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WHO WE ARE

Our Mission

To improve the physical, mental, and emotional health of Veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress by providing a healing, equine-assisted experience utilizing off-the-track Thoroughbreds.

​Organization Overview

Saratoga WarHorse Foundation is a Veteran-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization serving Military Veterans and Service Members living with Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS) throughout the United States. Our participants’ trauma is most often a result of combat experiences, Military Sexual Trauma (MST), and/or transitioning from military to civilian life. We help  these Veterans to move past their trauma by partnering them with rescued and retired off-the-track Thoroughbred racehorses. We refer to our innovative approach to addressing PTS as the “Connection Process.”

Saratoga WarHorse has received numerous awards and accolades recognizing its innovative approach for helping Veterans with PTS. The VFW, American Legion, and numerous military medical centers have endorsed the Saratoga WarHorse program and highlighted it in numerous publications.  A case study by Advances in Mind-Body Medicine (2013) stated:

“The [Saratoga WarHorse] Connection Process creates an environment of mutual trust between man and horse. The benefits are profound: A sense of empowerment, decreased anxiety and depression, improved physical and social functioning… and increased resilience sustained over a 3-
month period and beyond.”

There is absolutely NO cost for Veterans to participate. Saratoga WarHorse covers the entire cost of transporting Veteran participants from anywhere in the United States and U.S. territories, as well as: lodging, meals, and program instruction. We are 100% funded by charitable contributions.

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Management Team
Our Team & Board
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Allison Cherkosly, Ph.D.

Chief Executive Officer and Board Member

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Steve Houghton

Director of Programs

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Abby Gantt

Veteran Intake Coordinator

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Program Staff
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Suzanne Berger

Equine Connection Coach & Equine Trainer

Cockeysville, MD

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Emily Cooper

Emily Cooper

Equine Connection Coach & Equine Trainer

Saratoga Springs, NY

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Felipe Moon

Veteran Program Facilitator

Saratoga Springs, NY

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Steve Mooney

Veteran Program Facilitator

Cockeysville, MD

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Our Board Members
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Bryan Ewing

Veteran Program Facilitator

Aiken, SC

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Ed Pethan

Veteran Program Facilitator

Aiken, SC

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R. Matt Davis

Chairman of the Board

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Tina Mott

Vice Chairwoman

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Kendra Rubin

Treasurer

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Founding Board Members
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Anne Campbell

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Paul Oreffice

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James H. Price III (Jim)

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Brian Spearman

Founding Member

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Founding Member

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Founding Member

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Founding Member

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Pamela J. Fall, M.D.

Secretary

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Chief Executive Officer and Board Member

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Allison Cherkosly, Ph.D.

Our Locations
Our Locations
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Saratoga Springs, New York

Saratoga Springs is the birthplace of Saratoga WarHorse, which is fitting since the city is also home to the illustrious Saratoga Race Course. Many of the off-the-track Thoroughbred racehorses used in the Saratoga WarHorse program spent much of their careers racing at the Saratoga Race Course. Saratoga WarHorse is still headquartered in Saratoga Springs, and nearly 1,000 Veterans have graduated from this program location since its inception in 2013.

 

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Aiken, South Carolina

The town of Aiken is home to many Veterans and Service Members from the nearby Fort Jackson and Fort Gordon, making it the perfect place for Saratoga WarHorse’s first satellite location which was launched in 2014. Since then, Saratoga WarHorse has helped nearly 500 Veterans and Service Members through the Aiken program, most of whom reside in the Central Savannah River Area. This location has also helped nearly 50 retired Thoroughbred racehorses peacefully transition off the track and find their forever homes.

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Baltimore County, Maryland

Since 2013, dozens of Baltimore County Veteran law enforcement personnel, correctional officers, and first responders have attended the Saratoga WarHorse program. Their enthusiasm and belief in the program led to the creation of this location. In May 2018, Saratoga WarHorse launched its 3rd location in Cockeysville, MD. The Saratoga WarHorse Baltimore County location partners with Foxie G Foundation to deliver the program to Veterans-in-need.

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