There’s a farm on Priestford Road (Rt. 136) in Churchville, Maryland, where healing doesn’t happen on a couch or in a clinical office. It happens in a round pen, in the quiet space between a woman and a 1,200-pound animal who has no idea what her diagnosis was, what her trauma looked like, or what box society might put her in. The horse just knows how to be present. And it turns out, that’s exactly what a lot of people need.

This is home base for Hope In A Horseshoe — a Harford County nonprofit built around a simple but powerful idea, and a proud NANA Club host nonprofit.

More Than Equine Therapy

Hope In A Horseshoe is a 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to provide safe, accessible, trauma-informed healing experiences in partnership with horses for women and children impacted by trauma and life challenges — supporting emotional recovery and fostering trust, resilience, and personal growth.

Their tagline says it in four words: Healing Hearts Through Horses.

But the “how” is what makes this organization worth paying attention to. This isn’t horseback riding lessons with a wellness label attached. It’s trauma-informed programming, built specifically around what a horse can offer that traditional talk therapy often can’t — a nonjudgmental presence, an immediate and honest mirror for what someone is feeling, and a relationship built entirely on trust.

Programs Built Around the Horse

Hope In A Horseshoe currently offers:

• Weekly groups for women affected by trauma — because trauma is different for every person, and the group is designed to be a place to work through that experience at your own pace, surrounded by support instead of judgment.
• Monthly groups for those on a cancer journey — extending the same healing framework to people navigating one of life’s most disorienting diagnoses.
• Monthly and weekly workshops for children — introducing the same trust-building, presence-based work to Harford County’s youngest residents.

Every one of these programs happens in partnership with the horse. That’s not a footnote — it’s the entire model.

A Mission Rooted in Accessibility

What stands out about Hope In A Horseshoe’s mission isn’t just that they use horses for healing — plenty of equine therapy programs exist. It’s the emphasis on safe and accessible. This is programming built for women and children who may never have set foot on a farm, who may not be able to afford traditional therapy, and who need a space specifically designed with trauma in mind from the very first interaction.

A Young Organization With a Clear Vision

Hope In A Horseshoe is still in its early chapters — but the programming is already running, the mission is already clear, and the community is already showing up. That combination is exactly why they’re worth watching, and exactly why local support matters right now. Organizations at this stage don’t need applause from a distance. They need hands, dollars, and advocates in the room while the foundation is still being built.

How NANA Supports Hope In A Horseshoe

Hope In A Horseshoe is a NANA Club host nonprofit — meaning a dedicated group of Harford County business professionals meets monthly, on Fourth Wednesdays at 5:30pm, at 316 Priestford Rd in Churchville, to serve as their community advisory board.

Every month, NANA members bring professional expertise to the table: partnership ideas, fundraising strategy, marketing support, and the kind of sustained business perspective that a young nonprofit rarely gets consistent access to.

And as with every NANA Club, membership dollars flow directly back — 20% of NANA membership dues are donated to the home club, turning monthly meetings into recurring, structural investment rather than a one-time gesture.

If you’re a Harford County business professional who believes in the power of trauma-informed, horse-partnered healing, joining the Hope In A Horseshoe NANA Club is one of the most meaningful things you can do with one hour a month.

Get Involved with Hope In A Horseshoe

• Volunteer — reach out to their Volunteer Coordinator at nanr27@gmail.com
• Give financially — donations are tax-deductible, and every dollar helps make trauma-informed care accessible to more women and children.  Click here to donate!
• Follow them on Facebook — facebook.com/hopeinahorseshoe
• Connect on LinkedIn — linkedin.com/company/hope-in-a-horseshoe-inc
• Reach out directly — (443) 570-0884 or info@hopeinahorseshoe.org

Learn more at hopeinahorseshoe.org

Join the NANA Club That Supports Hope In A Horseshoe

If this is the kind of quiet, foundational work you want to be part of — not just as a donor, but as a consistent, engaged community advocate — NANA has a seat at the table for you.

One hour a month, starting at $25. Real impact for an organization doing real, hands-on healing work in your community.

Join the Hope In A Horseshoe NANA Club at nanaclubs.com →

NANA — Nonprofit Advocates Networking Alliance — connects business professionals with local nonprofits through monthly one-hour club meetings. Every Club is dedicated to one nonprofit. Every dollar of dues includes a 20% give-back to that nonprofit. Learn more at nanaclubs.com.