out to veterans and others suffering from PTSD. “Because of the 22-suicides-a-day statistic that we’ve all heard about, they are definitely first on the list for me,” Richard says. His focus is on finding ways to help both veterans and their families: he wants them to be able to visit together for therapy sessions, allowing, as he puts it, “the horses to treat the whole family.” In another aside, Richard says veterans love working with
his Trakehners when they hear that these are what Richard calls “the original war horses.” His herd currently stands at 17 horses.
FOCUS ON GROWTH It is with the support of several Colorado-based oil and gas companies that Richard is taking steps to make his dream of a larger and year-round facility come true. Richard met Susan Fakharzadeh, the community relations manager for oil and gas producer PDC Energy, at an event last year celebrating local nonprofits making a difference in their communities. Richard was being honored for his work serving so many
in his community: in addition to veterans, he works with those struggling with addiction, anxiety and depression, cancer survivors and both children and adults with various special needs and challenges, including autism and even blindness. Susan soon introduced Richard to others working in the same industry. After hearing of his need to expand his facil- ity to have room to serve more people, oil and gas explora- tion company Bill Barrett Corp. offered Richard 50 acres adja- cent to a large tank battery (used to store oil and gas) the company was building. (They had purchased a 70-acre farm for the battery, but actually needed less than 20 acres for the installation.) Best of all, they offered the land at a price sure to be attractive to a nonprofit organization with a small budget. As Richard puts it, “we received a 70 percent discount on the property because of the work we are doing.” After closing on the property in December, Richard imme-
diately started building run-in sheds so that his equine ther- apy partners could begin moving to the new facility in early spring. Traditionally he starts working with clients in May
“Our mission is to not charge a person a dime to receive
this kind of therapy. We never want to turn anybody down because of money.”
each year, as their work in a field and an outdoor arena is weather dependent. Despite being unable to do equine ther- apy in the winter, he was still able to work with nearly 7,000 people in 2016, Richard says proudly. And soon, he says, he will be able to work year-round, thanks to a new 120 x 240 foot indoor arena he plans to put
Above: The compressor and warehouse at the tank battery looking north from the non-profit’s 50-acre farm. Photos at right, top two: Autistic students experience the beneficial effects of bonding with the horses. Bottom: Employees from United Energy grooming Freija, the farm’s alfa mare.
Warmbloods Today 23
David Sanchez
Joe Cox
Joe Cox
Joe Cox
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