A Quiet Morning in the Barn
In the early stillness of a Camby morning, the barn at Amazing Grace Equine Therapy smells of hay and warm sunbeams. The rhythmic click of hooves on the floor echoes softly — a sound that settles into the chest like a long breath finally released.
WRTV Good Morning Indiana anchor Kaitlyn Kendall steps into this peace with a familiarity earned from years spent in the saddle.
“You may not know this about me, but riding horseback is one of my favorite pastimes,” she says. “I've seen firsthand the solitude and what it can do for your mental health; it truly can be life-changing."
Inside the barn, horses move with unhurried purpose. Their presence is steady — seen more than heard — as a volunteer saddles up for another day of quiet transformation.
“The things that I've witnessed are just unbelievable,” says John, his voice carrying over the soft laughter of a participant nearby.
Here, healing unfolds without rush. Sometimes, without words at all.
A Space Where Silence Speaks
John Lambert, founder of Amazing Grace Equine Therapy, watches as veterans reconnect with a sense of safety they haven’t felt in years.
“They understand your emotional state,” he says. “They put out an aura of calmness and acceptance. That's why they heal people so well."
A veteran gently strokes a horse’s neck — “walk on Joe,” she murmurs — and in that small cue, trust begins to rebuild.
Pat Blazek, a U.S. Navy veteran, knows that trust well.
“You can't keep it all there forever,” she says.
For Pat, who served more than eight years, including time in a reconnaissance squad in Guam, the journey back to civilian life was steep.
“It was quite emotional actually. Just to think about it now. It's very emotional. It's a good emotion, because you can't keep walls up forever. Sometimes you have to learn to open up and make that transition from being in the military to fitting into society.”
Like many veterans, Pat carried invisible burdens — and found herself struggling to be understood.
“Self medicating for the situation you are experiencing and a lot of people do that,” she says. “It's also a way of functioning to get through day by day.”
John sees that struggle all the time.
"They take themselves away from the VA hospital- they get into drugs and alcohol, and trying to survive on their own means, and it doesn't work for them," he says. “Many of them don't ask for help until they've reached rock bottom.”
But at Amazing Grace, rock bottom is met with open space, quiet air, and a living being that doesn’t judge.
“You can go to talk therapy, that only does so much. But there has to be an outlet to where you go and people don't judge,” Pat says. “Horses don't judge, they don't care what you've got going on. I've found, often times horses kind of get what's going on."
The Unspoken Understanding
That unspoken connection — the kind found only in the presence of a horse — is what helps veterans get back into the saddle of life.
And sometimes, healing happens in moments no one can predict.
John often shares the story of Joe, one of the therapy horses, and a young man named Lucas.
“It wasn't with a veteran, but it just gives you an indication,” John says. “Of how far reaching their healing can go.”
He begins to describe Lucas — now 29 — who had been riding Joe for years. Often, his older brother Nate, just a year older, would bring him to lessons. They were inseparable.
Then, six years ago, Nate was killed in a car accident.
“It was absolutely devastating for Lucas,” John says. “He totally shut down.”
Two weeks later, Lucas’s mother called: he had not spoken or cried since the accident. Therapists and teachers had tried everything. Nothing reached him.
They wondered — could Joe?
Of course, John said. Bring him.
The first visit was quiet. The second changed everything.
“I looked over to him and he took one of the chairs from the front of the horse barn here, drag it down the aisleway, and he opened Joe's stall,” John recalls. “And put his chair right there and I looked over and, there he sat talking out loud to, to Joe about his brother Nate and just bawling his eyes out.”
No therapist could reach him. No family member. No friend.
“But he trusted Joe and felt the comfort with Joe to be able to start that healing process,” John says.
More Than Riding — A Lifeline for Many
Amazing Grace Equine Therapy’s programs extend far beyond veterans. The organization is certified in EAGALA-based trauma therapy, offering aftercare and support for survivors of:
- sexual and physical abuse
- PTSD and traumatic brain injury
- addiction recovery
- grief and loss
- at-risk youth challenges
- and numerous other forms of trauma
With the guidance of licensed mental health professionals, certified equine specialists, and therapy horses, the center provides non-talk therapy — a research-backed method that helps people heal without needing to find the right words.
The facility offers therapeutic riding, equine-facilitated psychotherapy, equine-facilitated learning, leadership development for organizations, and the Rough Riders program for veterans and their families. Riders of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds come seeking confidence, peace, strength, and connection.
Their participants include children and adults with autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, MS, sensory disorders, sickle cell anemia, developmental disabilities, and many other conditions.
Each program is rooted in a simple truth: horses help humans discover parts of themselves they thought were lost.
A Path Forward — One Step, One Hoofbeat at a Time
Whether it’s a veteran relearning trust, a child gaining mobility, a family healing from trauma, or a young man grieving the loss of his brother, the power of the horse remains constant.
Their presence builds confidence. Their gait strengthens muscles. Their silence encourages honesty. Their intuition anchors souls drifting in heavy waters.
Amazing Grace Equine Therapy continues to grow its mission by partnering with VA centers, National Guard programs, American Legion posts, VFWs, and families searching for hope.
And in a peaceful barn in Camby, every hoofbeat carries a story — of resilience, of connection, and of the unwavering belief that healing is possible.
To learn more about the programs offered and how to get involved, visit this link.
