Operation Second Stride 501c3

05/08/2026

A Night at the Brewery 🍻

✨ Join Us for an Evening of Inspiration, Community & Resilience ✨

Operation Second Stride invites you to Waredaca Brewery on Saturday, June 6th from 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM for a special evening featuring:

Ardie’s Story, the journey of a horse whose resilience and recovery has become an inspiration to so many.

Come enjoy:
🐴 Ardie’s powerful story through photos and video
🍺 Great beer and beautiful farm atmosphere at Waredaca Brewery
🎟 Silent auction items
❤️ A chance to support first responders and their families through Operation Second Stride

At Operation Second Stride, we partner retired Thoroughbreds with first responders in equine assisted learning experiences focused on regulation, connection, and resilience.

We would love for you to come out, bring friends, and help us continue making an impact for those who serve our communities every day.

📍 Waredaca Brewery
📅 Saturday, June 6, 2026
⏰ 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Tickets: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/waredaca-brewery-fundraiser

05/08/2026

🌿 May is Mental Health Awareness Month 🌿

As we wrap up our first full week of May, we’re reminded just how important it is to care for the mental health of those who spend their lives caring for others. Operation Second Stride is proud to partner with Horses for Mental Health to continue bringing awareness, healing, and support to our first responders, healthcare workers, veterans, and their families through the powerful connection with horses. 🐴

With Mother’s Day this weekend, we also want to take a moment to honor all of the incredible moms, especially the mothers serving on the frontlines this Mother's day. Whether you’re caring for patients, protecting communities, supporting your families, or carrying the emotional weight behind the scenes, please know:

✨ You are seen.
✨ You are valued.
✨ You are deeply appreciated.

Horses for Mental Health is sharing this video on behalf of Mother's Day!

Help us spread awareness by sharing this post and supporting the mission of Operation Second Stride.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCLyZByGqoU

“Being a mom is not only one of the most beautiful things in the world, but it’s also one of the most difficult.” — Sheryl Barto, Founder of Smiling Goat Ran...

05/02/2026

Testimonials and information from some board members. Reach out to us today to help you!! https://www.operationsecondstride.org/

Send a message to learn more

05/01/2026

🎉 Big News for Operation Second Stride! 🎉

We are beyond excited to share that we are now an official partner with Horses for Mental Health!

This national partnership allows us to connect with a wider community, raise awareness about the healing power of horses, and expand our mission of supporting first responders and their families through connection, resilience, and growth.

We are so grateful for our incredible supporters, volunteers, and participants who made this milestone possible. Because of you, our impact continues to grow, both locally and nationally.

Thank you for being part of this journey with us. We can’t wait to see what’s ahead! 💙🐴🇺🇸

04/21/2026

Our boy Ardie! Take a look at his story, surgery, X-rays, before and after. He is doing so well 🐎 💙

Ardie is a 13-year-old thoroughbred who works with Operation Second Stride, helping first responders, veterans, and families of the fallen reconnect and heal through equine-assisted therapy.

Last November, a serious elbow fracture put all of that in jeopardy. The team at Virginia Tech's Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Centerstepped in, and after surgery and a careful recovery, Ardie is back doing the work he was meant to do. 🐴🧡

Read Aride's story: https://f.mtr.cool/ipfholrgdg

04/19/2026

Let’s break it down….

Bottom Up Brain regulation describes the brain in 4 functional layers;

🔸Brainstem (regulation / survival)

🔸Diencephalon (sensory + basic regulation)

🔸Limbic system (emotion + attachment)

🔸Cortex / Neocortex (thinking + meaning)

Question of the day:

Which part of the brain are 1st responders/Emergency Medicine personnel really good at overriding?

04/17/2026

Bottom-up brain regulation & the 1st responder brain

Dr. Bruce Perry’s theory on bottom up brain regulation states the brain develops and functions from the bottom up, so regulation has to happen in that same order.

Regulation leads to connection so we have to

* slow the body down
* create safety cues
* gradually allow emotion without overwhelm

Not forcing deep emotional conversations right away, but rebuilding tolerance for feeling.

Because first responders don’t actually need less control they need a way to turn their nervous system back down after it’s been cranked up (or shut off).

Right now, most of what they’re good at is:

* overriding emotion
* staying task-focused
* pushing through stress

That works on scene. It doesn’t work well after the call or in relationships.

Here’s where bottom-up regulation comes in

It gives them a way to reset the body, without requiring them to suddenly “open up” emotionally which often feels unnatural or unsafe.

04/16/2026

Let’s talk about our 8 session course and what it entails; These sessions are 1.5 hours.

Week1: Safety, Regulation, and connection

Week2: Boundaries, consent, & requests/invitation

Week3: Groundwork and Regulated pressure

Week4: The Window of tolerance

Week5: Trust through consistency

Week6: Attachment, space, and repair

Week7: Repairing Ruptures

Week8: Integration and Celebration

This course is for first responders seeking consistent support, emotional wellness tools, and a safe place to connect and grow. We support first responders in cultivating nervous system awareness, emotional regulation, and authentic connection. Each session builds upon the last, offering space for deep personal growth and relational insight.

03/09/2026

It’s a beautiful day outside!!

It’s been a busy winter rehabbing one of our horses who broke his elbow, but as it’s warming up and the sun is out, we see the light!! ☀️

We have changed up the way you can get started in our program, please reach out! It is FREE!!

Calling all Police, Fire, EMS, Emergency medicine, and families. This is an opportunity for you to invest in yourselves.

Contact us we are not scary!! 😊🫶

02/01/2026

Hello everyone,

March 1st to April 24th

We’re excited to open registration for our upcoming 8-week Operation Second Stride equine-assisted learning program. This experience is designed to support first responders and Emergency Medicine Personnel and their families through connection, resilience-building, and time with our horses in a peaceful farm setting.

To reserve your spot, please sign up using the link below:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C044EAEAD2AA7FBC07-61491721-operation
Spots are limited, and sessions will fill on a first-come basis. If your schedule changes, you are welcome to adjust your sign-up as needed.

We’re honored to have you join us, and we look forward to seeing you at the farm.

With gratitude,
Stacie

Stacie Nichols
Operation Second Stride
[email protected]

Operation Second Stride offers an 8-week, ground-based equine-assisted learning program designed for first responders and their families. Because first responders work rotating 24-hour shifts, session dates may vary week to week. While the calendar is flexible, each session follows the same supporti...

01/28/2026

Fresh snow, and a little extra spice in the air had the horses feeling feisty with our continued days of freezing temps. Some big energy, quick movement, and a few playful expressions. But just as naturally, they moved their bodies, shook it out, and settled back into calm connection. No force. No fixing. Just movement leading the way back to regulation.

It’s a beautiful reminder of how the nervous system works from the bottom up regulation of the brain. When energy is high or stress is present, the body often needs to move before the mind can slow down.

Horses model this so effortlessly, and it’s one of the reasons they are such powerful partners in our work with first responders. Out here, regulation comes through rhythm, breath, and connection even on the coldest winter days.

Snow on the ground, steam rising from warm breaths, and lessons in resilience unfolding in real time. ❄️🐴