Hidden Gems: Meet Julie Baker of Horses & Heroes Inc.

Today we’d like to introduce you to Julie Baker. They and their team shared their story with us below:

Julie Baker, the founder of Horses & Heroe, rescued her first traumatized horse when she was twelve. He was a large, dark thoroughbred with a majestic profile named Jehdan. Jehdan was discovered alone in a dusty, dry lot without food or water. Invisible emotional wounds caused him to sweat and tremble when approached, and his trust in people was lost entirely. The visible scars on his flanks and hind legs told a story of violent physical abuse; his protruding bones told a story of neglect and starvation. Julie visited Jehdan regularly, instinctively knowing his basic needs: food, shelter, and safety. He required time to heal and regain lost trust; he needed to do both at his own pace. Fast forward many years. Julie, now in her 30s, had spent the last 14 years living as a military spouse, moving from base to base with their three kids. Julie recalls the many challenges unique to military families, but she was surrounded by others meeting the same challenges. The intrinsic support and rapport were as much a part of military life as were the challenges.

In 1993, her husband’s orders to a recruiting depot in Overland Park, KS, changed everything. The reliable family rapport was suddenly gone, and they felt isolated living in a traditional neighborhood. Julie remembers feeling alienated, holding nothing in common with their new neighbors.

Fast forward several more years. Two of their three girls enlisted in the Marine Corps, and both completed one tour of duty. About this time, Julie’s step-mom of forty years died by suicide. “We had no clue that our step-mom struggled silently with debilitating depression and anxiety,” says Julie. “Her death was a complete shock.”

Soon after, Julie started feeling a deep stirring within her soul to do more for those suffering in silence. She remembered her experience with Jehdan and how he recovered from emotional and physical trauma. The idea of partnering discarded and traumatized horses with people suffering from similar wounds began to emerge. Julie’s business coach then proposed a question during a coaching session: “What is your why? What is your purpose, and what drives you to serve in a greater capacity?”

At the time, Julie could not identify her “why.” Her coach said, “When you figure it out, two things will happen; it will scare he** out of you and make you cry.” Perfect, Julie thought. What a great thing to look forward to!

Julie knew she was quietly seeking her “why.” She suspected it was attached to Jehdan’s healing story and her compassion for struggling military families and those suffering silently. She knew the deep stirring within was possibly a new way to bring hope and healing to traumatized horses and humans. However, the idea was still vague. That changed on the morning of October 13, 2014, when Julie felt a sudden and clear nudge to Google equine therapy. Her revelation happened to be the same day her first daughter was born in 1985, and the day she lost her stop-mom to suicide in 2010. Within an hour, she knew with certainty what she needed to create.

On October 13, 2014, Horses & Heroes (H&H) was established. Just as her business coach predicted, realizing her “why” was terrifying and emotional. When people discover their “why,” they operate from an inner drive and determination that cannot be extinguished; the vision of H&H is clear, and its purpose resonates with those who feel their purpose has become lost. The momentum of the vision attracts other like-minded professionals, donors, and supporters who understand the gravity of this movement. The “Big-V” vision of Horses & Heroes is to create a safe place of healing and restoration for traumatized humans and horses. Together, they will experience connection, trust, purpose, and hope.

You wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Creating something from Nothing is hard. Creating a nonprofit from Nothing is relatively easy. Nothing about what we do is easy. However, it is rewarding and gives life back to those who have given up hope. We witness reformation, rehabilitation, and healing with humans and horses. Providing trauma-informed care to the military and first responder populations is not a walk in the park. We deal with highly complex situations, people, and experiences. We work with animals with histories of abuse, trauma, or neglect. None of it is easy. Like rehabilitating a horse beaten, neglected, and starved, Julie knew launching Horses & Heroes would require tenacity and patience. Educating our communities in what we do is an ongoing challenge; operating at a high level with a handful of volunteers is hard work. Working through days that are 102 or -30 takes work. In 2015, Horses & Heroes conducted their first Equine Assisted Learning session with 4 rescued horses. Since then, H&H has conducted hundreds of sessions for individuals, groups, and families, and the rescued herd is up to 7 large horses and 5 miniature horses. Is this work inspiring? Yes! We have a team of dedicated volunteers, staff, and supporters that believe in what we do. This work is profoundly effective, popular, and life-giving. As they say,” Nothing worthwhile is easy.”

Thanks for sharing that. You could tell us more about your business.
Horses & Heroes Inc.(H&H). H&H provides dynamic Trauma-Informed-Care (TIC) programs to target to improve several health indicators for local veterans, first responders, and their families. H&H programs are designed to minimize barriers that keep veterans from seeking care and combine therapies that treat root causes resulting in enhanced natural healing. They need not suffer for the vital work they do.

Summary:
The menu of trauma-informed care is designed to lessen chronic pain, improve mobility, reduce PTSD symptoms, and help veterans thrive. The proposed integrated program is 8 weeks and will include services not offered through the VA nor covered by insurance. Here is a list of four (4) services we intend to have funded so veterans can access care without high out-of-pocket expenses, long lines, crowded rooms, and medications. One hundred percent (100%) of funding is to go towards any of these services based upon clinical recommendations of licensed therapists.

• Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP)- Evidence-informed Care
• Equine Assisted EMDR (EA-EMDR) – Evidence-based TIC
• Therapeutic Massage (TM) – Evidence-based TIC
• Pulsed Magnetic Field Therapy(PEMF) – Evidence-based TIC

Our combination of services is unique. Services take place in a relaxed and peaceful environment by licensed and experienced practitioners, are HIPPA compliant, confidential, and are performed in a non-clinical setting (no white coats). H&H is the only Kansas City program providing a menu of equine-assisted therapies, trauma-body work, and counseling. We are receiving a tidal wave of service applications, so we need financial support to continue to provide no-cost services. Our program costs $2,000 per 8-week program and aims to provide 40 individual programs annually. This means we need $80,000 to cover direct-program costs; this does not include, nor account for, the rising costs of feeding horses and keeping them healthy and happy!

Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those just starting.
Oh, man. We paved a path through the trees, so those starting their programs now have a starting point. Be sure you are qualified or have qualified members on your team. Equine therapy needs to be facilitated by licensed and certified professionals. Several certification programs are out there now, but please be sure you are not trying to counsel people without proper education and training.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.HorsesandHeroes.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/horsesheroes/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HorsesAndHeroes.kc
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/horsesandheroes/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/HorsesanHeroes
• Youtube: https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCe5CRLulcTtVKwJH_qf5fcg/videos/upload?filter=%5B%5D&sort=%7B%22columnType%22%3A%22date%22%2C%22sortOrder%22%3A%22DESCENDING%22%7D
• Other: https://vimeo.com/571882146

Image Credits
Shannon Danley, Nicole Lavine