Horses Spirits Healing (HSH), a nonprofit in Billings, Montana, offers free equine therapy and riding lessons to veterans and their families. Since its founding in 2016, the BNSF Foundation has been a longtime supporter. The program serves as a sanctuary where veterans find peace and purpose through their connection with horses.
“If a person is excited, nervous, or has high-energy levels, a horse will match that and vice versa,” HSH Program Director Amanda Tusler explained. “They can gauge how people are feeling, and if they’re having a bad day, the horse can help ground them.”
According to Tusler, horses can have a major physical and emotional impact on people with physical disabilities, cognitive delays, or emotional challenges. With the support of trained instructors and dedicated volunteers, veterans learn to care for, groom, and ride horses—slowly rebuilding the confidence and calm they once knew.
