Bridging Unicorns - Getting to Know Grant Recipient Bridgit Wald

Originally from Massachusetts, Bridgit Wald discovered horses when she was 6 years old. She was a self-described “sensitive, gifted type of kid” who found a sense of home with horses. She felt a powerful impact on her body, mind and heart by spending time with them.

After her passion for horses turned to the hunter and jumper show circuit, she took some time away to focus on college, but always knew she would find them again on a more consistent basis. Fast forward to living in New Zealand post graduation, Bridgit discovered forms of natural horsemanship and training that spoke to her. She realized horses have the ability to cross over into the worlds of yoga and dance, and experienced the connection animals have to healing ourselves and our relationship with the natural world.

This is when Bridgit realized she could create a bigger platform for horse rescue and rehabilitation. 

Can you describe your project and what you hope to achieve from it?

This project, Bridging Unicorns, is an opportunity for me to really lean into the service component of my work with horses, and with animals in general. It’s also to set the foundation for a larger animal rescue operation, starting with horses. We hope to later expand to a rescue farm and retreat center type of setting. The Let’s Choose Love grant was part of what’s helped me to get these foundations started and sparked. It’s also helped fund the setup of the non-profit and initial fundraising activities for Ocean, our first equine rescue. So overall, Bridging Unicorns is a nonprofit equine rescue and healing organization. Our main areas right now are rescuing horses and working with grief support, hospice care support, as well as the youth development and leadership pieces to that. Over time that will grow to include more therapeutic activities with other practitioners and also contribute to an entire farm/rescue site that can serve more than just horses. 

Why is it important to you?

It’s important to me because I’ve just cared so much about this since I was a child. I’ve been waiting until I was in a place personally and professionally to be able to serve more in these areas, and to support the animals I can while raising awareness. It’s just so important to me to have that service component be a part of my full-profit business. I’m a very meaning-driven, purpose-driven person. I see myself as being able to help funnel resources from those who have them to those who don’t. I personally wasn’t okay with the suffering of so many animals from human neglect and abuse. This feels like a part of suffering in the world that really touches me deeply and is something that I feel like I have agency around. I'm really grateful for that being present in me, and also that we’ve been able to receive support from things like this grant and other resources around the project. 

What impact do you expect this project to have?

On top of rescuing horses, we hope to initiate a variety of different events. For art events, for example, I’m in a band and that band is performing and fundraising for Bridging Unicorns. We’re also working with this one horse, who’s now receiving a ton of medical care, to help work with his conditions. It’s really meaningful to see his condition turn around by being loved and supported. We hope to set up the infrastructure for rescuing more horses, continue raising awareness, and set the building blocks for future projects.

What are your plans for the project/your journey in the future?

Ocean is the first horse we rescued, the second will be another one that will probably be younger to balance the youth and elder pieces of the project. I’ll let the project unfold on a timeline that makes sense alongside my other work and commitments. I tend to keep a full schedule, but I'm really excited that this is sowing the seeds for future service work, more rescues, youth work, and partnering with different therapeutic practitioners.

Read more of our Mini Grant Recipient stories HERE.