Healing on Horseback: How the Remount Foundation Helps Veterans Find Their Way Home by Melissa A. Johnson, PhD  

When you arrive at the Remount Foundation’s grounds, co-located at the U.S. Air Force Academy Equestrian Center in Colorado Springs, the first thing you notice is the serenity. Horses graze under the shadow of Pikes Peak, and veterans stand nearby- some brushing the horses, some simply breathing. It’s not a typical therapy session, yet something powerful is happening here. 

By a twist of fortune, I came to know the Remount Foundation, whose mission resonates with me in unexpected and personal ways. As a recently retired U.S. Air Force officer and Afghanistan veteran, I understand the significance of carrying invisible wounds. Anxiety became part of my post-deployment reality and something I manage daily. Now, as an English Riding Instructor at the U.S. Air Force Academy Equestrian Center and owner of two ex-racehorse Thoroughbreds, I’m rediscovering that time spent with horses is its own kind of medicine.  

A Mission Rooted in Service 

Founded in 2009 by Billy Jack Barrett and Jeanne Springer, both longtime fixtures at the U.S. Air Force Academy Equestrian Center, the Remount Foundation has quietly become a lifeline for thousands of service members, veterans, and their families. 

Operating on more than 1,000 acres of land where horses live freely within a herd community, Remount provides free equine-assisted therapy and heart-coherence training to more than 3,000 participants each year. Additionally, the foundation’s 60 volunteers, many of them veterans, contributed nearly 9,000 hours in 2024 alone, embodying the same spirit of service that defined their military careers. 

What makes Remount truly special isn’t just the therapy, but the culture that surrounds it. Built on peer-to-peer mentoring, compassion, and understanding, the program enables veterans to support one another’s healing journey, utilizing the quiet wisdom of horses as a bridge. 

What Happens in Equine Therapy?  

Equine-assisted therapy isn’t about learning to ride- it’s about learning to connect. Horses are prey animals and are remarkably sensitive and perceptive. They are attuned to a person’s heart rate, muscle tension, and breathing rhythm, responding to the emotions we bring into their space. When someone approaches with anxious or guarded behavior, the horse reflects that unease. But when the person begins to relax, the horse mirrors that calm- an unspoken exchange that becomes the foundation for trust, presence, and healing. 

This mirroring effect creates what researchers refer to as biofeedback. Studies show that working with horses can reduce cortisol levels and improve emotional regulation (McDuffee et al., 2024). A 2023 review published in Frontiers in Psychiatry found measurable drops in heart rate and anxiety among veterans after equine sessions (Li & Sánchez-García, 2023). Another systematic review in BMC Psychiatry (Provan et al., 2024) reported that veterans who participated in equine-assisted therapy experienced an average 22% reduction in PTSD symptoms. 

In other words, science is beginning to confirm what participants at Remount already know- horses help people heal. 

Adding Science to the Heart  

Remount also incorporates HeartMath, a scientifically grounded approach that helps individuals regulate stress and emotion by synchronizing their breathing and heart rhythms. Through a simple handheld sensor or biofeedback app, participants can track their heart-rate variability (HRV), which is the natural rise and fall of heartbeats linked to emotional states. 

Research from the HeartMath Institute and peer-reviewed journals supports this approach. Studies have shown that HRV coherence training enhances resilience, focus, and emotional recovery (McCraty & Zayas, 2014; Siepmann et al., 2022). In military contexts, HRV training has been shown to reduce hyperarousal and anxiety among veterans with PTSD (Tan et al., 2011). 

When combined with equine therapy, the result is powerful. Horses enable veterans to feel safe enough to be vulnerable, while HeartMath gives them the tools to stay grounded when they do.  

Peer Support and Family Connection 

What makes Remount different is that it’s run by veterans for veterans, with peer-to-peer mentoring at its core. Participants know they’re understood without having to explain every military acronym or experience. Such a sense of belonging can be therapeutic in its own right. 

Remount also recognizes that trauma affects not only the individual but the entire family system. When one member serves, or suffers, the ripple effects are felt across the household. Guided by a family-systems perspective, Remount’s Family Play Days create opportunities for spouses and children, including those with neurodiverse conditions such as ADHD, autism, or PTSD, to engage in shared, healing activities. These experiences strengthen attachment bonds, promote co-regulation, and reinforce the family unit, extending the circle of care beyond the individual veteran to encompass the whole family. 

Why the Front Range Needs This 

Colorado Springs is home to one of the largest concentrations of service members and veterans in the country, anchored by Fort Carson, Schriever Space Force Base, Peterson Space Force Base, and the U.S. Air Force Academy. With those installations comes a high demand for trauma recovery and reintegration support. 

Remount Foundation offers a local, low-barrier, no-cost option for those who might not seek help elsewhere. Veterans don’t need to navigate insurance systems or fear stigma – they can simply show up, connect with a horse, and begin healing. 

The Road Ahead 

Unlike some programs, Remount is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit, not affiliated with or funded by the Department of Defense. Every dollar that supports their work comes from donations and the generosity of the community. However, the cost of horse care alone exceeds $9,000 per month, and running the program adds about $12,000 more. To continue serving the region’s growing veteran population, the foundation requires additional financial support and new grant opportunities.  

Beyond finances, there’s also a need for continued research partnerships. By collaborating with local colleges and universities, Remount can help contribute to the growing academic literature on trauma recovery, heart coherence, and equine therapy.As a Pikes Peak State College Psychology Instructor, I endeavor to partner with Remount in this effort. 

Coming Home 

For me, and for many veterans, horses represent both grounding and a sense of grace. They don’t ask for rank, medals, or explanations. They respond only to presence. Whether I’m caring for my own horses or teaching a student how to ride, I’m reminded that healing doesn’t have to be complicated- instead, it’s simply quiet, being beside a horse. 

On this Veterans Day, the story of the Remount Foundation deserves to be honored- combining compassion, science, and community in a way that’s changing lives across the Front Range. For the veterans who come here seeking peace, it’s more than therapy. It’s coming home. 

Contact Remount to discuss if healing through horses is for you.

Phone: 719-766-8567

Email: info@remountfoundation.org

References 

Li, J., & Sánchez-García, R. (2023). Equine-assisted interventions for veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder: a systematic review. Frontiers in psychiatry, 14, 1277338.

McCraty, R., & Zayas, M. A. (2014). Cardiac coherence, self-regulation, autonomic stability, and psychosocial well-being. Frontiers in Psychology, 5, Article 1090.

McDuffee, L. A., Montelpare, W. J., & LeBlanc, C. (2024). Psychophysiological effects of equine-facilitated psychotherapy on veterans with PTSD and their horse partners. Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health, 10(3), 135-147.

Provan, M., Ahmed, Z., Stevens, A. R., & Sardeli, A. V. (2024). Are equine-assisted services beneficial for military veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder? A systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC psychiatry, 24(1), 544.

Siepmann, M., Weidner, K., Petrowski, K., & Siepmann, T. (2022). Heart rate variability: a measure of cardiovascular health and possible therapeutic target in dysautonomic mental and neurological disorders. Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, 47(4), 273-287.

Tan, G., Dao, T. K., Farmer, L., Sutherland, R. J., & Gevirtz, R. (2011). Heart rate variability (HRV) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD): a pilot study. Applied psychophysiology and biofeedback, 36(1), 27-35.

*Edited with digital writing-assistant support for clarity and citation formatting; all ideas, data synthesis, and personal reflections are my own.