LEAP (Lowcountry Equine Assisted Psychotherapy)

05/04/2026

Every donation helps, big or small. From our herd at LEAP, thank you!

05/04/2026

The barn at LEAP just got a major glow-up thanks to our friends at Blackbaud! Huge thank you to Heather and Jackie for giving the stall gates a fresh coat of paint ✨

12/11/2025

Calling all Horse/Animal Loving Volunteers to join our herd!

We are in need of some additional volunteers at LEAP!

-Barn shifts include feeding horses, filling water troughs, tidying stalls, etc.
-Horse/Livestock experience is helpful.
-Volunteer shifts are scheduled in the AM or PM and usually take about 2 to 2 1/2 hours to complete.
-Flexible scheduling once per week or twice a month.

If interested or know someone who may be a great addition to our herd, please contact Patti Ruth at pruth@leapinsc.org or call 843-296-1544.

11/11/2025

11/11/2025

We’re proud to honor not only the brave men and women who have served our country, but also one extraordinary mare who stood beside them: Sergeant Reckless.

At LEAP, we know the healing power and heart of horses. Reckless reminds us that courage, loyalty, and service come in many forms, and that the bond between horse and human is truly life-changing.

This is a statue of Reckless, a heroic U.S. Marine horse from the Korean War. Bought for only $250, she became a legend carrying ammo through battlefields alone, making 51 trips in one day and over 9,000 pounds of supplies. She covered more than 35 miles in a day, through mud, hills, and explosions. Even after being hurt twice, she kept going. For her bravery, she was given the high rank of Staff Sergeant. Reckless was a true hero!

11/11/2025

Honoring our heroes on this Veterans Day 🇺🇸

Today, we pause to honor the brave men and women who have served our country with courage, strength, and sacrifice.

At LEAP, we are proud to serve many veterans and retired military members and their families through our equine-assisted psychotherapy programs. Every day, we witness the powerful connection between horses and humans, helping veterans find healing, peace, and purpose beyond their service.

To all who have worn the uniform: thank you for your service, your resilience, and your continued strength. You inspire us daily.

11/09/2025

A beautiful afternoon for some new hay! 🌾

LEAP Board Member John McNiece, along with Mark Pool (USAF, Ret.) and volunteers from the 315th Airlift Wing at Joint Base Charleston, spent the day loading up a fresh batch of orchard grass from New York State.

Thank you to everyone who lent a hand, teamwork makes all the difference with our herd!

11/09/2025

Kathleen Broughan and Mark Holyfield from Vantage Point were honored to attend Boeing’s groundbreaking ceremony for their new expansion this past Friday.

A big thank-you to Boeing for your continued support of the LEAP Military Services Program, your partnership helps us make a lasting impact in the lives of our military community. 💙

11/08/2025

Take a moment to read this insightful blog post from Horses for Mental Health:

Most men grow up hearing the same words: be strong, don’t cry, shake it off. Somewhere along the way, those words turned into walls.

Today, men are dying by su***de twice as often as women (World Health Organization, 2021), not because they feel less, but because they’ve been taught to show less. Many don’t call what they feel depression or anxiety. They just say they’re tired, stressed, or angry.

That silence takes a toll. Loneliness among men is now being called an epidemic. The pressure to stay “okay” can become its own kind of isolation. But things are changing.

This Mens Heath Awareness Month, Horses for Mental Health recognizes how connection, whether through conversation, therapy, or time spent with horses, helps men rediscover trust, calm, and balance.

https://horsesformentalhealth.org/whats-shaping-mens-mental-health-today/?fbclid=IwY2xjawN8OS5leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeMx484-OMRjL-IdFFGHP1EGhQSUVoDjZ1z7hX45FiNupftDXWXeGjabRudgs_aem_aF2WxPGBIEHyTtp9Z_jJ5w

When’s the last time you really asked a man in your life how he’s doing and waited for the full answer? For many men, mental health isn’t an easy topic to bring up. Cultural expectations still run deep: stay strong, keep control, hold it together. That message comes with a cost. Around the wor...

11/08/2025

“It’s just a saddle pad, not a monster,” a client said to their horse while working on their horse’s fear of the saddle pad.

You might be thinking, “How is helping a horse therapy?” That is such a good question. So, let’s break it down - To help the horse, the client must work on and successfully be able to do the following:

✅ notice changes in their body and their horse’s body
✅ identify their emotions
✅ regulate their body,
✅ assist their horse in regulating
✅ work through their frustration when things do not go as planned
✅ work through moments of “I don't want to”
✅ work through moments of “this is too hard”
✅ work through moments of “I can’t do it”
✅ notice their self-talk and adjust it if needed.
✅ offer support to another who is struggling
✅ Feeling and coping with the discomfort of the another being upset with you
✅ Learning to connect instead of control
have compassion for another’s experience
✅ focus, and if distracted, be able to re-focus
✅ identify moments of progress
✅ be able to titrate what they are asking so they do not overwhelm their horse’s nervous system
✅ make a plan and work the plan
✅ take information they learned and apply it to the plan, and change the plan as needed

As each of these arise for the client, the therapy team addresses the issue with the client in the moment. The client learns the skills they need to help their horse which also helps them.

Working on something as simple as a horse’s fear of an object can give humans the opportunity to work on many things that will improve their lives.

09/23/2025

Howdy, Ya’ll! It’s time to saddle up and lock in those sponsorships for the Carolina Children’s Charity Fun Run happening this weekend!

We’re strapping pedometers on our ponies this Saturday 9.27 in honor of the Carolina Children’s fun run to see how far they’ll go, and more importantly, how much our herd can raise for one of our biggest supporters. 🐎💙

Here’s a look at the 2023 totals:
Richman: 16.5 miles
Magic: 15 miles
Ember: 13.5 miles
Waffles: 12.6 miles
Liberty: 12 miles

We’ve also got some new hooves in the herd this year! Any guesses on how much Chip and Zara will bring in for the cause?

Now’s your chance to get involved!
You can sponsor a flat amount, pledge per mile, or really kick it up a notch and pledge per tenth of a mile. However you choose to give, every dollar goes directly toward helping children right here in the Lowcountry.

Carolina Children’s Charity plays a vital role in supporting local kids, and part of that is funding equine-assisted mental health sessions here at LEAP, services that would otherwise be out of reach for many families.

Access matters. Community matters. Let’s ride for a cause that counts.
Who can we count on you for?

Meet Zara and Chip in the videos attached. Zara’s all about those under-the-chin scratches, while Chip prefers grazing in the fields. Who do you think will rack up the most miles? 🐴💙

08/03/2025

Never underestimate the healing power of horses. 🐴💙 At LEAP, these incredible animals help guide the journey to emotional wellness through equine-assisted psychotherapy.