Our Mission  — Provide Soldiers, Veterans and their Families from all of America’s conflicts an opportunity to connect with horses and receive group level Equine Assistance Training.  We strive to give OIF and OEF (Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom - Afghanistan) and all Veterans the confidence to achieve long term individual and family success.  We are staffed entirely by volunteers and are privately funded by your donations.   100% of your contributions go to providing  support to those who need it the most.  We are totally independent of, and not affiliated with, any other horsemanship program.   The Wounded Warrior Horsemanship Program was founded in 2008 by CSM (retired) Sam Rhodes and was converted into Warrior Outreach Inc. (a Georgia Non - Profit Organization) in 2012.

Warrior Outreach Inc. Mission Statement

View a YouTube Video about the 2012 Warrior Outreach Horsemanship Event by clicking on the above video link

Warrior Outreach Scheduled Events

 

June 15,2013  Warrior Outreach Golf Scramble at Woodland Hills Golf Course. If you would like to sign up a team or sponsor a hole click here

 

Riding Lessons are available. Please go to sign up page Click here

 

 
Text Box: Press to donate Dear Patriot, First of all would like to thank each of you for partnering with us to help our program since 2008. In 2013, we are looking to only ask business and individuals to contribute once for the entire year. If you would like to make several contributions throughout the year they will be welcome but we will only ask once. First, our efforts continue to get outstanding reviews and the credit goes to our volunteers and sponsors. We appreciate the donations of helmets and stairs by the individuals and business listed on “Our Sponsors” page. The year 2012 has been a great year which allowed us to achieve the biggest accomplishments of the Warrior Outreach Inc. team. Since our beginning in November 2008, approximately 2000 Soldiers, Veterans, and their Families have participated in the semi-annual Horsemanship Events held at Fort Benning, GA. We also held the First Annual SFC Fred H. Roberts Memorial Golf Scramble at Woodland Hills and over $3,000 were donated for the program. Our vision for 2013 is to continue reaching out to these Soldiers, Families, and Veterans at every opportunity here in Columbus, GA. On 4 Dec 2012, a host of volunteers met to discuss what 2013 could bring to this wonderful organization whose sole commitment is to give back to others in every way possible. The 2013 schedule below is the result of this meeting. This schedule includes, but is not limited to, two Warrior Outreach Horsemanship events to be held at Fort Benning on 6 Apr 13 and 5 Oct 13; two Golf scrambles at Woodland Hills on 15 Jun 13 and 8 Dec 13.  We hope to see each and every one of you at these events helping these wonderful heroes we serve so please, mark these dates on your calendar. In addition, this year the association plans to begin daily care for horses which will allow us to provide daily opportunities for Horsemanship training. Plans are also being developed to assist Veterans in repairing broken household items that some Veterans, because of their ages or lack of skills, might not be able to repair. Finally, on the 5th of April, Warrior Outreach will open a facility where Veterans, Soldiers, and their Families can come to relax, enjoy some Southern hospitality, and spend time around horses. Participants will learn basic Horsemanship skills and trail riding will be offered. We have been blessed by many local and national sponsors who have continued to donate to our organization. We appreciate their continued contributions. 100% of the donations are used to provide the services above in our community. Having a voluntary staff allows all proceeds to be used directly towards helping our heroes and we have been blessed by the efforts. Please consider sponsoring, volunteering, or contributing to our organization. To donate, click the button at the bottom of this letter or mail your contribution to Warrior Outreach INC. P.O. BOX 7962 Columbus, GA 31908 or login to our website and purchase some of our items.   If you wish to volunteer or provide services please contact Sam Rhodes at warrioroutreach@gmail.com or Cathy Rhodes at 706-987-0687. Sincerely, Samuel M. Rhodes, Sr. President/CEO Warrior Outreach, Inc. Command Sergeant Major (Retired), U.S. Army

An Open Letter from Sam

Printed in the Bayonet and Saber, April 10, 2013

 

Horsemanship event sets attendance record

 

By Adrienne Anderson

adrienne.anderson@bayonetandsaber.com

 

More than 1,100 Soldiers and Families turned out for the Warrior Outreach Horsemanship event Saturday.

 

This was the biggest participation since the program began in 2008. Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Sam Rhodes, founder of the Warrior Outreach Horsemanship event, said he thinks the family-friendly atmosphere is why people always attend.

Horse lovers of all ages lined up to take rides on ponies and horses, learn the anatomy of a horse, horse safety and went for a relaxing ride on horse-led wagon. Connie Medrano, military spouse, came out with her 7-year-old daughter and 9-year-old son after hearing about the event on the radio.

 

Although, she originally hadn’t planned to attend, her daughter begged for them to go, she said. They had a wonderful time, she said.

 

“They want to get away from the day-to-day stress,” Rhodes said about the guests who attended the event. “We present an atmosphere where Soldiers and their family can enjoy life. It’s really great.”

 

Lt. Col. Mark Brown, commander of 1st Squadron, 16th Cavalry Regiment, from Danville, Calif., said he supports the horsemanship program because there are few opportunities for people to learn about horses. “There are a lot of folks that do want to have at least some experience or first exposure to riding and Sam gives it to you free of charge,” he said.

 

Bobbie Standefer, secretary of the board for the Heartland Ranch Therapeutic Program, is one of the event sponsors. The Heartland Ranch Therapeutic Program has various equine therapies for people with disabilities, veterans and high-risk children.

 

“A horse will pick out a child and go to that child and sense what (they) need,” Standefer said. Through the use of equine-assisted therapy, Standefer said they have seen children walk or talk for the first time when they were unable to do so before as a result of the therapy. For more information about the Warrior Outreach program, visit www.warrioroutreach.org.

 

Click here to go to photos of the event