‘Horses Understand Far More Than People Realize’: How This Veteran Is Healing Wounded Warriors
A love of horses led Marine veteran Nina Guerra to create a ranch where fellow veterans can reconnect and heal
Key Takeaways
- Marine veteran Nina Guerra founded Rustic Ranch Texas to help military heroes heal from PTSD.
- Equine-assisted therapy helps veterans process trauma, release fear, and rebuild trust.
- Guerra is earning her Ph.D. to study nonconventional PTSD treatments like equine therapy.
For Marine veteran Nina Guerra, horses have always been a source of comfort. So when she retired, she followed her heart back to the stables, creating Rustic Ranch Texas, where wild mustangs help other military heroes release their fears, rediscover trust and reconnect with their true selves. Here, she shares her story with Woman’s World.
As a child, Nina Guerra felt most alive riding horses on her grandparents’ Texas cattle ranch. Horses were more than just animals to Nina — they were her comfort, her escape and her constant companions.
Even during her decade serving as a Marine, Nina still spent time with horses. On her days off, she volunteered at nearby stables, training horses and providing equine-assisted therapy for autistic children and others with special needs.
“You’re doing great!” she’d encourage riders as she walked beside them, marveling at how a short ride could create a connection between a horse and a child.
During her deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, however, there was no time for horses. So when Nina retired from the Marines in 2021, one of the first things she did was seek out equine therapy ranches where she could use her experience to help children. She quickly realized the work was healing not only for the kids but for herself too. Soon, a whole new dream took shape.
“It’s wonderful for children,” she told her brother, Fernando, who is also a veteran. “But I think it could also help veterans and wounded warriors. I want to buy a small ranch and offer equine-assisted therapy.”
Fernando didn’t hesitate. “I’m all in,” he said. “Let’s get started.”
A place for healing
After months of searching, they found the perfect property: a rundown ranch an hour outside San Antonio with a weathered house and 25 acres of overgrown land. Nina named it Rustic Ranch Texas, and together she and Fernando began building stables and restoring the property.
As word spread about Nina’s vision, local ranchers arrived to help clear brush, install fencing and create pastures. Air Force veteran Simon Garcia, host of the podcast Crashing Convo, interviewed Nina about her plans.
Inspired by her mission, he and his wife, Sandy, also an Air Force veteran, soon became regular volunteers.
Horses helping veterans
As the ranch grew, Nina reached out to veteran organizations to spread the word about Rustic Ranch Texas. She began hosting monthly clinics where veterans learned basic horsemanship skills — including how to safely approach, feed and groom a horse. More importantly, they learned to recognize the horse’s body language and connect those lessons to their own emotional lives.
“If you’re carrying anger or fear, the horse will know it,” says Navy veteran and longtime horse trainer Robin Czapla, now Rustic Ranch’s head trainer.
One veteran experienced that firsthand. “When I finally let go of my anger, I could feel the horse responding,” he admitted after spending an hour with one of the ranch’s horses.
Today, Nina runs the ranch while completing her Ph.D., focusing her research on nonconventional PTSD treatments, including equine-assisted therapy.
“Horses understand far more than most people ever realize,” she says. “For many of our wounded warriors, the emotional connection they offer can be life-changing. I’m blessed to witness that incredible healing every single day.”
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