About Our Equine-Assisted Therapy Programs
One Child. One Horse. One Day at a Time.
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Our Story
Horses Healing Hearts started in 2009, sparked by the incredible journey of Lizabeth Olszewski. Growing up with alcoholic parents, Liz’s life changed forever when a caring aunt took her in, providing the love and support she needed. Her experience with a horse, a mentor, and that emotional support became the heart of what we do today.
Since day one, Horses Healing Hearts has been here to help at-risk kids in South Florida by tapping into the special bond between humans and horses. We give these kids facing tough challenges the confidence and coping skills they need to overcome their struggles.
Located in Tara Farms in Delray Beach, Florida, every 2-hour equine therapy session is a chance for kids to grow. They learn important life skills like making good decisions, recognizing safe people, communicating well, and expressing their feelings in healthy ways. With the help of the amazing horses, we’re here to guide them toward healing and building resilience.
What We Do
Why We Do It
“We’re here to stop the generational cycle of addiction that takes a healthy childhood from them and repeats the cycle if nothing is done.At Horses Healing Hearts, we help kids develop the skills, confidence, and courage they need to face their unique challenges. With these tools, they have hope and the chance to create an exciting, promising future—free from drugs and alcohol.”
What Makes HHH Work So Well?
Safe Space + Horses + Expert Team = The Key Ingredients for Healing
A Safe Place to Be Heard
At Horses Healing Hearts, we’ve built a caring environment where kids can really open up and feel like they’re heard. With the help of our awesome staff and volunteers, children can talk about what’s bothering them with other kids who understand what they’re going through. For most of them, this is the one place where they actually feel safe and understood.
At home, when kids try to talk about their feelings, they often hear things like “You shouldn’t feel that way,” “Grow up,” or “You don’t know what it means to be upset.” Parents do the best with the tools they have, and many parents heard this in their families. But we’ve learned this shuts them down, making it hard for them to express themselves. At HHH, we flip that script and give them the space they need to share, heal, and grow.
Horses Teach Connection, Communication & Trust
Horses, with their sharp instincts and social nature, have evolved to be incredibly perceptive to the emotions of those around them. This extraordinary ability makes them masters at detecting when a person’s inner feelings don’t match what they’re showing on the outside.
So, what does this mean? If someone is feeling one way on the inside but acting differently on the outside, the horse can tell. The horse interprets this inconsistency as, “If you can’t be real with yourself, how can I trust you? Will you hurt me?” Feeling unsafe, the horse won’t connect.
To connect with the horse, kids are driven to be authentic, even when it’s hard. This is a crucial step in their healing journey—trusting the horse with their deepest secrets and letting go of their pain without fear of being judged.
We explain it to the kids like this: “Just like a dog can ‘smell fear,’ a horse can sense when your ‘insides don’t match your outsides.’ If you want to connect with the horse, you’ve got to be real and honest about your feelings.”
The Addiction Crisis: A Complex Challenge
In 2017, the Surgeon General revealed a shocking reality: overdose had become the leading cause of death for those under 50. Many of those lost were parents, leaving behind children to navigate the painful aftermath.
The Impact of Parental Addiction on Children
When a parent misuses drugs or alcohol, it’s nearly impossible for them to be the parent their child needs. They’re often unavailable, both physically and mentally, to meet their child’s emotional and social needs. Tragically, children of addicted parents are four times more likely to misuse substances themselves. The damage doesn’t stop there—these unmet needs can lead to:
2.) Struggles with forming a healthy self-image
3.) Weakened social skills, including:
• Setting and maintaining boundaries
• Building effective relationships
The Solution: Prevention and Education
Understanding leads to healing.
Children often wonder, “What’s wrong with my family?” or “Why is this happening to me?” They might even blame themselves, especially after hearing things like, “If you behaved better, I wouldn’t have to drink so much.” At Horses Healing Hearts, we teach them a powerful truth: their loved one’s addiction is not their fault. They are not alone, and there is hope for a brighter future.
Most importantly, children learn that while addiction is a terrible disease, it doesn’t make their parent a bad person.
Although we can’t explain why someone becomes addicted, we can help children understand the confusing behaviors that come with it—why promises are broken, why their parent acts differently when drinking, or why they feel sick when not drinking.
Through prevention education, children learn that their mixed feelings—loving their parent but hating the addiction—are completely normal. They discover how to separate themselves from their parent’s disease, which is a crucial step on the path to healing.
About Our Equine Assisted Therapy Programs
CHILDREN'S PROGRAMS
CHILDRENS' PREVENTION
PROGRAM
This program helps children impacted by parental addiction through peer groups, horses and an evidence-based curriculum.
MENTOR
PROGRAM
Participants have a chance to spend time with an eligible high school or college students to build healthy and long-lasting relationships.
Take a Look Inside
Meet Liz Olszewski,
Founder & Executive Director
Having grown up with alcoholic parents, Liz understands the deep-seeded trauma associated with the impact of substance abuse on children & families.
Since a very young age, Liz has wanted to help other people with their struggles of growing up under the thumbs of addicted parents. She has dedicated her life to creating this one-of-a kind South Florida equine assisted therapy program, paying forward the healing that she experienced through horses and mentors.
Watch On YouTube
Liz Olszewski testifies to Congress on behalf of
children of parental addiction.
A unique combination of horses and mentorship.
Through peer-to-peer support groups led by trained equine assisted therapy professionals, children learn life coping skills enabling them to lead healthy and fulfilling lives, free from drugs and alcohol. Children learn they are not alone, that their parents’ disease is not their fault, and there are safe people who love them. Connecting with the horses is scientifically proven to reduce cortisol, the stress hormone. Horses Healing Hearts’ one-of-a kind horse therapy programs provide an environment of connection, hope and empowerment.
Our Programs
Why horses?
Being prey animals, horses…
- Read people objectively, and are constantly aware of their surroundings.
- Are uniquely equipped to connect with
individuals who are authentic with their feelings. - Are masters at reading body language and
being “present in their bodies,” which makes
them excellent teachers for us to do the same. - Do not judge. They don’t care about the clothes
you wear or the car you drive. Their only concern
is, “Am I safe with you?” - Have been scientifically proven to reduce the
cortisol levels of those who spend time in their
presence, caring and working with them.
(Washington State University- Cortisol Study)
Our success formula.
HHH exists to give a model of healthy people, communication, thinking and problem resolution. These safe people, animals and safe place teach children what healthy and happy looks like. They have mentors, so they don’t take the same path in life as their parents.
Children learn:
- communication tools to advocate for themselves
- how to find safe people and healthy mentors
- how to have healthy boundaries
- the benefits and importance of self-care and mindfulness
Dollars Raised
Since 2009 through current day, donations from generous people like you have helped provide this unique program.
HOURS OF PREVENTION EDUCATION
Our 2 hour weekly sessions have taught children coping skills that have saved lives.
Families Helped
Through the Children’s Prevention Program and the Recovery Treatment Center Equine Therapy Program.
ADULTS IN RECOVERY
Since 2014, Horses Healing Hearts has proudly served adults who struggle with substance use disorder.
Horses Healing Hearts is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization
Your Donations Make a Huge Impact
Transform a Life. Donate Today.
Thanks to incredible supporters like you, we’ve delivered thousands of hours of prevention education, emotional healing, and mentorship to hundreds of South Florida youth affected by parental addiction and substance use disorder.
Licensed by the Florida Dept of Children & Families, Guidestar, and Eagala Certified, our equine-assisted therapy programs offer crucial support to children facing the long-term effects of ACES (Adverse Childhood Experiences) due to parental addiction.
Children in these situations often don’t know what “happy and healthy” looks like—but we show them. We give them hope and the tools to empower themselves. Recognized as one of the Best Charities by Great Nonprofits®, we’re committed to making a real difference in these young lives.
With your help, we can continue to create positive change, save lives, and build a brighter future for children in our community. Your donation, no matter the amount, can be life-changing—or even life-saving.
Right now, South Florida’s children need these transformative experiences more than ever—and they’re relying on your support to make it happen. Your gift brings the magic of fresh air and renewed hope to these innocent kids, especially those in low-income communities.
As a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, we depend on tax-deductible donations from generous people like you to keep our vital programs alive. Donating online is safe and secure through PayPal®—just click the links below to make a difference today.