TN50#168_Helping Our Heroes – With Horses_24 June_2024

Hi Team,

A lot of therapy is done without words, Operation Equine adds horses to the healing.  Operation Equine is a Colorado based nonprofit that is doing God’s work as it supports:

  1. Active-duty military, veterans and first responders
  2. The families of our active-duty military, veterans and first responders
  3. The care givers and support staffs that care for our active-duty-military, veterans, first responders and their families.

I’m humbled to have been asked to join their board and I’d like to tell you a little bit about what we do and ask that you consider utilizing our services and supporting our efforts.

Happy Monday and welcome to The Next 50 #168. I like to think of personal performance in 3 components: physical, mental and emotional.  My frameworks focus on 4 Buckets: Eat, Sleep, Move and Think.  This blog is my sandbox for sharing information that you might find useful for your personal performance.

Like I said, “A lot of therapy is done without words.”  Operation Equine adds horses and the outdoors into the equation.  It is my experience, and the experience of many people I know, that a broader positive experience integrated with talk-therapy provides a much deeper more meaningful outcome.

At Operation Equine, counseling is different than the conventional mental health model. The horses are our co-therapists, and they relate with and respond to whomever is in front of them as a unique individual. They can give us insights about ourselves and each other that we might not fully receive in a traditional office setting. (https://operationequine.org/our-approach)

Equine therapy is very effective for a lot of reasons and if you’ve ever truly been around a horse, you get it.  For those who haven’t here are some quotes that might help bridge the gap of experience:

  1. “God made doctors to help heal the body. But he made horses to help heal the soul.” – Author unknown.
  2. “There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.” – Winston Churchill.
  3. The horse is a mirror, it goes deep into the body,” Ray Hunt

Another fact you may find interesting is that all the equine therapy, besides the annual 6-day men’s and women’s pack is done on the ground and doesn’t involve riding the horse.  This isn’t a sham horse riding business disguised as a non-profit.  All our therapists hold multiple therapy and equine therapy degrees and certifications.

So here’s my ask:

  1. If you, or someone you know, may find the services provided by Operation Equine helpful please reach out to me, alex@fpp.llc or reach out through our website: https://operationequine.org/
  2. If you want to know more about partnering with Operation Equine with a one-time or recurring tax-deductible contribution please reach out to me, alex@fpp.llc or go through our website: https://operationequine.org/donate
  3. If you want to join us or learn more about sponsoring The Barnyard Jubilee, our annual fundraiser, please reach out to me, alex@fpp.llc or check out that page on our website: https://operationequine.org/jubilee
  4. If you’d like to donate an item (or 10) to our Auction that coincides with The Barnyard Jubilee PLEASE reach out to me, alex@fpp.llc and we’ll get that organized as well.

I’ll end it with one more quote:

“Horses change lives. They give our young people confidence and self-esteem. They provide peace and tranquility to troubled souls. They give us hope.” – Toni Robinson.

Have a good one,

Alex

PS. Questions on your personal performance? Let me know at: alex@fpp.llc

PPS. If you’re new to First Principles Performance Coaching, here’s a one stop shop for my stuff.

PPPS. Ready to improve your Executive and Human Performance, email me so I can introduce you to my first ever Better Basics Group Coaching Program!  alex@fpp.llc