About the Hitching Rail
The Hitching Rail Wellness Center & Retreat is a place where veterans, first responders, and families can come to heal physically and mentally. Equine riding has many benefits to the mind and body. Horses, like many service animals, provide comfort and support and are not judgmental of whatever disability a person may have.
Our Founders
Jim and Lily Carlson are both veterans, and have lived on the Hitching Rail property with their five horses for nearly twenty-two years. Jim served in the Navy for 2 years during World War II, and Lily served as a Navy Nurse during the Korean and Vietnam Wars. They dreamed of sharing their farm with those in need of serenity, and to assist veterans and first responders with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and anxiety. Though Lily passed away in November of 2020, she was able to see their dream started.
General Information
Located on a 14-acre farm, the Hitching Rail Wellness Center & Retreat is home to 5 adult horses and a flock of 8 sheep. The main house has 2 acres of landscaped lawn and a grove of Japanese cedars. The property includes horse stalls, 3 metal sheds, a small hay barn, a sheep shelter, and 3 large sheds used for storing farm machinery and heavy equipment. Our organization is devoted to the betterment of the community. We seek to take advantage of the farm’s unique attributes to create a place of retreat, meditation, solace, and healing for people who have had the misfortune of facing some of life's hardest blows.