the W.A.R.R.I.O.R. Horse Pack Trip Program (tm)
As part of Operation Equine’s mission to provide excellent equine therapy services for our nation’s Warriors and Protectors, we have launched a unique program called the WARRIOR Pack Trip. This program combines the best of our organization’s talents with the benefits of experiential healing and wilderness therapy by integrating human connection, equine-assisted psychotherapy and learning, and the great outdoors for our Military, Veteran, and Emergency Responder communities.
NOLS and Operation Equine are combining forces to offer our inaugural WARRIOR pack trip together! Join a group of motivated Veteran peers for a unique Western adventure: horsepacking in the rugged mountains of Wyoming. Learn to work with, travel with, and camp with our equine companions as you also learn more about yourself and how to not only navigate the complexities of your inner landscape, but also improve your communication skills (with both horses and humans) and learn new "brain hacks" (aka: nervous system regulation skills) as you explore the glacier-carved Wind River Range or the sweeping plateaus of the Absarokas with a community of your fellow veterans.
2026 Men’s Pack Trip:
the WARRIOR pack trip @ NOLS
We begin this 9 day/8 night adventure with a one night stay with the Operation Equine Team just outside of Jackson, WY, followed by two nights of camping at NOLS Three Peaks Ranch, before your backcountry expedition unfolds. Through the innovative merging of the Operation Equine WARRIOR Principles combined with the foundational Leadership Skills taught through NOLS, participants will build a strong community with fellow veterans and work on basic groundwork, horsemanship, and riding skills.
On this expedition, you’ll discover that horsepacking is a great opportunity to grow your leadership and community-building skills in a new way. Practice effective communication—with both human and equine companions—and use horsemanship as a mirror for your own personal growth.
Challenge yourself to lead in uncertainty when faced with an unexpected situation. Gain insight into group dynamics and how to support a team in different roles while also navigating and managing your own nervous system.
Return home with a renewed confidence in yourself: with increased self-awareness, and with new tools and strategies to more successfully be the person you want to be in your family, your community, outdoors, and beyond.
Click HERE for more information.
If you are interested in applying, contact Michelle Kaye, Executive Director, directly at Michelle@OperationEquine.org (Please type "2026 WARRIOR Pack Trip" in the subject line) or, call or text 720.588.3035
2026 Female veteran & Veteran spouse
Pack Trip (westcliffe, co)
Attending the retreat along with the participants are the Operation Equine therapeutic team, and the highly experienced staff and horses from Music Meadows Ranch in Westcliffe, Colorado.
Elin Parker Ganschow - owner and head horsewoman at Music Meadows - has been working with and training horses for over 30 years, and she takes great care in teaching natural horsemanship principles to our participants. Her staff is top-notch in everything that they do, are exquisite in their attention to detail, and they take phenomenal care of us from beginning to end.
Although the 2026 Female Veteran/Female Veteran Spouse cohort is currently full, please contact us if you'd like information about how to get on the waitlist for 2027.
This unique, 6-day * experience includes:
Exploring a therapeutic relationship with horses: both on the ground and on horseback.
Facilitation of evidence-based equine-assisted psychotherapy and education, as well as groundwork with the horses (based on the Eagala model and Equine Guided Education).
Gaining and/or refreshing basic riding/horsemanship principles and skills for trail rides to prepare for the the 2-night/3-day pack trip.
Submersion into nature and utilizing its benefits for therapeutic growth: individually and in community.
Collaborating as a team to help take care of the horses, prep and cook meals, and set up camp.
Building and participating in intentionally therapeutic campfire sessions.
Learning and practicing mindfulness skills: both on the ground and on horseback.
The therapeutic skills that we lean into on this trip are intended to cultivate self-awareness and self-regulation skills. This can help lead to reduced stress, decreased anxiety, increased emotional intelligence, and the ability to communicate in healthy ways. By doing this, we work towards improving our ability to communicate in healthy ways and creating a renewed sense of purpose for self, family, and the community.
Participants will experience a lifetime of benefits from the camaraderie that comes from having a shared purpose, which will allow them to better reconnect with themselves, their families, and their communities.
“My time with Operation Equine was transformative. The staff's dedication and warmth created a welcoming environment right from the start. Working with the horses was an incredibly grounding experience, their calm presence offering a unique form of therapy and connection that I had been seeking for a long time…This was an incredibly therapeutic [experience] as it mirrored the process of healing from my past experiences in the military, where trust and understanding are crucial yet often hard to come by.”
- Ben J., Veteran
Attending the retreat along with the participants are the Operation Equine therapeutic team, the staff and horses from A.J. Brink Outfitters at Sweetwater Lake Resort, and the staff and horses from Music Meadows Ranch in Westcliffe, Colorado.
“This trip changed the trajectory of my life forever. I am excited about the future again, primarily because I am now focused on MY hopes and dreams, not someone else's. I have found my new sense of purpose... I was able to connect with other women in a way that was meaningful and healing. A couple of years ago I lost my shipmate and buddy to covid. While I didn’t serve with any of the women on this trip, they helped me heal from that loss, and I can honestly say I have gained some new battle buddies!”
T.M., Navy Veteran
Partner Organizations
Sponsorship and Donation Opportunities
BRONZE DONORS
$50 - Donate snacks for the day
$100 - Donate the cost of a gas card for 1 Veteran
$500 - Donate the cost of one night of lodging
SILVER DONORS
$800 - Sponsor lodging for the first 2 days of both Pack Trips
$1,000 - Donate half the cost of the WARRIOR Pack Trip for 1 Veteran
GOLD STAR DONORS
$2,000 - Sponsor 1 Veteran for the WARRIOR Pack Trip!
$4,000 - Sponsor 2 Veterans!
$25,000 - Sponsor the cost of the entire tuition for a WARRIOR Pack Trip Program for 7 Veterans
"The WARRIOR horse pack trip was truly a transformative experience for me. From the moment I arrived, I felt invested in the journey ahead. The calming effect of the wilderness and the interactive nature of the trip allowed me to truly connect with myself and those around me.”
Adam K, Army Veteran
“The work we did with the horses allowed me to shine a light on areas of myself I needed to pay attention to that I had never realized before…Forming a bond with a horse is more powerful than the average person is aware of. You can learn a lot about yourself and the horse while doing equine therapy, and I have taken the things I learned…and continued to work on them outside of this trip.”
L.S., Navy Veteran
