Horse Aid

About Horse Aid

Horse Aid: Healing our Heroes using horsemanship skills We are an Australian for-purpose and not-for-profit registered charity that was established in October 2021. Before that we operated under the banner of the Thoroughbred and Veteran Welfare Alliance (TVWA) since 2015. We provide equine-assisted programs to serving and ex-serving defence personnel and first responders who have post-traumatic stress injuries from either protecting our nation or serving our community. Since 2015 either as TVWA or Horse Aid, we've helped hundreds of participants across Australia take life by the reins again... 225+ participants, 29 programs, 18 programs planned for FY25. We have assessed that participants who attended the TVWA five day residential programs have experienced 83% improvement in overall mental health wellbeing on both a One Year and Three Year later time frame. We are collecting data as Horse Aid to support research that indicates similar results. We operate out of the healing natural environment of the Southern Highlands in NSW where we are provided access to two beautiful properties. Heartland Horse Farm in Sutton Forest for the programs with the horses and accommodation at Dixieland Estate in Berrima for the residential programs. This support is generously provided by Daniel and Debbie Dickson and family. We have a unique approach to equine-assisted programs in that we do not use "therapy horses", we use Thoroughbred ex-racehorses and retrain and re-home them in partnership with our participants. The blend of human and horse connection, mutual healing, and second chances for both is fundamental to the success of our approach. We have a beautiful, feature-length, award-winning documentary about transformation and horses and heroes getting a second chance in life called "The Healing". Available at good.film/thehealing this documentary demonstrates with veterans and ex-serving first responders the healing impact of our five day residential programs.

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