Please help support trail rides for Veterans

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Subject: Please help support trail rides for Veterans

A 501c3 supporting and promoting equestrian activities

Request for Donations

Horses for Heroes - Trail Rides for Veterans

We strive to provide the joy of a horse to veterans who have given so much.

Horses for Heroes provides trail rides and lessons for veterans referred by the Palo Alto Veterans Administration Recreational Therapy Program. Over the past years, CHAPS and the MP Foundation have raised funds to provide hundreds of wonderful experiences on the backs of horses.

A Tale of Two Vets when the program started

This picture shows two veterans and their therapist riding in Wunderlich Park. The young lady in the front was a gunner in a helicopter and did two tours in Afghanistan. When she came to the program, her eyes blankly stared at the ground, and she barely spoke. She was not yet 30, but seemed so old and worn out. I have no idea what kind of hell she went through. She asked if she could just brush the horse, and quietly did this for a long while, slowly stroking and touching the horse. The instructor asked if she would like to sit on the horse, and she slowly nodded. When the horse took the first step, she let out a giggle. When we started the trail ride, she was smiling. The therapist said this is the first time she has seen her smile since she came home.

The gentlemen in the back recently retired after 20 years in the Army, and multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. He grew up on a farm in Alabama and had not seen a horse since his youth. Sitting in the saddle reminded him of his happy childhood with peace and joy, far away from the guns and the bombs

The MP Foundation is assuming management and fundraising of this program from CHAPS now. We would like to open this to more veterans but are limited by funding. We are hoping to expand to the following programs.

1-Lava Lakes

The Lava Lake Injured Veterans Equine (“LIVE”) Program is a horse camping adventure in Idaho. It offers injured veterans an opportunity to experience the benefits of equine therapy in a wilderness setting.

Look at https://www.lavalakeinstitute.org/injured-veterans-live-program for more information.

To help prepare for this adventure, we plan to provide rides and lessons for the vets to gain experience and get in shape during the spring time. To provide exposure to trail riding, we also hope to include rides on the wilderness trails in Wunderlich Park. The funding requirement for this is $5,500.

2-Introduction to horses

This program is for veterans who would be interested in enjoying learning about horses and having a ride. The first part of the session would be on grooming and saddling, then a ride in the arena, Perhaps a trail ride on the Webb Ranch property.

These programs will be provided by Jasper Ridge Farm, which is located on Webb Ranch, off Alpine Road in Portola Valley. They have access to the lesson horses and experienced wranglers from Webb Ranch, to provide the program. Jasper Ridge has a covered arena which allows riding on rainy days and hot sunny days. We hope to provide 100 or more rides in 2025, with a funding requirement of $7,500.

The estimated budget for these programs in 2025 will be $13,000. The Mounted Patrol Foundation will match the first $6,500 that is donated. Any additional funds will be used for additional rides in 2025 and for the program in future years.

For the last several years, veterans who enjoyed the program have been referred by the Recreational Therapy Program at the Palo Alto VA. A therapist may attend the session to provide assistance as necessary. We would like to expand the program to more veterans by working with the San Mateo County Veterans Service Commission and the VA Vet Center in Menlo Park, for referrals to the Introduction to Horses program. This expansion depends on funding.

“The best thing for the inside of a person is the outside of a horse.” We invite the community to partner with us in programs that facilitate the healing that comes through interacting with horses. Together we can recognize our veterans for their sacrifice

The Mounted Patrol Foundation is asking for donations from the local equestrian groups and individuals to fund these veterans programs. Contributions will be matched by the MP Foundation on a 1-to-1 basis up to the first $6,500. Any contributions received in excess of this will be retained and used for more veterans trail rides

Please send contributions payable to:

Mounted Patrol Foundation

ATTN: Veterans Riding Program
521 Kings Mountain Road
Woodside, CA 94062-4209

Or use PayPal with the following link:

http://www.mountedpatrolfoundation.org/DonateNow.htm

The Mounted Patrol Foundation is a 501(c) (3) charitable entity, so donations are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. The Mounted Patrol Foundation Taxpayer ID is 75-2991593. Contributions made this year by December 31 may be deductible for tax purposes in 2024.

Thank you for your support. Together we can give back to veterans as thanks for their service.

Don Pugh

650-851-8343

Chair, Mounted Patrol Foundation

don@MountedPatrolFoundation.org

Thank you for your support!

http://www.mountedpatrolfoundation.org/DonateNow.htm

The Mounted Patrol Foundation is a 501(c))(3) organization.
The Foundation’s Federal taxpayer ID number is 75-2991593.

Thank you for your support. Feel free to call me at (650) 851-8343, or email (see below) with any questions.