Brave people seek counseling. Here at Barnabas, we provide a safe environment to find peace and healing for those who have been victims of crime (child abuse, bullying, domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking).

As trained trauma-focused equine professionals, we partner with local licensed professional counselors and their clients, offering a team approach to traditional counseling. Barnabas provides the facility, equine professional, and the horse(s) at no charge to the client.

Utilizing the Natural Lifemanship Institute’s modality of trauma-focused, equine-assisted psychotherapy, we help clients understand the neurobiology of trauma, its effect on the brain and how it can adversely affect relationships with themselves and others. According to Natural Lifemanship,  “studies show the functionality of the brain in people who have experienced trauma (such as abuse, neglect, combat, or natural disasters) is often compromised due to disorganization of connections in the brain. This often results in individuals struggling with emotional regulation and impulse control and the ability to appropriately handle even minimal stress.”

Veterans –Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corp, Navy, and Space Force– have greatly sacrificed to protect the United States of America and its citizens. We do not take those freedoms lightly at Barnabas.

As a result, they experience injuries, post-traumatic stress, suicide, and other disorders at higher rates, well above those of the general population. Barnabas Horse Foundation’s equine assisted learning workshops encourage physical, cognitive, and relational rehabilitation, providing a safe environment in which clients can redevelop independence, confidence, and self-awareness.

Barnabas Horse Foundation (BHF) never charges any fees to Veterans. This is our gift to you, our heroes, for the sacrifices you have made for this great country. We see you; we hear you; we have you. This program is funded by the generosity of our supporters and community members via donations and horse sponsorships.

First Responders – fire, police, paramedics, EMT’s, search and rescue, 911 dispatch, and others – work on the front lines to protect their communities, making them routinely among the first to be exposed to a scene of conflict, trauma, and/or disaster.

As a result, they experience injuries, post-traumatic stress, and other disorders at higher rates, well above those of the general population. Barnabas Horse Foundation’s equine assisted learning workshops encourage physical, cognitive, and relational rehabilitation, providing a safe environment in which clients can redevelop independence, confidence, and self-awareness.

Barnabas Horse Foundation (BHF) never charges any fees to First Responders. This is our gift to you, our heroes, for the work you do every single day. We see you; we hear you; we have you. This program is funded by the generosity of our supporters and community members via donations and horse sponsorships.

BHF’s Equine Assisted Learning and Wellness Program is eight (8) workshop-style sessions with horses and is aimed at addressing topics such as self-awareness, stress reduction, and work/life balance. Sessions can be tailored for specific individual and group goals. Sessions are unmounted with no riding involved and no horse experience necessary.

Barnabas Horse Foundation offers a unique opportunity for children and young adults with varying abilities, from anxiety, ADHD, Autism, Down Syndrome, and other intellectual, and physical differences. This program is called the Special Needs Equine Assisted Learning (SN-EAL).

This program model differs slightly from therapeutic riding as it places emphasis on groundwork. Participants take part in an hour-long session, engaging in horse related activities such as grooming, farm chores, and feeding tasks. Hands on learning with the horses activates the senses of those we serve and provides them a source of regulation, comfort and more. In addition, participants take part in recreational activities such as arts and crafts, mindfulness walks, card and arena games, obstacle courses, and more.

The range of projects and undertakings we extend activates the different regions of the brain, allowing the individuals to become aware and in tune with the notion of mind-body connection. Such exploration encourages participants to be self-aware of their thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations, and how those things impact their response(s) when it comes to working with self and others (horses and humans).

It is our desire to make every child and young adult that takes part in our program(s) to feel loved, seen, and valued despite their differences. Most importantly, we want to instill in them self-confidence, awareness, and efficacy!

In addition to the groundwork-based program(s) Barnabas Horse Foundation offers, we also provide a unique opportunity for children and young adults with varying physical, emotional, and intellectual abilities to take part in therapeutic riding.

During a 30-minute session, participants engage in activities while mounted on the back of a horse. “Teams” are created that draw on the strengths and compatibility of one another, including rider(s), volunteers, and horses. During this process, different regions of the brain are activated, and riders can recognize how being on horseback makes them feel, where they feel the identified emotion, and how to use said feelings to enjoy the process of being carried by a horse.

Activities engaged in range from obstacle courses (being led by a walker, or by the rider steering the horse via commands), stations with different breathing and stretching practices to encourage balance and relaxation and more. This program is suited for those with a range of physical conditions too! Riding horses provides a somatic experience that hones in on fine and gross motor skills, stimulating horse and rider awareness, connection, and responsiveness.

It is our desire to make every child and young adult that takes part in this program to feel comfortable, confident, and independent as possible as they explore the realm of horseback riding and the joys it has to offer.