Horse Aid: Healing our heroes using horsemanship skills

Equine-assisted mental health healing for serving and ex-serving defence personnel and first responders—as featured in the documentary The Healing

Our unique approach

Instead of therapy horses, we use Thoroughbred ex-racehorses and retrain and rehome them in partnership with our participants. The blend of human and horse connection, mutual healing, and second chances for both is fundamental to the success of our approach.

Our programs

Free of charge for participants

One Day
Intro Program

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The perfect opportunity to discover horsemanship skills under expert guidance, and determine whether the immersive Five Day Residential Program is right for you.

Five Day
Residential Program

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Spend five immersive, transformative days learning horsemanship skills and experiencing the healing power of the human and horse connection.

DONATE

Help the heroes who have helped you—and the ex-racehorses—to each find a way forward.

Help The Heroes

We rely on you, the community, to make all that we do possible.

Every dollar donated will truly make a difference.

Watch The Healing

A feature-length, award-winning documentary about transformation and horses and heroes getting a second chance in life.

Broken horses. Broken heroes. Healing each other.

Find a screening near you or buy or rent or
contact us to arrange a local screening as a fundraising event for Horse Aid

Since 2016, we’ve helped hundreds of ex-serving and serving defence personnel and first responders across Australia take life by the reins again

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PROGRAMS PLANNED FOR FY2025

About Horse Aid

Everything we do is about second chances for our heroes and horses—materially making their lives better.

Horse Aid is an Australian for-purpose and not-for-profit registered charity that provides free equine-assisted healing programs for serving and ex-serving defence personnel and first responders who are suffering from mental health challenges due to their work serving our nation and our community.

Developed by former NSW Mounted Policeman, qualified riding instructor and horse trainer Scott Brodie, our healing horsemanship programs offer a second chance and support system for both heroes and horses who need help to heal from trauma, rebuild confidence and learn new skills–finding a path forward to hope and second chances.