Heartland Haven Foundation, Inc. (HHF), a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Charitable Organization, was founded by Angela Jackson (certified Equus Life Coach) in 2022 with the sole purpose of offering Equine Assisted Therapy and Equus Coaching to those who may not have the means to otherwise obtain therapy support for personal, emotional, and/or mental health concerns, including anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), cancer support, and grief counseling, to name a few.
Equine Assisted Therapy is a unique therapeutic approach utilizing horses as catalysts for emotional growth and learning. Utilizing the natural ability of horses, research has shown that merely being in the presence of a horse, people feel a sense of well-being and peace, decreased stress levels, decreased feelings of anger, hostility, tension, and anxiety, and greater feelings of empowerment, confidence, patience, and self-efficacy.
One of many ways that horses provide healing and learning through Equine Assisted Therapy is by acting as a non-threatening mirror, allowing participants to see themselves more clearly. This approach has shown that a horse can achieve participant breakthroughs and enlightenments in as little as 20 minutes, what it may take talk-therapy to achieve in years.
Because of the higher cost of Equine Assisted Therapy due to the expense of horse care and rehabilitation, Equine Therapy may not be attainable for everyone. HHF wants to change that, we want to reach out to everyone in need of life balance. We are inclusive and diverse, opening our doors to people from all walks of life. We believe deep down we are all the same. We may have come from different backgrounds, or gone through different experiences, but our core struggles as humans remain the same. We know first-hand that healing is possible, and healing with horses is magical.
Heartland Haven Foundation was brought to life from the healing successes of Equus Coaching by Angela Jackson Lifecoach, LLC. Angela has been using rescued horses to assist in guiding and facilitating change for individuals, groups, and/or corporations since 2015. By using rescued horses, Heartland Haven Foundation is not only renewing the lives of people, but also giving horses a second chance—and a purpose that they enjoy.
Our Process
Rescue – Rediscover – Renew
Rescue
Horses from many different backgrounds find their way to HHF, from ex-racehorses to slaughter-bound rescues or those experiencing horrific situations such as starvation, abuse, and neglect. Following rehabilitation, our horses are retrained by our certified professional trainer – Angela Jackson. This process involves several months of unlearning past traumas, learning manners, and being prepared for their new purpose as healing therapy horses. Through this process, these incredible creatures find a new purpose in serving a like human population that has experienced similar horrific events in their lives. Both horse and human are given new purpose and a second chance.
Rediscover
Horses are well-suited for the therapy environment of their natural instincts and communication methods. While humans have an internal dialogue and have a constantly running inner “story” to make sense of their environment, horses live entirely in the moment without judgment or inner “story.” Because they are prey animals, they are constantly reading the heart rate, respiration, and energy state of those around them and responding instantly as these physical states shift. This provides real-time feedback for the participant and for the coach/therapist. In one of many ways that horses provide healing and learning, they act as a non-threatening mirror, allowing participants to see themselves more quickly and clearly.
