$100K Grant Helps Equine Assisted Services for Veterans

$100K Grant Helps Equine Assisted Services for Veterans is sponsored by New York State Senator Pete Harckham. Grant to Endeavor Therapeutic Horsemanship for providing equine-assisted therapeutic services to veterans, at-risk youth, and people with disabilities.

State Sen.

Pete Harckham with Laurie Ciavardini, Clinical Director and Director of Veterans Programs, Advanced Eagala Mental Health provider and Equine Specialist at Endeavor Therapeutic Horsemanship in Mount Kisco _Mount Kisco, NY_- New York State Senator Pete Harckham announced today that a $100,000 State Senate grant that he secured is helping the Endeavor Therapeutic Horsemanship farm provide equine assisted therapeutic services to veterans, at-risk youth, children and other individuals.

The funding made possible the renovation of a cottage and an updated kitchen at Endeavor. “Equine therapeutic horsemanship is important because it offers significant physical, emotional, and psychological benefits for a wide range of individuals, including those with physical and cognitive disabilities, as well as those with PTSD,” Harckham said.

“I am proud that we could help Endeavor expand and improve the unique services it offers, especially for our sometimes-forgotten veterans. I will continue to work hard to provide veterans the benefits and services they have earned with their courage and sacrifice.

” “We are deeply grateful to Senator Harckham for helping secure support from New York State to renovate our cottage at Endeavor,” said Endeavor Executive Director Emily Bushnell. “This renovated space now supports our daily veteran programming and serves as the home base for our weekend veteran retreats.

It provides private therapy rooms, communal areas for volunteers, both civilian and veteran, and a dedicated space for new participant evaluations. Having a safe, functional, and welcoming building has transformed how we operate while preserving the heart and spirit of our farm.

” Now in its 10th year, Endeavor is staffed by a team of four full-time employees and eight part-time employees, who oversee a herd of 13 horses, and manage more than 100 volunteers. In 2023, Endeavor served 827 individuals through equine assisted services, more than 300 of them veterans and active-duty military.

The cottage renovation included the addition of a private therapy space, evaluation room, and updated kitchen and lounge area. The veteran program will utilize the private therapy room to debrief participants before or after equine interventions and during retreats. The Veteran Manager will also utilize the space to treat clients that are not receiving equine interventions.

The evaluation room will be used for veterans prior to any mounted work at the farm. The updated kitchen and lounge area will be used during retreats and family days. These two highly sought after veteran programs require an indoor location to relax during the long day of equine intervention, along with the opportunity to provide meals.

Endeavor is the only one of 800 such centers in the U.S. that is both an Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association (EAGALA) Military Designated Center with Advanced Military Mental Health Workers and a Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship, Inc. member. State Senate funding was provided through the Community Resiliency, Economic Sustainability, and Technology (CREST) program.

Since taking office in 2019, Harckham has delivered over $35 million in State Senate grant funding to municipalities, first responders and nonprofits in his 40th Senate District.