RISE UP FOR VETERANS
Horse-Powered TherapyEquine therapy, or horse therapy, offers great results for north Florida Veterans and their families.
VETERANS WITH PTSD SADDLE UP WITH HORSEPLAY THERAPY
Once A Soldier and our neighbor, HorsePlay Therapy, have joined forces to offer equine-assisted therapy for Veterans in the St. Augustine, the north Florida area and beyond. The program, Rise Up for Veterans, is also available via Once A Soldier for the immediate family members who survived a Veteran suicide. Use the form to get started.
Horses in the hands of their teams work magic. Our Veterans coming home from Afghansistan and Iraq are highly-vulnerable to PTSD. Equine assisted therapy, or therapy while on horseback, has proven results because there’s magic in the horse’s movements.

Start Here
Please fill in the form below with your information and we will contact you with more details.
GALLOPING TOWARDS A BRIGHTER FUTURE
Rise Up Information
Rise Up for Veterans uses Equine-Assisted Therapy (EAT) to help veterans suffering from PTSD and wounded warriors. Offering therapies that incorporate the movement of the horse, horsemanship activities, horse-human interaction, and mental health therapy in an open air equine environment. Sessions include mounted and non-mounted activities that support post-traumatic growth, mental health wellness, and improve the overall quality of life for veterans and their families.
Therapist, Patient and Horse Working as One
Using equine movement as a treatment strategy, the horse’s movement influences the patient, and the patient actively responds to the movement. The therapist directs the movement of the horse, analyzes the patient’s response, and adjusts the treatment accordingly. The movement of the horse creates a combination of sensory, motor, and neurological input. This effective strategy is integrated into the treatment plan to help each patient reach their goals.
Participants learn to respect the horse’s instincts, thereby reflecting on the congruence of feelings and actions, and they help the horse respond positively to an unfamiliar object. Alertness can be positive and necessary for both horses and people, the program helps veterans to contain it, so it does not generate severe anxiety or the desire to isolate themselves from others.
About Our Partner HorsePlay Therapy
Licensed therapists treat a variety of diagnoses including autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, developmental delays, genetic disorders, attention deficit disorder, and more. The therapy horses are carefully chosen for their temperament and the type of movement they produce. All are specially trained in how to perform during a therapy session and are handled by experienced horse handlers.
Rise Up for Veterans will continue this tranformative therapy experience for Veterans in need. This program has a seperate barn location just for Veterans that is just 5 miles from the barn for kids.
MEET THE HORSES AT HORSEPLAY
Rebel
20-year-old Quarter Horse
Rebel spent most of his life as a barrel racer. He now enjoys life as a therapy horse and is always ready for hugs and attention. He is as sweet as they come, and a therapy favorite.

Links for More Information:
- Go here for FDA-approved therapies
- Go here for drug-free PTSD abatement techniques
- Go here for suicide prevention tips
- Go here to download the PTSD guide in MS Word
- Go here to download the PTSD guide as a PDF