Grant stands in the Scottsdale barn at Hunkapi, alongside a rescue horse. Grant says he recognizes himself in the horses; their pain, their guardedness, and their fight to survive.
“The rescue horses come from different lives, some good some bad, but they had purposes, missions, and callings in their lives. Because of a trauma, their lives changed, and were going to be discarded like an afterthought. Knowing the pain, punishment, and abuse these horses have endured- and seeing them come back to heal the wounds of innocent children and adults- gives me hope for myself.””
This, coming from a man who spent more than a decade serving his country, with multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.
“I joined after 9/11. I was delivering car parts after dropping out of college and going nowhere in life. I got a call from an Army recruiter and signed up for four years, thinking it would be an adventure, help pay for college, and give me a jumpstart in life.”
That four years turned into eleven.
“After my first deployment, I knew the military was a path for me. I found something that I didn’t have to struggle to fit into. I had a role and felt success. And then in the spring of 2005, I realized I wanted to be a First Sergeant of a Cavalry Troop of Soldiers.”
He speaks openly about the toll those years took.
“Physically intense- the nature of our job. Mentally demanding every day. The emotional demands go unspoken. You don’t train to deal with how much it hurts to be separated from loved ones and their lives. You don’t train on how to emotionally handle loss of life right before your eyes.”
Near the end of his last deployment, a single exchange with his brothers has stayed with him ever since.
“We concluded we were the angriest platoon in Afghanistan at that moment in time. The four of us laughed through our dark humor. Now I realize I was surrounded by brothers who weren’t angry at all, but living every second in fight mode- taking on every threat to protect each other and get us home safe.”
When Grant returned home in 2013, he thought he was ready.
“That battle was all the unanswered trauma I thought I had handled- and some I didn’t even know I carried. Then some of the brothers I’d trauma-bonded with started checking out early because they couldn’t handle what was going on in their lives.”
Traditional therapy through the VA gave him tools, but not the deeper healing he needed.
“What was missing for me was the reconnection to the body and the nervous system and how to work with it instead of overriding it… I learned a lot about what my issues were and some tools to help, but they were a band-aid on a wound that needed tending.”
After the devastating loss of his best friend, his wife suggested horse therapy. And at first, he wasn’t sure what to expect.
“I felt like that would be a safe place for me. That I knew I would love the animals there.”
At Hunkapi, he remembers his first day vividly.
“Walking through the barn took me back to childhood… the smells, the calm of the horses settling my nervous system. But on that first day of cohorts, it was the opposite. I was afraid to even be there, consumed by my grief.”
He pushed himself to walk the grounds.
“I was a complete wreck on the inside because I wanted it all to stop, and I wanted peace of mind, heart and soul.”
The program begins simply, explains Terra Schaad, who runs Hunkapi.
“Opening up around the fire pit in a circle with brief check-in, somatic exercise to get connected to our surroundings and internal experience, exercise with the horses that further elaborates on the somatic experience, closing around the fire. These are two hours long in duration.”
She says skepticism is common.
“We often will start with a farm tour… People are often skeptical of strangers and new experiences but once they tour, feel the energy of the farm, meet the animals, and feel the openness of the facilitators… that begins to dissipate.”
For Grant, the change was profound. The horses offered something traditional therapy never did.
“The turning point was when the anxiety and panic attacks stopped controlling my life. The horses have a real calming effect on my nervous system. They don’t judge. They just make sure you’re safe to be around… and when you do the work to regulate yourself, even a little, they reward you with love and magic.”
Thanks to Hunkapi, Grant feels a sense of normalcy.
“‘Normal’ just means I’m safe. I can let my guard down and be me. I don’t have to constantly engage my nervous system in survival mode. Now, my wife is not in a constant state of worry… My son spends time on the farm… My veteran friends are thankful for me to have found this.”
In fact, Grant believes the program saved his life.
“I have found a way to heal that I wasn’t sure was possible. After going through this program, I’ve been able to find purpose again. To me, hope means more tomorrows- without fear, without hesitation about what they might bring.”
About Hunkapi’s Equine Therapy
Hunkapi Programs offers equine-assisted therapy tailored for first responders and veterans. Held on the farm’s peaceful grounds, these sessions use the healing bond between horses and humans to support trauma recovery, emotional regulation, and stress relief. Open to active and retired service members, the program provides a restorative, hands-on path to resilience and growth. hunkapi.org