WH4V
War Horses For Veterans on a non-profit organization dedicated to providing equine therapy to military veterans of any branch, age or war affiliation. The farm is located in Stilwell, Kansas and was founded by Patrick Benson who has coined the motto, "horses are the bridge, veterans are their own best therapy." Currently they offer a three day program in which veterans are forwarded the opportunity to interact with the horses and with each other in a safe, judgment-free environment and to decompress and share stories with one another.
Social media is important to this organization because it allows them to get the word out about their organization without having to pay money for advertising. Â In a non-profit organization that is run on donations, the ability to advertise without cost is priceless and allows more money to be put into helping our veterans. Â I would not necessarily say that there is a set "norm" or "standard" for social media use in the equine or veteran industries but I do believe that among the younger generations, such as OEF and OIF generation veterans like myself, social media usage is much more prevalent than it is to veterans of past wars such as the Gulf War or Vietnam. For that reason, I feel that the use of social media does not as successfully aid in reaching veterans of pre-Iraq wars and will lessen the amount of older veterans who apply to the program.
WH4V is very well-rounded when it comes to social media accounts but not so much in the usage of them all. Currently they have a Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Vimeo and a YouTube channel. They primarily seem to use their Facebook and Instagram accounts more than anything else. Their Fcebook has about 5,600 followers and their IG has about 6,300. Their latest Twitter post was just over a month ago, their last LinkedIn activity was eight months ago and the last video on Vimeo is from quite some time ago. Â These accounts have significantly less followers with just over 1,000 on Twitter, 62 on LinkedIn and 0 on Vimeo. Of course, in addition to social media, they also have an official website.
https://warhorsesforveterans.com/
https://www.facebook.com/WarHorsesForVeterans
https://www.instagram.com/wh4vets/
https://twitter.com/WH4Vets
https://www.linkedin.com/company/war-horses-for-veterans
https://vimeo.com/warhorsesforveterans
It seems that their most commonly used method of appealing to people is through their use of imagery. They post many very picturesque photos of the farm and animals and pictures of veterans interacting with one another within that setting. Often the photos are accompanied by some kind of quote such as the most recent Facebook photo of a horse in a round pen, set to black and white tone that reads âIt is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live.â
This group has quite a few connections with people who may generate exposure and who contribute to their cause. Among them are: UFC fighter Cat Zingano, NBC host Megyn Kelly, Fox News commentator Tomi Lahren and professional bull rider Guilherme Marchi. Through these connestions, they have been featured on Today and OAN in interviews with Megan Kelly and Tomi Lahren.
Through their social media outlets and website, their objectives are clearly defined. The content on the sites is effective and engaging and some of the stories from veterans who have attended WH4V will leave you all warm and fuzzy inside. The website contains a small shop with hats and shirts that can be bought to support the cause as well as a donation tab and I clicked through the process and found that it was very simple to complete a transaction, which, through study, is shown to lead to more sales.
The Facebook page currently holds a five star rating based on 58 reviews and here are some of the things people had to say about the organization:
Jeremy Harrell - I am not sure I can accurately put into words what this organization has done in my life. I went out there with a lot of skeletons in my closet and was under the impression that I was this broken man who has nothing left to offer this world. I had very minimal experience with horses and was very apprehensive and nervous as a lot of Veterans are. I had been to a lot of other programs for Vets and this one was gonna be the last one. It was my last ditch effort to find purpose and seek healing. So I went. From the moment I stepped out of the airport the staff was very friendly and welcoming. I could immediately begin feeling the apprehension dissipating. The Hilton Hotel that they put you in is a beautiful hotel and the rooms are second to none. You are really able to tell how much they value the veterans. Arriving at the farm is breath taking. It's a beautiful farm in very serene and peaceful location right outside of KC. From the moment I met Patrick, Corey, Pat, Andy, and the rest of the staff, I felt at home. They really make you feel like part of the family from day one. Last but not least, you meet the horses. I was very timid at first, but quickly began to loosen up with the guidance and teaching of Patrick Benson. I've yet to meet someone as knowledgeable of Horsemanship as he is. I assure I am not getting paid to say that. Its the honest truth. The horses are very good horses for this program. They are laid back and used to people. Not only do you get to learn the basics of horsemanship, you can actually ride which I haven't found at any other program. Horses have this intuitive and supernatural ability to mirror what you put out in terms of emotions. Being prey animals, they force you to be authentic and dig deep inside in order to be able to work with them. Grooming and riding have a unique ability to calm you and force you to be present in the moment which vets struggle with. This experience inspired to come back to Kentucky and form a Vet Org of my own. I left feeling confident, wanting to serve again, and with a sense of purpose I had longed for since getting out of the Army. I truly urge anyone who may be on the fence of going, to just go. I can assure you that you won't forget it. Horses and the camaraderie of the staff at Warhorses gave me a new lease on life and there's no looking back.
Jason Larson - This was absolutely spectacular! Very relaxed atmosphere with the perfect amount of structure. They made sure we were comfortable with what we were doing before moving on to others aspects of working with the horses. And the fact that I was able to see old buddies was a plus to say the least. Thank you everyone at warhorses for veterans for an absolute wonderful time! I definitely recommend it to all veterans.
Rick Lopez - Thank you all for an amazing weekend. You are an amazing group of people. If you have not been through a weekend yet, please do it. Take care all.
Andy McCann - Indescribably... all Veterans need to make the time. Beautiful place, feels like a home away from home. First class organization and amazing staff! Thanks again for changing my life.
Tarun Raj - An amazing experience of healing and fun with an incredible group of people behind it. It is an all expenses paid trip for qualifying veterans that will change your life!
You get the point. Veterans attend the farm, it's like a mini, all inclusive vacation with other veterans and they love it. I looked through probably 100 different posts and browsed the comments on every social media platform the organization is part of and could not find anything negative. I'm sure this is in part because anything negative could easily be deleted by an administrator, but regardless, I'm not sure what anyone could really say badly about people who try to give veterans a free and therapeutic vacation.
https://www.today.com/news/war-horses-veterans-uses-equine-therapy-help-vets-find-footing-t118616
The first step to take in collecting more funding for the organization would be to raise awareness and recruit more followers. Many ways that this could be done would include putting in a small amount of money for some kind of giveaway in which current followers could tag others who would then have to like, follow and share to be entered to win. This seems to be a very effective strategy for a lot of online businesses and organizations. Secondly, implementing a regular weekly or bi-weekly video segment, like shown above, highlighting a veteran who attends the farm would give a little more of a personal appeal. Having a veteran tell their story and then show them interacting with the horses and other veterans and then wrapping up with how the visit benefited them would be a great way to show people what the organization is about and let them see the results and benefits of their donations and contributions first hand. The in-person, social interactions such as War Horses Pint Night is also a great way to bring people together for a cause, raise money and promote not only the organization but the organizationâs social media accounts as well.
I would also suggest the organization try to find ways to gear up with other businesses or organizations with similar causes that may already generate more of an income such as Wounded Warriors or The American Quarter Horse Association. Teaming up with other smaller businesses like Reins For Rescues or Horses Helping Heroes could be very beneficial to everyone involved as well. There's power in numbers, or so they say. Instead of relying on a giveaway from their site alone, joining forces with others to collaborate a larger giveaway with simple rules could cause their following to multiply greatly. Though the followers don't always stick around after the contest is over, it at least generates exposure and  it is safe to say that some of the followers will indeed stay for the long haul. Also, though it does cost money to design and print flyers or other kinds of ads, having paper forms of advertisement that could be placed in VA hospitals or therapist's offices is a great way to get the word out the older vets who may not use or navigate social media.
Following these few simple suggestions would undoubtedly help this amazing organization bring in more funds so that they may continue to assist our veterans and give them this small gift as a thank you for their great and selfless service to our country.
 GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS AND GOD BLESS AMERICA! To all who have served, are serving and to those who will serve in the future, I am eternally grateful. Semper Fi.
