Harmony Horsemanship Center — Approximate Program Site Since 2015
A horse farm outside Tyrone that started with fewer than 10 struggling veterans now serves 40 of them every week, and it just earned a major local honor for the work. Victory Therapeutic Horsemanship, a volunteer-run nonprofit offering free equine therapy to veterans battling post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety, has been named the 2026 Season of Sharing recipient.
The designation comes from the Altoona Mirror, whose annual fundraising campaign channels community donations to a chosen local cause. The Central Pennsylvania Community Foundation will manage the fundraising effort and oversee distribution of the money collected, and the paper reports that every dollar raised goes directly to the beneficiary. Victory Therapeutic Horsemanship is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that relies on grants and donations rather than paid staff, with its funds flowing straight into the program itself.
From a Barn in Port Matilda to 40 Veterans a Week
The idea began in 2014, when founder John Zanella and deputy director Rebecca Davidson developed plans for a horseback-riding program for veterans, officially launching it in 2015. The operation started at Harmony Horsemanship Center that year, relocated to a horse facility in Port Matilda in 2016, and put down roots at an old barn property in Tyrone in 2017, according to the same Altoona Mirror report. Davidson said the program began with under 10 veterans and has since grown to serve 40 a week, drawing some participants from Blair County and others from as far away as Pittsburgh…