Horses Healing Heroes, Inc.

What Horses Healing Heroes, Inc. does

Horses Healing Heroes, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2009 by Deborah Larson and headquartered at a ranch facility at 12065 Kirkwood Street in Herald, California (EIN 27-0186011). The organization provides equine-assisted psychotherapy (EAP) and equine-assisted learning (EAL) programs to veterans, law enforcement officers, first responders, and their families dealing with PTSD, depression, anxiety, and trauma-related conditions. Four core programs operate under registered trademarks: Break Free (individual, couples, and family therapy), H.E.R.O. Women & Children (strength-based self-esteem work), Driving Our Way Back (carriage driving combined with vocational training in welding, woodworking, upholstery, and wheelwrighting), and H.E.A.R.T. (rescue and rehabilitation of horses repurposed for therapy work). All client services are delivered at no cost, on-site at the ranch by appointment only.

The revenue model is donation-based across six primary streams: individual donations, recurring memberships (Stable Club at $10/month or $120/year targeting 1,000 members, and Hey 250 Club at $2.50–$10/month), corporate and local business sponsorships, fundraising events (notably the annual Wranglers and Rhinestones dinner dance with $55–$70 tickets and $250–$5,000 sponsorship tiers), vehicle donations via Veteran Car Donations, and merchandise sales through eBay for Charity. Operating headcount is 6 employees, including CEO Deborah Larson, COO Steven Larson, Clinical Director Phillip Wister (MFT), and two veterinarians (Dr. Robert Hunter and Dr. Noel Muller).

Distribution is single-site and appointment-based, limiting geographic reach but enabling personalized therapeutic settings. The go-to-market motion is community-led, supported by an extensive volunteer program (animal care, facility maintenance, therapy support, event planning, fundraising, media relations, grant writing) and partnerships with local businesses (Lowe's, Home Depot, Folsom Ready Mix, Elk Grove Milling) for in-kind contributions. The organization holds registered trademarks for its master brand and each program, maintains a GuideStar Transparency Seal, and has received earned media coverage including on ABC News. A planned Covered Arena with Stalls capital project signals facility expansion to enable year-round service capacity.

Name

Horses Healing Heroes, Inc.

Legal name

Horses Healing Heroes, Inc.

Website

https://horseshealingheroes.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Horses Healing Heroes, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Herald, California providing equine-assisted psychotherapy and learning programs at no cost to veterans, law enforcement, first responders, and their families suffering from PTSD and related trauma. Founded in 2009.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Equine-Assisted Mental Health and Therapy Services

NAICS

Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420), Veterinary Services (54194)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Veterinary Charity Clinics & Medical Aid (BPAGAIAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Equine Rehabilitation, Layup & Retirement Facilities (AFAEAGAJ), Animal Welfare & Advocacy Organizations (AFAEALAC)

Keywords

• Equine-assisted psychotherapy
• Veteran mental health services
• Trauma therapy programs
• Nonprofit therapeutic services
• PTSD counseling programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Herald

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: General donations from individuals supporting the organization. Donors can specify programs or projects, or donate to the general fund. Donations to specific projects receive permanent recognition.
2. Stable Club Membership: Monthly recurring donation program at $10/month or $120/year. Goal of 1,000 members providing stable income for day-to-day operations including veterinary services, farrier services, professional accounting, and horse care. Members receive event discounts and sponsor recognition.
3. Hey 250 Club: Micro-donation program allowing supporters to contribute $2.50 to $10/month. Designed for those with limited budgets to participate in supporting veterans, law enforcement, and first responders.
4. Fundraising Events: Annual events like 'Wranglers and Rhinestones' featuring dinner dances, auctions, games, and karaoke. Ticket sales ($55-$70) and sponsorships ($250-$5,000) generate revenue.
5. Corporate Sponsorships: Local businesses and corporations sponsor programs, projects, and events. Includes in-kind donations of goods, services, and materials.
6. Vehicle Donations: Accepts vehicle donations through Veteran Car Donations program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Horses Healing Heroes, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers equine-assisted psychotherapy (EAP) and equine-assisted learning (EAL) programs to veterans, law enforcement officers, first responders, and their families at its ranch in Herald, California. Its core service lines include Break Free™ (individual/couples/family PTSD therapy), H.E.R.O.™ (women and children's self-esteem program), Driving Our Way Back™ (vocational carriage-building and driving program), and H.E.A.R.T.™ (horse rescue and therapy-animal rehabilitation). All client-facing programs are provided free of charge to qualifying participants.

Product overview

Horses Healing Heroes™ is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization offering equine-assisted psychotherapy (EAP) and related therapeutic programs for veterans, law enforcement, first responders, and individuals suffering from PTSD and trauma. The core programs include Break Free™ for individual/couples/family therapy, H.E.R.O.™ for women and children, Driving Our Way Back™ for vocational training and driving skills, and H.E.A.R.T.™ for horse rescue and therapy animal care. Supporting programs include the Hey 250 Club and Stable Club recurring donation memberships, a Covered Arena capital project, and the annual Wranglers and Rhinestones fundraising event. All programs are offered at no cost to clients and center on the bond between humans and horses in a pastoral ranch setting in Herald, California.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Break Free™: Equine-Assisted Mental Health/Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy/Equine-Assisted Learning program for individuals, couples, and families dealing with PTSD, depression, and related issues, primarily focused on veterans, soldiers, law enforcement, and first responders.
• H.E.R.O.™ (Women & Children)
• Driving Our Way Back™
• H.E.A.R.T.™ (Horse Rescue)
• CRSTEL Ranch

Products and services

• Break Free™ Equine-Assisted Mental Health/Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy/Equine-Assisted Learning program for individuals, couples, and families dealing with PTSD, panic attacks, depression, anxiety, relationship issues, and adjustment issues. Uses horses as metaphors for breaking free from limiting behaviors. Offered free of charge to Veterans, Law Enforcement, and First Responders.
• H.E.R.O.™ (Women & Children) Healthy Esteem & Respect for Ourselves — a strength-based self-esteem and core-value program for women and children, focused on increasing healthy behaviors while decreasing poor self-image, lack of confidence, and pessimistic views. Delivered via equine-assisted interaction at the Herald ranch.
• Driving Our Way Back™ Combined driving and vocational program in which clients learn to harness, ground drive, and drive horse-drawn carts and carriages, while also learning welding, woodworking, upholstery, and wheelwrighting skills to rebuild carts and carriages. Provided at no cost to qualifying clients.
• H.E.A.R.T.™ (Horse Rescue) Home for Equine Angels Repurposed for Therapy — accepts horses donated by owners who can no longer care for them and horses rescued from neglect, providing medical assessment, rehabilitation, and training before placement into therapy programs or adoption by qualified adopters.
• Stable Club Membership Recurring monthly ($10/month) or annual ($120/year) membership for supporters; provides stable operating revenue for veterinary, farrier, accounting, and horse care, and offers members event discounts and sponsor-page recognition.
• Hey 250 Club Affordable monthly pledge program allowing supporters to contribute $2.50, $5.00, $7.50, or $10 per month to help sustain HHH programs for veterans, law enforcement, first responders, and other clients.
• Covered Arena with Stalls (Capital Campaign) Major capital project — a state-of-the-art covered arena with additional stalls, tack room, changing rooms, and bathrooms designed to enable year-round equine care and therapy services at the Herald ranch regardless of weather.

Quantifiable outcome

• 22 veterans per day die by suicide
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Elk Grove MillingminorOthersLocal sponsor providing support to Horses Healing Heroes. Elk Grove Milling is a local agricultural/milling business that supports the ranch operations.
• Lowe's Citrus Heights StoreminorOthersLowe's home improvement store sponsors the Paddock Project, providing materials and support for ranch paddock improvements.
• Folsom Ready MixminorOthersLocal concrete supplier sponsors the Deck Project, contributing materials for ranch facilities.
• Home Depot Modesto StoreminorOthersHome Depot store sponsors the Deck Project, providing building materials for ranch improvements.
• Pride of Laguna / Laguna CreekminorOthersLocal community organization sponsor supporting Horses Healing Heroes through e-clubhouse platform.
• Charlie Evans / Cal Crush Rock CompanycoreOthersOwner of Cal Crush Rock Company in Ripon, CA donated Kidd Rock, a young Clydesdale horse, after learning about the loss of HHH's beloved Ambassador Hoss. Charlie was at The Draft Horse Classics with his Cal Crush Clydesdales 8-horse hitch team.
• Tony Knecht / Castagnasso ClydesdalesminorOthers5th-generation owner of Castagnasso Clydesdales of Santa Rosa, CA, who bred Kidd Rock. The organization is proud to be connected to this multi-generational family dedicated to the Clydesdale breed.
• GuideStar (Candid)minorOthersOrganization displays GuideStar Transparency Seal, indicating compliance with nonprofit transparency standards. Registered with EIN 27-0186011.
• Veteran Car Donations / NCSVehicledonationsminorOthersPartner organization that handles vehicle donations on behalf of Horses Healing Heroes, allowing donors to contribute vehicles as tax-deductible donations.
• eBay CharityminorOthersPartnership with eBay's charity platform allowing Horses Healing Heroes to sell items and raise funds through the eBay for Charity program.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• PATH International (Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship): The leading umbrella organization for equine-assisted services and therapeutic horsemanship in North America; comparable as both a peer practitioner category and the broader standards-setting body for HHH's service model.
• EAGALA (Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association): Sets the dominant professional standard and certification model for equine-assisted psychotherapy and learning globally; directly comparable as the de facto credentialing body for the type of EAP/EAL services HHH delivers.
• Soldier's Angels: Large national nonprofit supporting veterans and their families across multiple service lines; comparable as a peer in the veteran-services nonprofit space competing for similar donor dollars.

Direct peers

• Heartland Equine Therapeutic Riding Academy (HETRA): Regional equine therapy nonprofit serving veterans and individuals with disabilities through therapeutic horsemanship; comparable as a peer service provider with a similar program mix.
• Stable Moments: Nonprofit offering equine-assisted psychotherapy and life-skill programs to trauma survivors, at-risk youth, and veterans; closely comparable in therapeutic model and target segments.
• Hoofbeats Healing Hearts: Nonprofit equine-assisted psychotherapy and learning program serving trauma survivors including veterans; directly comparable in therapeutic modality and target clientele.
• Horses for Heroes: Veteran-focused equine-assisted therapy organization offering similar therapeutic riding and equine-based recovery programs; directly comparable in target population, mission, and delivery modality.
• Skylight Ranch: California-based equine therapy program serving veterans, first responders, and at-risk youth with horse-centered mental-health services; comparable in geography, mission, and clinical modality.

Emerging players

• Warrior Canine Connection: Veteran-focused nonprofit using animal-assisted therapy (service dog training) for PTSD and TBI recovery; adjacent peer in the animal-assisted therapy-for-veterans niche and competing for similar philanthropy.
• The Heroes Project: Nonprofit providing outdoor and adventure-based therapy for wounded veterans; adjacent peer using experiential modalities rather than equine-specific, but serving the same donor and client base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/horses-healing-heroes-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Horses Healing Heroes, Inc.