Welcome to Healing Arenas! We are proud to serve these fine athletes and appreciate all our relationships within the racing industry for over 30 years. We’re grateful to those who trust us enough to retrain and re-home retired Thoroughbreds, who so willingly continue to give due to their big hearts and wonderful work ethic.
Our organization is committed to the retraining and rehoming of our beloved friends and we’re continuing to find ways these former racehorses can evolve further by utilizing them as part of our facilitating team for equine-assisted work with humans. Our Stable Vets project is in full swing, we’re building our First Responder Support Network, continuing The HIM (Horses in Ministry) Project, as well as providing Corporate Team Building for multiple companies. Providing these services fulfills our dual-purpose mission “to provide public and charitable opportunities to support emotional healing through equine interaction, and to provide safe and restorative homes to retired racehorses.”
As anyone can see, there are many things these horses can do after racing. We’re humbled by them every day in our work with humans. The Thoroughbred breed is sensitive and intuitive and provides quick and identifiable feedback not just in the herd environment with each other, but to the humans who are working on themselves and their relationships. Join us as we continue “making racehorses great again” by following and sharing us on your favorite social media platform!
Veteran testimonials:
“Resiliency is something taught throughout the Marine Corp via methods, whether it be direct resiliency training, individual experiences or combat and deployment hardship. This is also a major focus of Healing Arenas, but designed mostly to engage post service acclimation, recovery and closing old wounds. Healing Arenas harnesses teamwork, building comradery and problem solving in similar ways that Marine Corp training designs the learning experiences I have had while on active duty.
Accessing the healing capabilities of horses has broken down barriers I had in certain areas that have been present for a long while; helping in my recovery even after over a decade of being medically discharged. This is critical for the reintegration into society for veterans and also to help the healing and closing of wounds for those still active. Providing services to active, retired, disabled and prior service is a necessary tool and instrumental in coping with any trauma or stress caused from service to our country.” Jay D., US Marine Corps
“This program has provided me with camaraderie, a new sense of purpose and a calming outlook in my day-to-day life. OPs A sessions with Julie and the retired thoroughbred horses help me make day to day, or even hour by hour, conclusions and insight into my emotions and real-world struggles. The best part is I have learned from both the horses and Julie how I can react differently to daily or hourly trials and tribulations in the real world. When I am in a 1 or 2 hour session, I DO NOT think about anything else out there – it’s me, my veteran team and the horses. I leave there with the upmost sense and felling of serenity like I have never felt before in my life.” Jessica G., US Army
“They (horses) are helping me get through some things. I am relearning patience, staying calm and they are helping me relax.” Eric W., US Marine Corps
“That’s how I felt too when I got out, like I was on my own and no good to anyone anymore.” Adam D., US Navy (when receiving a new horse off the track).
Team Building testimonials:
“The horses open the door for change, it takes the focus off me/us and that makes collaboration and risk-taking safer,” M.G., Carson Valley Health
“I loved the feedback to us about how different the horses were with our team. Gave us a perspective we would not have otherwise known.” E.D., Carson Valley Health
“We grew in trust – both the horses and each other.” W.H., Carson Valley Health
