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Lynn Niemeyer: Horses Helping Heroes at Jester Park has served more than 300 veterans
Summary
Lynn Niemeyer, equine specialist at Jester Park, described the Horses Helping Heroes program, saying it has served "probably over 300 veterans" and runs repeated five- to eight-week sessions that use horse-handling exercises to help veterans manage tension and emotions.
Lynn Niemeyer, the equine specialist at Jester Park and coordinator of the Horses Helping Heroes program, said the program has "probably served over 300 veterans so far" and typically works with groups referred from the VA hospital in Des Moines.
The program runs five- to eight-week sessions in which small groups—Niemeyer said five to eight veterans per session—take part in outdoor, horse-focused activities designed to reduce tension and build emotional skills. "The goal of this is to help veterans to start using their emotions, start relaxing," Niemeyer said, describing exercises such as leading a horse and guiding it over obstacles to practice communication and steadiness.
Niemeyer said participants benefit from hands-on tasks that she described as getting them "out of their heads and into the real world." She called the program "very powerful," saying staff often see veterans find "peace and comfort and relaxation" after working with the horses.
Those interested in participating or volunteering can find sign-up links on the Jester Park website; Niemeyer noted sessions are repeated, so applicants who do not get into the first available session should try again. Niemeyer also described her own involvement, saying she began as a volunteer, later worked part time and is now a full-time employee at Jester Park.
The presentation did not identify funding sources, formal partnerships beyond the VA hospital referrals, or a governing body that oversees the program. No formal motions or votes were recorded.
