Location: Harvard, Illinois, United States
BraveHearts Therapeutic Riding and Educational Center is a nonprofit equine-assisted services organization established in 2002 by Marge Gunnar and world-renowned cardiologist and decorated Korean War Medic Veteran Dr. Rolf Gunnar. Operating from two year-round facilities in McHenry County and Boone County, Illinois, BraveHearts describes itself as the largest healing horsemanship program in the nation.
It is a PATH International Premier Accredited Center and an American Hippotherapy Association member facility, and holds a 2026 Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency. All veteran and veteran family services are provided completely free of charge.
About This Program
BraveHearts was founded on the conviction that horses offer something uniquely powerful to both individuals with disabilities and military veterans — and that these two populations deserve access to the highest quality equine-assisted services possible. Over more than two decades, the organization has grown into a nationally recognized program that has become the country’s leading provider of equine-assisted services for veterans while also delivering a full spectrum of clinical and recreational programs for children and adults.
The therapeutic riding program serves individuals beginning at age four, with lessons offered year-round in session blocks at both facilities. Participants work with PATH-certified instructors in individual or group settings, with lessons adapted to each student’s needs through appropriate horse selection, track modifications, volunteer support, and adaptive equipment including a hydraulic lift. Riders can progress through a range of activities from groundwork and basic riding to drill team participation, horse shows, and Special Olympics Equestrian Games.
At the Poplar Grove outpatient clinic, licensed occupational, physical, and speech therapists use hippotherapy — the three-dimensional movement of the horse — as a treatment strategy for individuals with neuromotor, sensory, and cognitive challenges. The clinic also offers traditional therapy services alongside the equine modality. Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP), delivered by licensed social workers and psychologists, is available for both veterans and civilian clients, using unmounted and mounted interactions with horses to facilitate emotional healing and behavioral change.
The veterans program is BraveHearts’ most nationally prominent work. Since 2007, the organization has built what it calls the largest equine-assisted services program for veterans in the country, serving veterans from northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin as well as connecting veterans nationwide with resources when direct service is not possible. Services available to veterans include riding and groundwork lessons, Operation Mustang (a program centered on working with wild mustangs), retreats, foundation horsemanship clinics, drill team opportunities, Trail to Zero (a suicide prevention initiative), and equine-assisted psychotherapy. All of these services are available to veterans and one accompanying immediate family member at no cost.
In 2023, BraveHearts subsidized more than $2.1 million in program services, including covering 100% of the cost of veteran services.
Services Offered
- Therapeutic riding (year-round, ages 4 and up)
- Occupational, physical, and speech therapy using hippotherapy (outpatient clinic, Poplar Grove)
- Equine-assisted psychotherapy (EAP)
- Foundation horsemanship
- Drill team
- Special Olympics equestrian participation
- Annual horse show
- Retreats and group programming
- Operation Mustang (veterans working with wild mustangs)
- Trail to Zero (veteran suicide prevention initiative)
- Veteran riding and groundwork lessons (free of charge)
- Transportation fund for veterans with financial need
- Scholarship fund for therapeutic riding students
- Internship and continuing education programs for professionals
- PATH International educational workshops and clinics
Who They Serve
BraveHearts may be a good fit for:
- Children and adults with physical, cognitive, or emotional disabilities, from age 4
- Veterans and active duty military (all services free of charge)
- Immediate family members of veterans (free of charge)
- Individuals with PTSD, anxiety, depression, or suicidal ideation
- Individuals with autism spectrum disorder
- Individuals with cerebral palsy
- Individuals with Down syndrome
- Individuals with ADD or ADHD
- Individuals with traumatic brain injury or spinal cord injury
- Individuals with multiple sclerosis or muscular dystrophy
- Individuals with epilepsy or seizure disorders
- Individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities
- Individuals with learning disabilities
- Individuals with hearing or visual impairment
- Individuals with genetic conditions or disorders
- Amputees
Facility and Setting
BraveHearts operates two year-round facilities in northern Illinois. The Harvard farm at 7319 Maxon Road sits on 20 acres in northwest McHenry County and includes a heated indoor arena, a lighted outdoor arena, a covered round pen, conference and board rooms, the Dr. Rolf M. Gunnar Memorial Chapel, and the Piscasaw Creek running through the property. The Poplar Grove facility at 4950 Route 173 was purpose-built in 2001-2002 for persons with disabilities and features two large heated indoor arenas, temperature-controlled ADA-accessible spaces, and houses the outpatient therapy clinic along with veteran programming including Operation Mustang.
- Harvard, Illinois (McHenry County) — primary therapeutic riding and veteran programming
- 7319 Maxon Road, Harvard, IL 60033
- Poplar Grove, Illinois (Boone County) — outpatient clinic and additional veteran programming
- 4950 Route 173, Poplar Grove, IL 61065
- PATH International Premier Accredited Center
- American Hippotherapy Association member facility
- 2026 Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency
- 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
What Makes Them Unique
BraveHearts is distinguished above all by the scale and seriousness of its veteran services. Describing itself as the largest equine-assisted services program for veterans in the country is a significant claim, and the organization backs it up with the infrastructure to match — two full facilities, a dedicated veteran services coordinator, a 100% subsidy of all veteran costs, a transportation fund, and specialized programs including Operation Mustang and Trail to Zero that address veteran wellbeing in ways that go well beyond riding lessons.
The organization’s commitment to professional education also sets it apart. BraveHearts is recognized as an industry leader in designing and hosting PATH International continuing education programs, which means its work extends beyond its own participants to shape how equine-assisted services are delivered at programs across the country.
For families in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin seeking a program with national-level credibility, clinical depth across multiple therapy disciplines, and a deeply serious commitment to veterans, BraveHearts is among the most substantial therapeutic riding programs in the United States.