BraveHearts Riding

BraveHearts provides equine-assisted activities and therapies with teams of expert staff, dedicated volunteers and therapy horses at multiple safe and caring facilities. In addition to serving children and adults, BraveHearts provides innovative services to meet the needs of military veterans and their families. By utilizing a faculty of national experts and through its innovative programming, education and research, BraveHearts has become a center of excellence within the therapeutic industry.

Since 2007, BraveHearts has been nationally recognized for providing equine-assisted services to veterans from the northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin areas. BraveHearts has the largest equine-based program in the nation for military veterans comprised of riding, ground activities, carriage driving and gentling wild mustangs. All services are offered at no cost to the veteran and one caregiver or family member. Services are provided through individual and group lessons. BraveHearts partners with local Veterans Administrations to provide innovative, recreational services using horses.

Equine services provide emotional, cognitive, social and physical benefits for veterans. Veterans at BraveHearts have reported benefits including: increased self-esteem, self-worth, trust for others and community integration and decreased depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder attacks and self-inflicting thoughts.

Lessons operate in 5-7-week session blocks, allowing veterans to build on skills learned in previous weeks. Veterans are invited to participate in lessons up to two times weekly, at no cost. As veterans increase their horsemanship and involvement with BraveHearts, additional opportunities including clinics with world-renowned horsemen, trail rides, drill teams, retreats, foundation horsemanship, horse shows and even opportunities to become certified instructors.

BraveHearts is situated on 20 picturesque acres just outside the town of Harvard, IL. This facility houses veteran programming as well as therapeutic riding, carriage driving, retreats, drill teams, trail rides and more.

BraveHearts’ modern, state-of-the-art riding facility located in Poplar Grove, IL, was built in 2001-2002 and has been custom-designed to serve persons with disabilities and their caregivers. This facility is used for continuing education, equine-assisted psychotherapy, therapeutic riding, physical, occupational and speech therapy using hippotherapy as a treatment strategy or clinic based therapy as well as some veteran programming, including Operation Mustang.

The Special Olympics Equestrian Games has also been hosted at this facility for the past several years.

When you donate online to BraveHearts, you assist with its mission that directly supports children, adults and military veterans we serve to receive equine-assisted services. Thank you for your generosity and belief in BraveHearts.

Donate and learn more at BraveHeartsRiding.org