(Las Vegas, Nevada) Shortly after 9-11, horse lover Sydney Knott decided that she wanted to make sure first responders and their families received care and honor while they were here to receive it.
"I've always loved horses and our passion was to serve men and women who put a uniform on everyday so we thought we would combine the two together and make it possible for men and women and their children to experience horses at our ranch," Sydney explains.
Hear the story here:
Sydney Knott shares her own description of her organization, Horses4Heroes:
"On November 19, 2024 we celebrated our 18th anniversary serving local heroes and their families.
Horses4Heroes is a Las Vegas-based non-profit, dedicated to serving those (including their families) in our community whose call of duty is to protect, serve, teach and heal.
Our mission is to offer affordable programs with horses for children, teens, adults and seniors as well as free workshops for those who need a hand up, not a handout, including Veterans and First Responders with PTSD, survivors of domestic abuse and violence, trauma and trafficking, recovering addicts and at-risk youth and teens.
We call these programs Healing through Basic Horsemanship. These mental health and wellness programs comprise about 25% of our total programs. Our primary focus is on creating and delivering affordable programs with horses including camps, lessons, birthday parties, school field trips, weekly open houses and volunteer opportunities for teens and adults. We use donated, retired and semi-retired horses that have 'been there done that.'
The majority of horses are in their late teens and twenties. These horses are great to introduce newcomers to horses and focus on horsemanship fundamentals. No one is barrel racing or jumping at our ranch! We also have a barn filled with farm animals, goats, a sheep, llama, cow, rabbits and pigs. Again, these animals were all donated to Horses4Heroes to live out their lives.
We believe it's important for children and teens to learn what it means to be Farm Strong. Farmers and Ranchers are Farm Strong, up every day, taking care of animals and crops, 24/7, 365. Cows have to be milked, eggs have to be gathered, horses and livestock have to be fed and watered, crops have to be tended, summer, fall, winter, spring. We teach that fruits and vegetables, milk and eggs do not come from DoorDash, they come from time, commitment, hard work, dedication, patience, perseverance, frustration, success, failure, lots of prayers and a big helping of Hope." - Sydney Knott
Horses can help with mindfullness.
"Horses require you to focus on the present. A horse can feel your heartbeat from four feet away. It can make you come outside of your comfort zone."
Sydney is also proud to welcome different non-profit organizations that serve young people to the ranch.
"There are very few things in our life today that we can share with our kids that are exactly the same way it's been for hundreds of years. There's no more milk man, no more fax machines...but with horses and ranching and farming, every single thing that you do, every single day, is the way its been done for hundreds of years. Kids need to know that. They need to put the seed in the ground, and water it and watch it grow. They need to milk the cow and tend to the animals."
Her heart is for all children, but especially for those whose parents are in the line of duty.
"I worry for the kids whose parents are first responders, in law enforcement, firefighters who are missing birthdays, games, missing milestones...the worry that they come with, is my parent going to come home tonight? That's very profound."
Horses4Heroes offers affordable experiences with horses all year around.