Healing Hoofbeats of CT, Inc.

11/27/2025

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us here at Healing Hoofbeats of CT. We are grateful to the community that has grown around this organization over the past 9 years. We are appreciative for the financial support we receive from corporations, donors, and individuals who believe in the importance of prioritizing mental health. We are thankful to our clients, board members, and volunteers for their support and trust in the work we do and unwavering commitment to our mission.

From our herd to yours, thank you.

11/24/2025

Help Healing Hoofbeats WIN!
Our friends at Reed Wilson Case are donating to local nonprofits — and you can help us secure a win for our Animal Welfare Fund!

👇 Click the link below to their post and comment “VOTE” to support Healing Hoofbeats of CT!
Every vote makes a difference for our hardworking Animal Healers.

Thank you for rallying behind us! 🙌

Week 12 Spotlight: Healing Hoofbeats of CT

📩 VOTING 📩⁠

In order to vote for the Healing Hoofbeats as your charity of choice - Please do so in the comments by typing "VOTE"!⁠

🛑 Vote comments made on a shared post will not count (we can't see them)! The votes must be made on the original post ONLY!!

We will tally up the votes at the end of each week and divide the donation proportionately based on the votes. The donations will be announced on Giving Tuesday, December 2nd.

To be fair to every organization, we will only count the votes for the week on the individual posts about each charity.

❌Only votes made between November 24th and November 30th will be counted towards the total.

No social media? No problem! Click the link in the comments to vote on our website - forward the RWC foundation page to anyone who wants to vote!

https://reedwilsoncase.com/reed-wilson-case-foundation-2025/

11/20/2025

A big thank you to Hayden of Scouting America Troop 480 for completing his Eagle Scout Service Project with us by building a unique farm stand from which we can sell the vegetables that clients and our staff grow.

Hayden is a junior at Nonnewaug High School who participated in Timber Team. To earn Eagle Scout, he must earn at least 21 merit badges (with 14 required), serving in a troop leadership position for at least six months and completing an Eagle Scout service project. He must also demonstrate active participation in his unit and Scout spirit, and take part in a Scoutmaster conference. Hayden was Senior Patrol Leader last year!

If you live in the Woodbury/Bethlehem community, Scouting America Troop 480 is an active community-based family troop, open to both girls and boys ages 10-17, where our primary focus is to provide service to Woodbury and surrounding towns. Troop members have the opportunity to enjoy many indoor and outdoor activities that enhance our education and experiences. These activities include camping, climbing, water sports, and historic trips. They meet Thursdays from 7:30-8:45PM at 1 Sherman Hill Rd Woodbury. They always welcome new members.

11/18/2025

Healing Hoofbeats has been very lucky to bring three new board members to our organization that we believe will bring a wealth of experience, expertise, and dedication to forward our mission and values. We want to introduce them to you over the next few weeks, starting with Jen, who will be doing a fun "social media takeover" of our pages.

We are grateful to have Jennifer Bastiaanse as our newest key member. Jennifer finds inspiration in watching people heal and grow from trauma, a journey she continues in her own life. Her experience spans historic preservation, social media management, and event coordination, along with healing practices like yoga and adventure counseling. She looks forward to applying her skills and passions to support meaningful work. At home, she enjoys life with her husband and their three golden retrievers.

11/13/2025

A huge thank you to our amazing volunteers, Nikki and Pete!

They braved the cold on Veterans Day to lend a hand at Healing Hoofbeats to help us finish our pergola project, build a wall for our new indoor therapy space, and install new fencing for the horses.

We’re so grateful for their hard work, dedication, and generous spirits. It’s volunteers like them who help make healing happen here every day.

11/11/2025

This Veterans Day, we pause with deep gratitude to honor the brave men and women who have served our country. Your courage, sacrifice, and strength inspire everything we do at Healing Hoofbeats.

We are proud to support our veterans through low cost and free Animal and Equine Supported Psychotherapy made possible by our Operation Warrior Horse Fund. This program helps ensure that those who have given so much can find healing, connection, and peace through the powerful bond between humans and horses.

This past fall, we were thrilled to host our first-ever free overnight retreat for veterans; a time of rest, reflection, and renewal surrounded by our herd and community. The success of this event reminds us how vital it is to continue providing spaces for healing and growth.

To all Vererans: thank you. Today and every day, we honor your service and stand with you on the journey of healing.

11/07/2025

Three cheers for our big boy, Cash! Last night he completed his Good Citizen course and earned his certificate. This means he is on his way to becoming our second Certified Therapy Dog alongside our wonderful Penny.

How can you resist those adorable bat ears!?

Congratulations, Cash!

11/04/2025

As an organization that strives to provide low cost and accessible mental health therapy to all, Healing Hoofbeats is also invested in making sure our community is well-fed in times of need. In the spirit of the giving season, we would like to offer a "Little Free Pantry" at our Bethlehem location.

Beginning this week, we are encouraging clients, community members, and supporters to donate or take any items you would like, no questions asked. Just pull into our parking area and visit our Little Free Pantry box!

10/21/2025

When we posted about our Annual Appeal last week, it occurred to us that perhaps many people do not know exactly what this fundraising strategy is, or does for an organization.

An annual appeal is a fundraising campaign that a nonprofit organization runs once a year to ask supporters for donations. It’s usually one of the most important fundraising efforts and comes at the end of the year when critical needs for the organization have been assessed, the holidays are coming up, and donors may feel the spirit of giving in their hearts.

Our Annual Appeal Campaign raises funding for our Financial Aid Fund, thus providing us with the ability to continue to provide low cost and free Equine and Animal Supported Psychotherapy to those who are in need. One of the benefits of having nonprofit designation status is that we can make sure we do not turn anyone away who is need in mental health care.

Please consider making a donation now, no matter how big or small, and thank you for choosing to support us.

Approximately 19.8% of youth in Connecticut, aged 12 to 17, have faced a mental health issue, a rate comparable to the national average of 20% for that age group. ​

10/17/2025

Today we begin the push to raise money for our Financial Aid Fund via our 2025 Annual Appeal.

Every day in Connecticut, thousands of children, Veterans, and families in crisis are searching for peace of mind and to feel confident in their mental health. Too often, the care they need is out of reach. At Healing Hoofbeats of CT, we open our gates to anyone in need, and it is your generosity makes that possible.

Healing Hoofbeats of CT is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization providing Equine and Animal Supported Psychotherapy on our two farm campuses located in Bethlehem and Lakeville, Connecticut. Each therapy session, led by a Licensed Clinician, is held on the farm where clients can interact with our horses, goats, pig, chickens, cats, and certified therapy dogs. This modality of therapy is proven to help combat trauma and PTSD and show results quicker than traditional talk therapy.

While we accept most insurance plans, we also serve clients with HUSKY healthcare and offer an income-based sliding scale for those who self pay. To ensure that no one is ever turned away due to financial hardship, we rely on our Financial Aid Fund. Beginning last year in 2024, proceeds from our Annual Appeal have been dedicated to replenishing this fund, allowing us to support more children, adults, and Veterans in need than ever before.

Can you help us continue our mission to provide this important modality of mental health care to those who need it most?

Please donate, the time is NOW!
www.healinghoofbeatsofct.org

Approximately 19.8% of youth in Connecticut, aged 12 to 17, have faced a mental health issue, a rate comparable to the national average of 20% for that age group. ​

10/14/2025

Healing Hoofbeats of CT wants to thank The Lakeville Journal for the wonderful article highlighting our new partnership with the Time Out Foundation in Lakeville, CT!

We’re so grateful for the opportunity to share how Healing Hoofbeats of CT is continuing the legacy of Dr. Corinne Kalser and David McArthur, offering Animal and Equine Supported Psychotherapy with our amazing team of clinicians and therapy animals.

Your support helps spread the word about the healing power of horses, goats, dogs, and connection.

Read the full article in The Lakeville Journal to learn more about this exciting collaboration!

Local Matters

10/10/2025

October 10th is World Mental Health Day, designated as such to raise awareness about mental health issues that affect so many. It is an international day for global mental health education, awareness and advocacy against social stigma. Our mission at Healing Hoofbeats of CT is to foster connection and support empowerment through Equine and Animal Supported Psychotherapy.

2025's theme is "Access to Services: Mental Health in Catastrophes and Emergencies". This theme highlights the critical need to provide mental health support during crises like conflicts, natural disasters, and pandemics, emphasizing that care is essential for both individual and community recovery.

It is our belief that through learning how to build mutually beneficial relationships with animals that we begin to heal from past experiences, learn how to navigate difficult situations and feel more at peace in our lives.

To learn more about what we do, and why we use animals in all of our therapeutic sessions, we encourage you to visit our website.

Nicole DeFelice, a former Army Combat Veteran explains how Healing Hoofbeats is able to provide Veterans with free Animal and Equine Supported Psychotherapy.