued from a cockfighting ring. Although fearful, Cole developed an immediate bond with Sergeant Clint Cash who had served in the Army for 4 years and was struggling since returning from war. Cole went from not being able to be touched to enjoying human interaction. Cole is now a permanent resident. The bond between Cole and Sergeant Cash helped them both heal from their traumatic past.

Sky's the Limit tugged at our heartstrings when he arrived at our rescue ranch in 2017 severely emaciated and in need of intensive, 24-hour medical care. Weighing only 700 pounds and nothing but skin and skeleton, he could barely lift his head because his body was shutting down physically and emotionally. For the first few weeks with us, he was fed around the clock every 2-4 hours and began to show improvement. He started nickering and lifting his head when volunteers fed him. We are proud to say that Sky found the strength to fight and defeat what would have been a tragic fate – thanks to volunteers pouring love into his heart and giving him a reason to live. There simply is no limit to his potential, and we look forward to helping him find his "happily ever after."

Kleng has been a trusted and valued member of the NorthWest Therapeutic Riding Center since 1995. Kleng's personality, his versatility, his delightful attitude and the number of riders he has carried on his back over the years earned him many awards, including 2009 PATH Intl. Equine of the Year, followed by his induction into the Horse Stars Hall of Fame in 2013. Kleng happily gives a leg up to NWTRC participants, helping people feel joyful, included and hopeful while learning horsemanship and riding skills. Kleng is our treasured coworker and friend.

Kidd is a five year old chestnut gelding who came to Omega Horse Rescue as a feral stallion from the kill pen. He learned how to be haltered and led and was eventually gelded. He is now easy to catch, halter and lead. He has been ground driven and worked over simple obstacles from the ground, and he has been ponied off another horse as well. All of these things help him gain trust experience and confidence in anticipation of his Next Chapter.

Cajun was abandoned when Hurricane Katrina hit in 2004. Emaciated with severe hoof damage, when he made his way to New York, no one could touch or ride him, but he overcame the trauma. Cajun has been a therapy horse with us since 2006 helping clients who are learning to survive, cope, adapt, and grow.

Honey, a 13-year old Haflinger mare, has been a therapy horse for the past ten years. She is our "go-to" horse when a new person is seeing and feeling the opportunity to be close to a horse or pony for the first time. It is the beginning of that incredible bond that will form and change the lives of special needs children in a very profound way.

Roxy needed 12 darts from a sedation gun when she was rescued from a farm littered with dead animals and labeled aggressive, dangerous, and beyond help. She came to Peace Ranch for a 90 day trial. That was 12 years ago. Through compassionate training Roxy overcame the trauma of her past. Today Roxy is a compassionate healing partner for similarly labeled children and adults helping them overcome their trauma, restoring hope, and transforming their lives.

Clyde, a 28 year old crossbred pony gelding, is the heart of our program at Pegasus TRA. Clyde is often the first pony that many of our participants ever ride and he has aided many riders in overcoming any fears while becoming acclimated to our program. Clyde was recognized as Therapy Horse of the Year by the Pennsylvania National Horse Show in 2016.

Buttercup is a 16 years old former show jumper turned therapy horse. A kind, gentle and beautiful Quarter pony, Buttercup loves the work she gets to do with our TR participants.

Stuart is a 14-year-old Haflinger gelding who lost his right eye to cancer. It doesn't stop him from teaching individuals with a variety of diagnoses to ride and learn horsemanship skills in our therapeutic riding program. He demonstrates to everyone that it is okay to be different, how to overcome a challenge, and how to give back!

Winrischa (meaning Tall Oak) was found in a small Kansas community. When local authorities would not take action against the neglectful owners, Rainbow Meadows stepped up to find a donor who would pay the demanded price for the 5-month-old colt: $1000. It was highway robbery. But we could not walk away from this baby in need. From starving and orphaned to thriving and beloved, Rainbow Meadows provides safe haven to horses in need.

Mucho is a 6 year old, Thoroughbred gelding standing at 17 hands. Donated by his very caring owners, Mucho was trained by one trainer his entire career, earning $107,799. He raced 20 times and was donated to Remember Me sound and happy. Mucho exemplifies our mission of working with trainers and owners to responsibly retire their horses. Mucho is currently being retrained for his second career and is available for adoption. Learn more here.

Twisted Tom was a fan favorite on the NY racing circuit winning $940,000. When his breeders became concerned that the popular eight year old gelding was still racing, he was claimed by Rick Schosberg, the President of Take The Lead, the NY horsemen's track retirement program, to retire the horse to Rerun. His retirement is a perfect example of how race tracks, owners, breeders and trainers can work together to ensure the safety and welfare of horses and provide the best possible outcome for horses in need of aftercare options.

A picture's worth a thousand nickers! Retired from equine-assisted services, Style enjoys socializing with his herd mates, going on walks, and rolling in the grass—he is an expert roller! In service, Style was always considerate and showed his commitment to accommodate many abilities, needs and personalities. We are so lucky to be able to give Style a happy retirement, and appreciate his service helping children and adults improve their quality of life.

Our amazing therapy horse. Doc, a 31 year old Tennessee walking horse, has been serving children and adults with special needs and veterans for over 8 years. He is also a Special Olympic horse competing for both North and South Carolina Equestrian teams. Show here is our amazing rider, Irene, who is only able to ride with the use of our electric lift. Her incredible side walker is Ray, who started with our equine services for heroes program and now serves as our Veterans Service Coordinator, helping other veterans.

Jackson: From Hard Life to Famous Therapy Horse Jackson is a great therapy horse! He's extremely popular with participants of all ages with significant physical impairments, those struggling with PTSD, and independent riders. One of his most 'famous' appearances was at a large fundraising horse event, where he was ridden by a stroke survivor in front of 3,000 fans. However, before he came to Ridin' High, Jackson had a tough life. One of our therapy center's supporters saw him on Craiglist and felt the horse deserved a chance, so she bought him as a personal trail horse and loaned him to our center two days each week. It didn't take long to discover that his true calling was as a therapy horse and he became a permanent member of the herd.

Babe is Riding To The Top's most senior herd member, at age 33+! She is the consummate lesson pony and is the epitome of "bombproof", never batting an eye or taking a flighty step with snow sliding off the roof or with unexpected sounds during our therapeutic lessons. Her work at Riding To The Top seems to give her meaning and purpose, and RTT’s clients, volunteers and staff all love her!!

Teddy is the black Shire who came to us because his owner discarded him due to an infected hoof, which in her mind made him "damaged". We welcomed him into our program where his story resonates with many of our clients who have been labeled because they are different. Teddy has a new career as a therapy horse and an example of turning disabilities into possibilities.

A few years ago, Helo’s owner, one of our volunteers, loaned Helo to us when we were temporarily in need of an additional horse for our programs. An unflappable and kind horse, he was a natural for the job! After the temporary job, he went back to his everyday life of trail riding, camping, and dabbling in dressage. As he got a bit older, his owner loaned Helo to us again. He's been with us full-time since May of 2020 and is now an indispensable part of our program and our go-to for riders who need the ramp to mount. It's also wonderful to know that when the time comes that he needs to retire, he will have a forever home with his wonderful, loving owner.