Horses and Heroes

Because those in the armed forces risk their lives to protect our nation, several volunteer nonprofit organizations, such as Horses and Heroes, Inc. in Johnson County, are on a mission to assist these individuals once they return home.

The wife and mother of Marine Corps veterans, Julie Baker understands the trials faced by those in the armed services and has met many veterans struggling with addiction, depression, and loss of purpose. She founded Horses and Heroes to improve the health and well-being of veterans and their families through equine-assisted psychotherapy.

The program unites horses suffering from emotional and physical traumas with military veterans and first responders in need of similar healing, according to Baker’s daughter, Nicole Lavine, a former Marine who serves as the organization’s marketing director.

“She was helping take care of some traumatized horses, and … realized there was this very strong correlation between how horses deal with trauma—they have a hard time trusting, they’re jumpy, they’re restless—and how … people deal with trauma,” Lavine says. “So she decided to bring the two together.”

Each outdoor therapy session takes a team approach with the client, a horse, a mental health specialist, and an equine specialist certified in understanding horse behavior.

“The whole point is to study the horse for your own healing,” says Lavine, adding that horses are an effective tool because they are social herd animals, are intuitive, and have emotional intelligence.

Horses and Heroes also offers any veteran the opportunity to interact with the horses on the farm by appointment.

Horses & Heroes, Inc

www.horsesandheroes.org  |  (913) 210-5678

More Articles You'll Enjoy

Black History Trail of Geary County

Mar 08, 2024

Jim Sands, President of the Black History Trail of Geary County / Photography by Nick Krug A county… Read More

Quindaro: A Great, Nearly Lost City of Free Peoples

Mar 07, 2024

Photography by Andrea LaRayne Etzel & Carter Gaskins Quindaro was an abolitionist frontier city… Read More

Historic Hotels in Kansas

Feb 02, 2024

Grand old lodgings in Kansas offer peek into the past Historic hotels offer more than a good… Read More

From the Archives: Remembering John Steuart Curry

Jan 15, 2024

Editor's Note: This article was originally published in the winter of 1992 by Don Lambert… Read More

From the Archives: Birth of the Helicopter

Jan 08, 2024

Editor’s Note This article was originally featured in the winter issue of 1983 by Joan L… Read More