Highlights
- Hunkapi Farms and the Scottsdale Research Institute have partnered to offer a free six-week equine therapy program for military veterans and first responders.
- The curriculum covers nervous system responses, fight-flight-freeze reactions, and stress deactivation techniques through direct horse interaction.
- Terra Schaad, executive director and founder of Hunkapi, leads the Scottsdale nonprofit, which operates a 10-acre farm at 12051 N 96th St.
- Army veteran Nicolas Jones volunteers with the Scottsdale Research Institute and advocates for equine therapy as a bottom-up processing approach for the program's target population.
Hunkapi Farms and the Scottsdale Research Institute have launched a free six-week equine therapy cohort for military veterans and first responders, pairing hands-on horse work with structured instruction in stress management.
The program curriculum teaches participants about nervous system responses, fight-flight-freeze reactions, and stress deactivation techniques through direct interaction with horses, according to FOX 10, which first reported the partnership. Terra Schaad, executive director and founder of Hunkapi Programs, leads the Scottsdale nonprofit behind the effort.
Nicolas Jones, an Army veteran who volunteers with the Scottsdale Research Institute, has become an advocate for the approach, describing equine therapy as bottom-up processing particularly suited to first responders and veterans.
Hunkapi operates a 10-acre farm at 12051 N 96th St. in Scottsdale and has offered equine-assisted psychotherapy and therapeutic riding since its origins in therapeutic riding research at Arizona State University in the late 1990s. The organization serves clients from age 3 through adulthood, with diagnoses including PTSD, addiction disorder, autism spectrum disorder, and ADHD. It recently earned a Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency for nonprofit accountability.
Pinnacle Peak Recovery, another Scottsdale provider, separately partners with Hunkapi for equine-assisted psychotherapy sessions held weekly at 8070 E. Morgan Trail, underscoring the farm's role as a hub for equine mental health services across the city.
Who is behind the Scottsdale Research Institute partnership?
Nicolas Jones, an Army veteran, volunteers with the Scottsdale Research Institute and is a public advocate for the program. The institute's partnership with Hunkapi funds the six-week cohort at no cost to veteran and first-responder participants, with the curriculum structured around nervous system science and hands-on horse interaction rather than traditional talk therapy.
Registration details for the next cohort are available through Hunkapi's programs page.
Sources
Every factual claim in this article traces to one of the sources below. See how we work for the editorial process.
- Fox 10 Phoenix retrieved 17/05/2026 00:58
- Fox 10 Phoenix retrieved 17/05/2026 00:58
- beaminghealth.com retrieved 17/05/2026 00:58
- hunkapi.org retrieved 17/05/2026 00:58
- psychologytoday.com retrieved 17/05/2026 00:58
Authored by The Scottsdale Signal. Drafted by AI from primary-source material under our beat-specific editorial guides; reviewed by humans before publish under our five-gate process. Sources retrieved at 17/05/2026 00:58. Every claim traces to a source.
