Henry's Home, Horse and Human Sanctuary

CONROE, TX -- Henry’s Home is run by a bunch of strong women, but there are a few men scattered about. It may be Donna Stedman’s brainchild, but she gladly lets the horses take all the recovery credit for the Vets and First Responders. The program director and equine manager Krista Venzia, along with Stedman, and operations director Vicki Huebler, keep the machine well-oiled. Thanks to donations, they make sure the horses get what they need in relation to feed and medical issues. That allows for new Veteran and First responder participants to begin the program so they can start their journey to healing. And Veterans and First Responders never pay anything to participate.

“These horses do change Veterans and First Responders’ lives,“ said Henry’s Home Operations Director Vicki Huebler, who was a paramedic for 8 years. “The experience participants will feel is something that is really hard to express. The horses know what they are feeling even before they do.“

Navy Veteran Traci Stahl, volunteers at Henry’s Home to relieve the stress in the caregiving to her son, who is a permanently disabled Navy Veteran. Stahl was stationed in Bermuda during time in the Navy. She noted that the stress that had built up in her caregiving duties began to subside when she began working with the horses. Henry’s Home has made a great impact on her life, which helps her provide better care for her son. Stahl’s day at the sanctuary is spent dealing with horse droppings, tossing hay bales here and there, grooming, and anything else than needs done. She has no trouble resting at night for the amount of exhaustive work she puts into helping the horses.

“I found out about Henry’s Home three years ago,” said Stahl, “I come out and get some quiet and peaceful time with them, and it helps with my anxiety.”

You don’t have to know anything about horses to start the program. And as Veterans and First Responders volunteer to groom and later ride their chosen animals, they come to get a sense of what it takes to care for their four-legged friends, and can see what it takes to run a facility, which essentially is a 20-acre ranch.

“I came to find out about the therapeutic services that are offered here,“ said Army Veteran Chris Craig, who served as a Combat Medic in Afghanistan. “It’s very nice and peaceful out here. I enjoy seeing the horses and look forward to interacting with them.”

Henry’s Home is a sanctuary and forever home to an average of 25 horses, with the occasional passing of a horse. The organization is offered many horses every month, but they sadly have to turn them down.

“My role is to provide Veterans a place to feel understood,” said Henry’s Home Veterans Liaison David Arenas, a Marine Corp Veteran. “My goal is to translate the curriculum in a way that makes the Veteran feel confident and understanding of the new concepts and challenges that they encounter in reference to our program.”

It takes tens of thousands of dollars to run Henry’s Home each month, and thanks to generous benefactors and other donations, the sanctuary has never gone a month without paying its bills. The sanctuary provides an environment free from stress for the Veterans and First Responders to spend time with the horses and their families as well as on-site peers to help each other recover from the busy days.

Henry’s Home website is under construction, but their FB page is www.facebook.com/henryshomehorseandhumansanctuary. To donate, you can call (281) 292-1110, or send a check to: Henry’s Home, 14638 Perry Rd, Conroe, TX 77302.

Ruben can be reached at: ruben@montgomerycountynews.net

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