Since May 2016, Lisa Ledoux, her mother and their equine therapy team have worked at Serenity Ranch Montana to offer free equine treatment for female veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or other traumas.

Serenity Ranch has been hit hard by the financial impact of COVID-19. The horse rescue facility is forced to cancel its essential equine treatment packages and sell almost 40 acres.

Ledoux said, “This year, unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 epidemic, we will not be able to run a female veteran program.” “We will be taking care of the horses. That’s what we have focused on more recently since the pandemic started, because the donations we receive have dropped significantly.”

Ledoux explained to Fox News that she and her mother are the only ones who take care of the ranch, and horses. She explained the high working costs and noted that one bale of hay is $120 and that the horses go through one bale within a day and a half.

Ledoux said that the hay alone is expensive, not to mention the upkeep of our property, and ensuring that fencing is in order so horses don’t escape. “We have to trim our horse’s toes which is not a simple task either… and just to do this costs about $2,000-$3,000. So the cost of running the place adds up.”

Ledoux’s mom and Ledoux rely on donations to run Serenity Ranch, and to provide free equine therapy to women at risk. They are motivated by their own personal experience with equine therapy after both of them experienced loss. Ledoux and his wife discovered the power of horses when Ledoux lost her stepfather suddenly to a heart attack.

Ledoux stated, “The horses have been very therapeutic. They helped us get by some really tough situations.” We wanted to share this, so we created the Serenity Ranch.

The stay is six to seven days long and includes resilience training with a certified coach, classes with a local veterinarian to learn how to handle first aid points on horses, as well as writing classes. The women are paired up with a specific horse and experience it at various times during the week.

Cari Simmons, a former Air Pressure participant, explained to Fox Information the impact of Serenity Ranch on her.

Simmons stated, “Not only was I able to bond with other veterans in a magical place of serenity and calmness, but the owners and staff on the ranch provided me unconditional acceptance that allowed me to discover my voice and confidence again.” “On top of that, a herd of magic horses living on the ranch touched me in a way that allowed me to love again — not only them but myself as well.” stated Simmons. “I’m very grateful.”

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Ledoux, her mother and their 41 horses are currently at Serenity Ranch. They have been rescuing horses of all breeds for 15 years. The mother-daughter team rescues horses that people do not want and also helps with rescue operations. Ledoux, along with her mother, helped to rescue 40 horses from hoarding two years ago.

Ledoux stated that the situation was “terrible”. The horses had not been properly cared for, or fed. They usually hadn’t even been watered. We took 40 horses to our property and, I am happy to report that most of them were either adopted or homed.

Ledoux is famous for the fact that horses with traumatizing pasts join with women who have suffered trauma themselves. He also famously famous the therapeutic benefits of the human-horse relationship.

Ledoux explained that horses can react when they are distracted by thoughts about what they ate or were going to eat for lunch. They could rear up or kick. To deal with a horses, you need to be fully present and in the moment.

Watch the full interview with Serenity Ranch’s founder Lisa Ledoux to learn more about how Serenity Ranch can help veterans.

Emily DeCiccio works as a reporter for Fox Information Digital Originals. Tweet her @EmilyDeCiccio.