BOERNE, Texas – An equine therapy program in Boerne is helping veterans and first responders who are battling post-traumatic stress disorder to heal and build trust.
“What we do is retreats for veterans and first responders. We focus on the family unit. So, we like to get them out. We have three guest homes here on the property. We like to have the family out and have a relaxing environment and get to know them and see where they are at,” said John Henderson, co-founder of Legacy Farmstead, a nonprofit founded by he and his wife, Amy Henderson.
The horses are rescued and provide therapy to veterans, first responders and their families.
“It’s been a wonderful thing to have families come out, especially with small kids. They love the animals, so it’s an ice breaker before they even know what the animals are going to benefit them like,” Amy said.
The Henderson’s say weekend retreats are saving lives.
“I spent about 10 years in the fire department and saw the impact -- not just on my life -- but on my wife and my kids, and saw firsthand how important it is to serve the family as a whole, so that was our motivation,” John said.
The nonprofit started in 2020 and the Henderson’s say it has helped over 1,000 people.
Most recently, they helped first responders who assisted during the Uvalde school shooting.
“It started with a connection, a personal connection that I had with someone who was on the team who responded down there and then as those teams started talking, whether it was tactical teams or investigative teams, they started sharing their impact. So, we brought the entire teams out,” John said.
“The other amazing thing about it is they came out as a whole, which is important for their camaraderie within their units, but then now, we already started seeing individual families come back from those units,” Amy said.
The Henderson’s hope to expand this free program and have hired a licensed professional counselor to provide a greater level of care.