“You have two creatures who don’t have a purpose anymore—the mustang from the American West, and the American soldier. We take these two un-purposed creatures and give them purpose. We break that horse and give it to a veteran. The veteran has the purpose of leading that horse. And you can’t get on a horse without being a leader.”— Rick Franco, COO of Heroes and HorsesYou can’t cheat the mountain. Today we’re talking with a guy who is helping our nation’s heroes learn how to conquer mountains and deal with certain memories they have. We’re joined by Rick Franco of Heroes and Horses. Rick and his team are working to push veterans literally to the top of a mountain, and to find who they are again, and to make peace with some things that it’s just time to leave behind.This is a really interesting approach. I’ve never heard of anything this intensive. And I’m not aware of anything so holistic. You’ll hear Rick talk about how they address everything from nutrition to exercise to sleep to pharmaceuticals. I want to thank Rick for his service in our military. And I know we have a lot of listeners who have served our country. I really think what you’ve done is among the most admirable things a person can do in this life. And I thank you.Also, if you have served our country and you are dealing with any issues of depression, please seek help. Reach out to the team at Heroes and Horses, or any of the 45,000 groups who want to help.Heroes on the Water The Obstacle is the Way bookLegacy bookNational Suicide Prevention HotlineRestless Native is Sponsored by Houston Safari Club FoundationRestless Native is brought to you by Houston Safari Club Foundation. This organization is a great supporter of hunters and conservation, and I am proud to partner with them.Hunting and conservation, what’s not to like, right? If you agree, great. Then I want you to come on to Houston, Texas with me to attend the Houston Safari Club Foundation’s Convention and Hunting Expo.This is a great chance for a family trip or a break away with the buddies. The convention is a celebration of wildlife, wild places and the hunting lifestyle we all love. It has thousands of visitors and exhibitors coming from all over the globe for a three day exposition. Beyond the convention, you can experience some amazing entertainment, with performances from folks like Corey Morrow, Rickey Davis and Billboard chart-frequent flyer, Kevin Fowler.There are banquets and luncheons, auctions and more stuff than I possibly have time to tell you about right now. And as Joe said in his most recent interview, Houston is a great place to spend a weekend and grub.You know what the best part of all of this is? Your tickets and support of this expo help fulfill Houston Safari Club Foundation’s mission of preserving the sport of hunting through education, conservation and the promotion of our hunting heritage.The show is January 25 through the 27th in Houston Texas. I will be wandering the floor on January 26 and possibly the morning of the 27th. Please send me a direct message on GoWild if you’re going to be there and we’ll meetup.Learn more at hscfdn.org/convention. Thank you to Houston Safari Club Foundation for all you do, and for sponsoring Restless Native.