Less screen time and stress. More outside country air, physical strength, confidence and joy. That is what the founders of Horses Healing Hearts, a nonprofit extension of Wolcott Farms, hope to impart on the people it serves.
A four-season farm that has been family-run for decades, Wolcott Farms is nestled among the rolling hills of Warsaw, with sweeping views of Wyoming County.
“There’s a lot of history here,” noted Tina Wolcott, who, with her husband Craig, purchased the farm from her father-in-law, Rolly, 35 years ago. “Across the road was called Quakertown
Settlement. It includes an old pioneer cemetery, and behind that, there is a fancy hand
pump that still sits there where there used to be a house. And then just down the
street is the old one room schoolhouse with the middle section still there. In history
books, it says that Rolly and his brother Walter would ride their ponies to that school.”
That connection with horses runs deep in the Wolcott family, and as the farm continued to expand its offerings, Tina and her daughter, Bryttany Ward, knew they wanted to find a way to give back to the community through their horses. They established Horses Healing Hearts to provide a secure and educational environment for veterans and individuals with special needs.
For individuals of all ages, adaptive riding and equine learning helps build self esteem and a sense of responsibility, teaching students to do everything from saddling to grooming the horses, which Tina noted is a life skill they’ll be able to take with them forever. It also provides an opportunity for regular exercise and strength training.
For veterans, the programming provides meaningful interaction with horses to gain a renewed sense of trust, confidence and connection. Veterans are guided to explore healthy communication and develop leadership skills to support emotional regulation and self-awareness.
For everyone that Horses Healing Hearts serves across Wyoming County and beyond, the ultimate goal is for participants to reach their full physical and emotional potential through the profound partnership with horses. That unique bond can facilitate tremendous personal growth, healing and empowerment.
As Tina and Bryttany look to the future, they hope to both expand their offerings and also increase the number of people they serve through finding ways to provide transportation to those who are further from Warsaw. A 2026 grant from the Wyoming Foundation is helping them to do that.
“The grant from the Wyoming Foundation is allowing more youth with special needs to come out to the farm and experience the horses,” said Bryttany, who shared a story of a young man with down syndrome who recently lost funding for transportation and is now able to continue the programming with the additional support.
The result is that more people can enjoy the great outdoors, build strength and confidence, and have a safe space to develop bonds with the horses and with one another. Bryttany sums it up: “The horses don’t judge. Everyone is always welcome here.”