FIRST RESPONDER SESSIONS

Police officers, firefighters, EMS professionals, corrections personnel, dispatchers, and other first responders carry tremendous responsibility. These sessions provide time to decompress, reconnect, and experience the quiet support of the herd.

✔ Every other week

✔ Open to all first responders 

✔ No equine experience required

FIRST RESPONDER SESSIONS

A place to set down what you carry.

Ground-based equine experiences created for law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMS professionals, dispatchers, and other first responders serving our communities.

No cost. No judgment.

Program overview

Serving those who answer the call.

First responders routinely encounter situations most people will never experience. The cumulative weight of critical incidents, long shifts, repeated exposure to trauma, and the responsibility of caring for others can follow long after the call is over.

Still Breathing Equine provides a different kind of space—away from the station, the uniform, and the expectations of the job.

Through quiet, ground-based interaction with our horses, participants have an opportunity to slow down, reconnect with the present moment, and spend time among others who understand service.

There is no pressure to talk, explain, or share more than you want to. Sometimes simply being present beside a horse is enough.

Quick facts

🐴 GROUND-BASED  All activities take place on the ground.

📅 WEEKLY SESSIONS  Dedicated opportunities for members of the first responder community.

💲 NO COST  programs are provided at no cost to participants.

🤝 PEER-CENTERED . A welcoming environment built around respect, connection, and shared understanding.

WHAT TO EXPECT

1. Welcome & Check-In  Arrive

Meet the SBE team, and get comfortable with the environment.

2. Waiver & Safety Briefing

 Participants complete required paperwork and receive a straightforward introduction to safely interacting with the horses.

3. Meet the Herd 

Get to know the horses and learn how they communicate, respond, and connect.

4. Ground-Based Interaction  Depending on the session and the horses’ individual wellness needs, activities may include grooming, leading, walking alongside a horse, or simply spending quiet time together.

5. Reconnect 

There is no required disclosure or group therapy component. Participants are encouraged to experience the session in whatever way feels meaningful to them.

You spend your career showing up for everyone else.

This is a place where you can simply show up for yourself.