With the help of a state grant, defender Oleksandr Taranenko opened the educational and recreational equestrian club “Hold on to the Mane” in the Dnipropetrovsk region.

He spoke about this on Army FM.

Oleksandr Taranenko joined the defense of Ukraine in 2015 and returned to the army again at the beginning of the full-scale invasion. Within the 31st Brigade of the National Guard, he defends the Kharkiv and Luhansk axes.

Together with his wife, they managed to turn their family passion for horses into a successful business using state grant funds. His wife runs the business while Oleksandr continues defending the country on the front lines.

The idea for the venture came from family experience. His wife had been professionally involved in equestrian sports and worked as a coach long before the war, teaching children for many years. Oleksandr himself also had experience working with horses and understood well their effect on a person’s psychological state.

“There are almost no people in the world who are indifferent to horses. And for many centuries horses have walked side by side with Ukrainians. Interacting with horses has a very positive effect on a person, and horseback riding helps adults return to childhood and feel like enthusiastic kids again”, — said Oleksandr Taranenko.

The format of their work gradually transformed into a full-fledged business. At first, the couple worked with friends’ horses; later, they acquired their own, including some specifically for working with children. Among their clients are children, military personnel, veterans, and people with psychophysical developmental disorders.

Equine-assisted rehabilitation is used worldwide as a tool for physical and psychological recovery and is widely practiced in other countries — an additional argument in favor of developing this type of business, the defender says.

The main problem at the start was the lack of funds. They needed feed, horse equipment, and basic facilities for hosting visitors. The “Own Business” grant from the State Employment Service helped.

“The employees of the service helped at every stage — from the first meeting to the final interview”, — Oleksandr noted.

The enterprise received 500,000 hryvnias, which allowed them to launch operations in full. Oleksandr Taranenko advises veterans and military personnel who plan to start their own business not to sit idle but to take action.

“The main thing I want to tell my brothers-in-arms: even if you are still at war, try to think about the future. And for those who have already been discharged — you can apply to the State Employment Center for start-up capital. They will help you with starting a business, with training, and with finding employees”, — added the Ukrainian defender.