From Wall Street to Stables: Banker’s Veteran Mission
A former financial industry professional has traded boardrooms for barn stalls in a mission to combat the veteran suicide crisis through innovative equine therapy. Amy Lipput, founder of New Jersey-based nonprofit Hope in Her Eyes, has developed a comprehensive approach that pairs traumatized veterans with rescue horses, creating healing partnerships that address the invisible wounds of military service.
“I was called to help others heal what I describe as ‘the noise in our heads that distorts our reality,'” explains Lipput, whose dramatic career shift from finance to therapeutic horsemanship required extensive retraining. She now holds certifications in Draper Sensory Equine Therapy, EAGALA Equine Specialist techniques, Trauma Informed Care, and Mental Health First Aid for Veterans.
The organization’s centerpiece initiative, Operation TRIBE, was developed in collaboration with the New Jersey State Disabled American Veterans’ Suicide Committee as a direct response to alarming veteran suicide statistics. Unlike traditional clinical interventions, this program creates an environment where veterans can find purpose, connection, and healing without the stigma often associated with mental health treatment.
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From Profit Margins to Profound Connections
Lipput’s transition from finance to founding a therapeutic riding center represents a profound personal transformation driven by a desire to address mental health challenges in a more meaningful way. While she once focused on economic indicators and market trends, she now watches for subtle shifts in both horses and humans that signal emotional breakthroughs.
“The skills that served me well in finance—attention to detail, pattern recognition, analytical thinking—translate surprisingly well to therapeutic work,” Lipput notes. “But the rewards are incomparable. Witnessing a veteran reconnect with joy or peace after years of struggle provides a fulfillment no financial success ever could.”
This career pivot required not just professional retraining but a complete lifestyle change. The daily rhythm of corporate meetings and financial analysis has been replaced by the natural cadence of caring for horses and creating safe spaces for vulnerable individuals to heal.
Four Hooves, Zero Judgment
The therapeutic approach at Hope in Her Eyes centers on a fundamental quality that makes horses unique as healing partners: their authentic, judgment-free presence. For veterans struggling with moral injury, guilt, or shame—common components of PTSD—this unconditional acceptance can be transformative, according to Monmouth Resource Net..
“Horses don’t care about your rank, what you did or didn’t do during deployment, or how many therapy sessions you’ve tried before,” explains Lipput. “They respond to your authentic self, your energy in the present moment. For many veterans, this is the first space where they’ve felt truly seen without judgment since returning home.”
The methodologies employed extend beyond simply bringing veterans and horses together. Each session is carefully structured to address specific therapeutic goals, whether regulating the nervous system, building confidence, or processing traumatic memories through metaphorical experiences with the horses.
Science in the Stable: Beyond Feel-Good Therapy
While the emotional connection between humans and horses provides an important foundation, Hope in Her Eyes grounds its work in rigorous neuroscience. The organization’s partnership with Terry Draper of Horseback Miracles has introduced Draper Sensory Therapy (DST), which leverages horses’ natural movements to influence human neurophysiology.
“This isn’t just about feeling better while you’re with the horses,” Lipput emphasizes. “We’re working with specially trained horses whose movement patterns can actually alter brainwave frequencies. This creates neurological changes that help the brain process and integrate traumatic experiences.”
The science behind DST draws from kinesiology, neurophysiology, and sensory integration, creating what Lipput describes as “a paradigm shift in the treatment of mental illness and neurological disorders.” By addressing trauma at the neurological level, the therapy creates a foundation for lasting psychological healing.
Parallel Journeys: Rescued Horses, Recovering Veterans
One of the most powerful aspects of the program is the parallel healing journeys of the horses and veterans. Most of the equine partners at the facility have been rescued from neglect, abuse, or abandonment—experiences that create a unique resonance with trauma survivors.
“Our horses understand suffering,” notes Lipput. “They’ve known fear, pain, and betrayal, yet they’ve found the courage to trust again. That resilience is incredibly inspiring for veterans who are fighting their own battles with trauma and trust.”
This mutual recovery process creates a reciprocal relationship where both humans and animals benefit. Veterans gain purpose through caring for creatures who have also survived trauma, while the horses receive consistent, compassionate care that helps them continue their own healing.
Measuring Success Beyond Clinical Metrics
The impact of Hope in Her Eyes extends beyond traditional clinical measures of improvement. While participants do report significant reductions in symptoms like anxiety, hypervigilance, and emotional dysregulation, Lipput emphasizes that true healing encompasses more than symptom management.
“We see veterans rediscovering joy, rebuilding relationships, finding purpose, and reconnecting with parts of themselves they thought were lost forever,” she explains. “These transformations might not fit neatly into diagnostic categories, but they represent profound healing nonetheless.”
The guiding philosophy, displayed prominently at the facility’s entrance—”Pain is unavoidable, suffering is a choice”—reflects this holistic approach to recovery. By providing veterans with tools to process trauma and regulate their nervous systems, Hope in Her Eyes offers alternatives to suffering in silence.
Beyond Veterans: A Growing Mission
While veterans remain the primary focus, Hope in Her Eyes has expanded its services to encompass first responders, families affected by trauma, and children with neurodevelopmental disorders. This broader application recognizes that various populations can benefit from the unique healing environment that horses provide.
As mental health care increasingly embraces alternative approaches, particularly for those who haven’t responded to conventional treatments, Lipput’s innovative program represents an important frontier in trauma recovery—turning a personal calling into a mission that continues to transform lives, one human-horse connection at a time.
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