Healing and hope on horseback

Nestled against the peaceful backdrop of New Mexico’s Mesilla Valley, Bridle Up Hope Las Cruces is a place where girls, women, and horses come together to grow, heal, and shine. Girls and women of all ages step into the arena carrying burdens that are often invisible. Struggling with anxiety, grief, trauma, or self-doubt, they come searching for something they can’t quite articulate and often find it in the steady breath of a horse.

Bridle Up Hope, founded in 2013 in Alpine, Utah, is an equine-assisted mentoring organization dedicated to helping girls and women build confidence, resilience, and hope. What began as a small, faith-rooted outreach has grown into a nationally recognized nonprofit with licensed affiliates across several states. Las Cruces is home to one of those branches.

“I think what’s really important to remember is that we are equine-assisted learning, not therapy,” said Las Cruces program director Kelly Koerper. “We believe the horse experience is therapeutic for girls and women in particular.”

At its heart, the mission is simple: empowering participants through meaningful connection—with horses, with mentors, and with themselves.

The program was inspired by the belief that horses, with their sensitivity and strength, mirror human emotion in ways that foster self-awareness. Unlike traditional therapy settings, the barn strips away pretense. A horse does not respond to status, social media presence, or rehearsed answers. It responds to energy, intention, and trust. That dynamic becomes the foundation for growth.

“You can walk in with a pair of boots and jeans, and we’ve got you covered with great trainers who have impressive resumes and personalities that truly want to help and mentor,” Koerper said. “We have amazing horses—four my family owns and four that are donated. They’re well-trained and gentle. They’re truly incredible animals.”

Participants follow a structured curriculum based on seven habits inspired by Stephen R. Covey’s book, “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,” blending horsemanship with life-skills development. Over several months, they learn to groom, lead, and ride horses while developing character through hard work in the barn.

Laura Montes discovered Bridle Up Hope at a critical moment in her life. Having just quit her job, she was unemployed, financially strained, and discouraged.

“It was a beautiful little synchronicity moment, how I found it,” Montes said. “A good friend asked me to take a yoga class with her. While I was waiting to go in, I noticed a bulletin board with a pamphlet for Bridle Up Hope, and it just captivated me. It gave a little information about how it was an empowerment program for girls and women to learn the seven habits of successful people while working with horses. I thought, it is amazing that this even exists in Las Cruces.”

She visited the Bridle Up Hope website, did her research, and reached out to Koerper.

“I was very discouraged and wanted to learn more,” Montes said. “Almost immediately, I got a call or text from Kelly. She invited me to tour the barn and told me more about the program.”

The seven habits are integrated into riding lessons, mentoring sessions, and personal development activities designed to build strong character and leadership skills.

“The most important thing it did for me was renew my sense of my own strength,” Montes said. “I used to be very athletic. I was a ballet dancer from the time I was three years old. About 10 years ago, I tore my ACL and meniscus. After that, my whole life changed, and I didn’t have the identity of being a strong person anymore.

“That sense of true strength hadn’t returned since my knee surgery. The program helped me rediscover what it means to be an effective person, to have integrity and strong character.”

The curriculum blends practical horsemanship skills with guided lessons focused on goal setting, healthy relationships, emotional regulation, and personal accountability.

For many, transformation begins with something small: learning to confidently lead a thousand-pound animal. The act requires clarity and calm. If a participant hesitates, the horse senses it. If she steps forward with confidence, the horse follows. That immediate feedback becomes a powerful metaphor for life.

Koerper believes horses are uniquely suited for this work because they are highly sensitive and responsive to human emotion.

“I had a woman come to the barn who didn’t tell me her father had passed away the day before,” Koerper said. “My horse of 20 years was the one she chose. He can be a little nippy, but that day he just wanted to stand by her while we worked, which isn’t like him. He stood as still as a statue. It was exactly what she needed. I told her, ‘Just get on his back and sit there. Give him a big squeeze and hug.’”

Montes said her time in the barn revealed truths about herself.

“When you’re around horses, they’re like a 1,200-pound mirror,” she said. “They know what’s going on with you before you do. You can’t lie to a horse. They’re so empathetic and connected. They sense when your energy or mood is off, and they let you know. You have to be honest with yourself around them.”

The organization also incorporates service and leadership components. Graduates are often invited to return as mentors, reinforcing their growth by helping others. This cycle of giving back strengthens both individual confidence and community ties.

Bridle Up Hope serves girls and women from diverse backgrounds, emphasizing each participant’s inherent worth and potential.

Maintaining horses and a barn is costly, so the program requires tuition. Payments can be structured flexibly, and scholarships are available through donors such as Judy Bambini and the Charlotte Yates Foundation.

“We take a benevolent approach,” Koerper said. “We ask families what they can pay per month and set up a plan. We don’t care how long it takes to pay off. If they finish the program and are still paying, that’s okay.”

Participants can also offset tuition through barn service hours. For every 10 hours contributed, they earn a free lesson—benefits that last a lifetime.

Over the years, the nonprofit has expanded through partnerships, fundraising events, and standardized curriculum materials that allow new chapters to launch while preserving program integrity. Yet growth has not diminished its intimacy. The process remains as steady as a girl brushing a horse, learning patience and presence one stroke at a time.

In an era defined by digital noise and relentless pressure, Bridle Up Hope offers a profoundly different experience: dust on boots, reins in hand, a heartbeat shared between human and animal. It is there, in that quiet exchange, that confidence takes root and hope finds a bridle.

For more information, visit the website bridleuphope.org.

The Las Cruces community has an opportunity to contribute to the program and to help these women and girls. The Cowgirl Gala is coming up on Feb. 28 from 6-9 p.m. at the Las Cruces Convention Center. Tickets are $100, and attendees get a “beautifully plated meal by Chef Armando.” There will also be dancing, live music, and a silent auction. “We did a taste testing party and selected a steak with Brazilian sauce, potatoes, asparagus, along with great desserts and salads,” Koerper said. “It’s going to be fantastic.” Tickets are on sale now. They’re hoping you purchase yours by midnight Thursday, Feb. 19. Visit the convention center website for the link at https://meetinlascruces.com/event/bridle-up-gala/ .