Cowgirl Hall of Fame Inductee Meggan Hill-McQueeney brings Veteran mental health and suicide prevention awareness to Manhattan with the Trail to Zero horseback procession.
Meeting at the World Trade Center before sunrise, horse trailers begin to park in the streets of Manhattan. The sound of therapy horses and Mounted Police horse hooves clatter on the street as riders begin to saddle up for Trail to Zero, a ride promoting Veteran mental health and suicide prevention. The riders consist of 10 Veterans, a Gold Star Father, and Mounted Police units, all led by Meggan Hill-McQueeney — President and CEO of BraveHearts.
An accomplished rider, coach, and 2023 Cowgirl Hall of Fame Inductee, Hill-McQueeney has strong ties to the Western industry, as she connects her equine expertise into Veteran mental health advocacy. Utilizing equine-assisted services, BraveHearts, the largest Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (Path Intl.) program in the country serving Veterans at no cost, offers services to provide emotional, cognitive, social, and physical benefits to Veterans.
“Veterans on Trail to Zero attest to horses being the answer to their struggles and the reason their lives have changed for the better,” said Hill-McQueeney. “We are honored to share these horses with the public while Veterans share their journeys, all in hopes of reaching thousands more and raising awareness about the power, purpose, and peace that horses can offer to those who may be struggling, ultimately preventing suicide.”
As riders mount up for the 20-mile trek through the city, honoring the 20 Veterans and Active Service members who statistically die by suicide each day, the mission of BraveHearts is on full display — hope through horses. Riding behind NYPD escorts, the procession of horses takes to some of the most iconic landmarks in New York City, including Times Square, Central Park, and Ground Zero. BraveHearts volunteers follow the route, handing out information to onlookers on every corner. Horses’ manes carry ribbons with names of Veterans lost to suicide. Trail to Zero riders actively demonstrate the profound impact horses can have on mental health, both for Veterans and civilians alike as crowds gather to get a closer look, some interacting with horses for the first time.
The ride also serves as a reminder that action is needed beyond awareness. Trail to Zero calls for increased mental health resources, community support, and an active commitment to changing the narrative around Veterans’ mental health. Regardless of diagnoses or struggles, horses offer Veterans a way to find trust, peace, and community in a healthy, unconventional, and highly effective way. Trail to Zero is not just a ride; it’s a call to action, aiming to bring the number of Veteran suicides to zero. On any given day, BraveHearts connects Veterans’ to healing horsemanship programs across the nation.
Not only can equine-assisted services be a healing experience, but a bonding one as well. Trail to Zero mounts are therapy horses from the BraveHearts program, which the riders have come to know and love. United States Air Force Veteran, Ellie Scholtz, stands alongside her Trail to Zero partner, Rosie, sharing a well-deserved water break in Central Park. “This is [Rosie’s] 15th Trail to Zero and this is my first, so we make a good team. She’s carrying me well,” said Scholtz. “I have been preparing for Trail to Zero all year round. This ride has given me tremendous purpose. It’s an incredible experience. When I am with a horse, I am my best. I am home.”
Trail to Zero is in its eighth year, having hosted 26 rides across the country, even reaching internationally to Normandy, France, in 2023. As BraveHearts continues to broaden the reach of Veteran mental health needs, the objective is clear — remember those who have been lost and provide hope and purpose for those who are still fighting. Through the help of incredible equine therapy partners and those who connect them with Veterans in need, horses are proven to be a powerful solution in suicide prevention.
To connect a Veteran in need ad to learn more about BraveHearts’ Trail to Zero, please visit braveheartsriding.org.
PHOTOGRAPHY: Courtesy of McFarland Productions
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