Operation Horses Heal provides inclusive, non-clinical, sober-friendly opportunities for Veterans, military members, and their families through experiences with horses and donkeys and meaningful connection with others.
Operation Horses Heal serves Veterans, military members, and their families.
You do not need a mental health diagnosis, combat experience, horse experience, or a referral to be part of our community.
Some partner-funded groups or activities may have specific eligibility requirements. If you’re unsure whether an opportunity is right for you, contact us. We’re happy to help.
No. You do not need to wait for a referral to contact Operation Horses Heal.
Some opportunities are offered in partnership with other organizations and may have specific enrollment requirements, while community events and other activities may be open more broadly.
If you’re not sure where to start, reach out.
No experience is necessary.
We’ll help you understand how to safely and respectfully interact with the horses and donkeys. Before an activity begins, we’ll explain basic safety, boundaries, and what to expect around the herd.
That’s okay.
You won’t be forced to touch, groom, lead, or get close to a horse or donkey. Choice and consent are important parts of our approach.
Observation is participation, too.
You can move at a pace that feels comfortable for you.
Operation Horses Heal is located in a rural, forested setting in Westboro, Wisconsin, and experiences with our horses and donkeys take place outdoors.
Depending on the activity, you may spend time near the herd, in pastures, around wooded areas, or walking over natural and uneven ground.
This isn’t a formal or clinical environment. Come prepared to be outside, spend time in nature, meet the herd, and experience things at your own pace.
Before interacting with the horses and donkeys, we’ll explain what to expect and review important safety information.
Dress for being outdoors in Wisconsin.
Comfortable clothing that can handle dirt, mud, grass, or horse hair is a good choice. Depending on the season, layers, rain gear, sunscreen, insect repellent, or warmer clothing may also be helpful.
Closed-toe shoes are required for safety when participating around the horses and donkeys.
Crocs, sandals, flip-flops, and other open or loose-fitting footwear are not appropriate around the equines.
Because our property is rural and forested, expect natural and sometimes uneven terrain.
Being outdoors and experiencing the natural environment is part of Operation Horses Heal, so weather is something we plan around.
We encourage participants to check the forecast and dress appropriately for the day’s conditions.
Activities may be modified, postponed, or canceled when weather, ground conditions, or other environmental factors create a safety concern for participants or the horses and donkeys.
Operation Horses Heal is located in a rural, forested setting, so terrain and accessibility can vary depending on the activity and location on the property. Participants may encounter grass, wooded areas, uneven ground, mud, and other natural surfaces.
If you have mobility, accessibility, sensory, or other needs that could affect your participation, please contact us before your visit. We’ll talk with you about the setting, planned activities, and what accommodations may be possible.
We’re also working to make more of our property accessible. Operation Horses Heal is fundraising for a tracked wheelchair that would help people with mobility limitations navigate our natural terrain and access more of the outdoor spaces where experiences with the herd take place.
Want to help us create greater access?
Operation Horses Heal is located in a rural, forested setting, so terrain and accessibility can vary depending on the activity and location on the property. Participants may encounter grass, wooded areas, uneven ground, mud, and other natural surfaces.
If you have mobility, accessibility, sensory, or other needs that could affect your participation, please contact us before your visit. We’ll talk with you about the setting, planned activities, and what accommodations may be possible.
We’re also working to make more of our property accessible. Operation Horses Heal is fundraising for a tracked wheelchair that would help people with mobility limitations navigate our natural terrain and access more of the outdoor spaces where experiences with the herd take place.
Want to help us create greater access?
Equine-Assisted Learning, or EAL, is a hands-on, experiential approach to learning with horses and donkeys.
Rather than being told what you’re supposed to think or learn, you’re invited to have an experience, notice what happens, and decide what the experience means to you.
Activities can create opportunities to explore communication, boundaries, problem-solving, self-awareness, confidence, connection, and other skills that can carry into everyday life.
Our facilitators guide experiences rather than interpret them. Choice, consent, boundaries, reflection, and participant-led learning are central to our approach.
No.
Operation Horses Heal is a non-clinical organization. Equine-Assisted Learning is not psychotherapy, counseling, or medical treatment, and we do not diagnose or treat mental health conditions.
Our role is to provide meaningful experiences, opportunities for learning, and a welcoming community.
Operation Horses Heal can complement clinical care, case management, recovery services, and other Veteran resources, but we do not replace those services
Horses and donkeys are highly aware of their surroundings and respond authentically to movement, proximity, body language, and interaction.
Working alongside them can create opportunities to slow down, observe, experiment, problem-solve, communicate differently, and learn through direct experience.
Not every meaningful experience requires an activity. Sometimes connection happens simply by spending quiet time near the herd
Operation Horses Heal provides non-riding experiences with horses and donkeys.
Depending on the experience, you might observe the herd, groom an equine, lead or walk alongside one, work through an activity, or simply spend time sharing space with the horses and donkeys.
No.
You choose what you share.
Operation Horses Heal isn’t a place where you’re expected to tell your story, disclose trauma, or explain your military experiences.
During facilitated activities, you may be invited to notice or reflect on your experience, but sharing is always your choice. There are no right or wrong answers, and you may pass.
No one interprets your experience for you.
Choice is important for both people and equines.
Participants can decide how they engage, what they share, and whether they participate in a particular interaction.
The horses and donkeys have choices, too.
We believe meaningful experiences don’t need to be forced.
Their welfare comes first.
Our horses and donkeys are partners in the experience, not tools. Their physical health, psychological wellbeing, dignity, boundaries, and choices are respected.
We use humane, low-stress practices and monitor the animals’ behavior and wellbeing. Horses and donkeys receive routine veterinary, dental, and farrier care, along with appropriate rest, forage, social interaction, and opportunities to engage in natural behavior.
We respect that.
An equine may move away, disengage, or decline an interaction. A facilitator may modify the activity, work with another animal, or allow the experience to unfold differently.
People have choices here, and the horses and donkeys do too.
Operation Horses Heal intentionally provides an alcohol- and substance-free environment so people can participate without alcohol or substances being part of the experience.
You do not need to identify as being in recovery to participate.
Sober-friendly means creating a welcoming environment that respects and supports sobriety while remaining inclusive of Veterans, military members, and families from many different backgrounds.
No. Alcohol is not permitted on the property.
Maintaining an alcohol- and substance-free environment is an important part of making Operation Horses Heal welcoming and accessible to people who choose sobriety or are in recovery.
Smoking is not permitted around the horses, program areas, or other participants.
Smoking is permitted in your vehicle. Please dispose of cigarette butts appropriately and never leave them on the property.
There are different ways to connect throughout the year, including Equine-Assisted Learning, mobile outreach, community events, Campfire with the Herd gatherings, Veteran and family activities, volunteer opportunities, and other experiences involving horses and donkeys.
Some opportunities happen at our Westboro location. Others take place in communities or through partnerships.
Community gatherings and group-based experiences are an important part of how Operation Horses Heal creates opportunities for connection and belonging.
Not always.
Our home is in Westboro, Wisconsin, but we also bring Operation Horses Heal into communities through mobile outreach, community events, and partnerships.
Feedback from Veterans has shown us that distance and unreliable transportation can make it difficult for people in rural communities to participate at the farm. Mobile and community-based outreach helps us reduce those barriers and meet more Veterans closer to home.
Yes! We offer a limited number of retreats each year in partnership with organizations that serve Veterans or military members. Each retreat is customized to meet the partner organization’s needs and can take place at our farm or another agreed-upon location.
Contact us at director@operationhorsesheal.org to begin planning a customized retreat with us.
Our primary season for horse-related activities is April through November. However, we offer services year round based on participant’s needs and interest.
Wisconsin winters limit horse travel and outdoor activities, so winter programming is limited.
Dates, locations, and registration requirements vary. Some events are open community gatherings, while others are organized with partner organizations or require advance registration.
Services for Veterans, military members, and their families are offered free of charge, made possible through grants, contracts, fundraising, sponsors, and individual donations.
Yes.
Families are an important part of Operation Horses Heal.
Some activities are specifically designed for Veterans or particular partner groups, while others welcome military and Veteran families.
If you’re unsure whether family members can participate in a particular opportunity, contact us.
Operation Horses Heal does not replace mental health care, case management, housing assistance, benefits assistance, substance-use treatment, medical care, or other professional services.
That’s one reason partnerships matter.
For example, our partnership with Indianhead Community Action Agency combines OHH’s community-building and Equine-Assisted Learning experiences with case management and connections to additional resources and supportive services.
If you are seeking a service we don’t provide, we’re going to support you in gaining access to the services you need through referrals and resource sharing.
Yes.
We welcome conversations with organizations that share our commitment to Veterans, military families, accessibility, connection, and community.
Partnerships can take different forms depending on the organization and the needs of the people it serves. These may include service and case-management organizations, recovery-aligned Veteran communities, community organizations, educational institutions, workforce partners, and organizations interested in appropriate outreach opportunities.
We believe strong partnerships happen when each organization contributes what it does well rather than duplicating services.
Yes.
Volunteers can help with events, outreach, farm activities, fundraising, and other organizational needs.
You don’t necessarily need horse experience to volunteer. Opportunities depend on our needs, safety requirements, season, and organizational capacity.
Yes.
Operation Horses Heal is a recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, EIN 87-2671258.
Donations help support our horses and donkeys, outreach, programs, community events, equipment, and the work required to keep opportunities available to Veterans, military members, and their families
Yes. Sponsorship opportunities help support the care of the horses and donkeys who make this work possible.
Contact us for information about available sponsorship opportunities.
Yes.
We’re raising funds for a tracked wheelchair to help people with mobility limitations navigate our natural terrain and access more of the outdoor spaces where experiences with the herd take place.
This is a practical way to help us reduce a physical barrier to participation and make more of the Operation Horses Heal experience accessible.
Start with a conversation.
You don’t have to know exactly what you’re looking for. You don’t have to commit to a long-term program just to learn more.
Contact us, ask questions, or attend an appropriate community event and get to know us.
You don’t have to be comfortable around horses.
You don’t have to talk about your past.
You don’t have to have a diagnosis.
You don’t have to know anyone here.
You can just come as you are.
Operation Horses Heal, Inc.
N8932 Zimmerman Road
Westboro, WI 54490
Call or text: 715-255-0263
Email: director@operationhorsesheal.
Operation Horses Heal is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. EIN: 87-2671258.