Healing Hoof Steps was founded in 2014 by Narissa Jenkins. As the proud daughter of a decorated combat search and rescue Vietnam veteran, she knew first-hand how an individual's military experiences directly impact the lives of those around them. In the early 1980's, there was little to no public discussion of post-traumatic stress and the implications it has on an individual and their families. She had a love of horses from a very early age and took every opportunity to engage with them throughout her childhood and professional career. After a successful 20yr professional career, she found herself unfulfilled and unsure of the future. She visited a barn near the family's home in Orlando looking to spend time potentially leasing horse. The horse she had gone to meet had a pasture mate who was tall with a faded coat and slightly underweight. She learned that the tall brown horse's family had fallen upon difficult times and had been struggling to cover the care and feed for her. This would become the first of many life-saving moments that led to Healing Hoof Steps. A short time later, the owners of the tall brown horse gave her to Narissa. The two would form an unbreakable bond that helped to heal them both. Narissa began researching equine assisted therapies and discovered how horses were being incorporated into mental health treatments to help veterans overcome struggles with post traumatic stress disorder. As a Florida panhandle native, Narissa knew the impact this alternative mental health treatment would bring to so many active-duty personnel, veterans, individuals, families and at-risk youth who call the panhandle their home. In 2015, Healing Hoof Steps officially made it's home in Crestview, Florida. Today, Healing Hoof Steps is the only facility within 500 miles to offer equine assisted mental health counseling and adaptive riding services at the same location.
