We were so honored when two talented middle school girls wanted to do a documentary on Unbridled!!! We were so honored when it was chosen to be seen at the Ridgewood Movie theater in town!!! Here is the mini documentary that two incredible young girls did….. and won!!!!
Mercury is in retrograde…. it ends tonight at 8:58 pm!! I know for myself, this has been an extremely emotional time, enhanced by mercury…. The struggle is real and I feel it is important to share it. While we may look strong, we all struggle at some point, spiritually and physically…. As I watch my mom end her treatment for her terminal cancer, my heart feels like it is shattering into a billion pieces… Unbridled Heroes is amazing, but it is hard, there are a billion things I need to do and there never seems like there is enough time… We are prepping for our Gala in November and need corporate sponsors… yet everything seems so trivial when I hold my mom’s hand… or hold Jack… when I pause… and feel, it hurts… but it is ok to feel the pain, it is ok to hurt… it is good to share and let others know they are not alone… We all are going through something… Right now I am hurting… Yet I know it is these times of heartache and struggle that we hustle and do what needs to be done… and through it we grow… brighter, and more beautiful…. So for those of you holding it in, stay strong, message me, open up, do not be afraid to be vulnerable… I am lucky to have my herd, that brings me back to the present moment, always, sometimes comically, like biting me, or stepping on my foot or whatever shenanigans they may be up too. These beautiful souls are wise, and whatever it may be, they always bring me back…..
Through the heartaches, there have been so many amazing beautiful moments. We launched our first ever heroes program with 5 Combat Veterans, which I mentioned in a previous blog post. I have a team that is incredible and has gone beyond any expectation I ever have. We have had the help and guidance from the Ridgewood Rotary club AM. They have been so extremely supportive and have gone out of their way to help us. WE ARE SO THANKFUL to their kindness!!! We hosted a breakfast for them at our barn, and it was so special!!! Below is a piece they wrote in their newsletter about us.
Unbridled Heroes ProjectA special thanks to Mark and Amy Steppe for hosting The Rotary Club of Ridgewood AM meeting on June 27, 2019. It was very impactful to be up close to these gentle horses, many of which have suffered abuse and neglect. Mark and Amy’s mission is to help Veterans overcome the effects of combat through the connection between a Veteran and rescued mustang horse. For more information visit this charity’s website at http://www.unbridledheroes.org.
The expertise in what they do and their willingness to help Unbridled has really touched my heart…. So thank you to The Ridgewood AM Rotary Club!!!
We have also been blessed with the help of Rebuilding Together and Remax Realty!!! They have been another group that has helped fund our projects and also have done a massive cleanup at our barn in the tremendous heat!!! Their support and generosity in what we are doing, the fact they believe in us, means so much. THANK YOU!!! To the Bergen County Police Chiefs Foundation and your ongoing support with this project, THANK you.
To a local Girl Scout troop… we LOVE you girls!!!! And your support. We were honored to be chosen as their bronze star project and developed relationships with each and every one of them… Incredible group of young women who we look forward to working with as they progress through the ranks!!!
Back Packs For Life…. Our incredible friends who have guided us every step of the way… Your friendship is priceless…. THANK YOU.
There are so many more… when I think of what we have accomplished in LESS THAN A YEAR… I am stunned… and proud… and grateful…. So with the ups, I know there are downs… But with every down, there is a lesson, and if you listen, you may understand it… To all our supporters on social media, THANK you all so much. We are in the process of rebuilding our website so that it is much more user friendly and donor friendly. THANK YOU ALL!!!!!
Please see our information regarding our gala, you can order tickets online
THANK YOU TO our Unbridled Family… we love you all….
This whole experience has had infinite value, not just in my life, but in so many. Since our grand opening, I have watched individuals walk through those barn doors one way, and walk out another way. It has been so moving to watch the encounter between human and horse, and a language manifest with no words. The beauty Unbridled has is endless and limitless and to be able to realize it and live it has changed everything for us. 
We officially launched our Heroes Project with Community Hope five weeks ago with 5 brave combat Veterans. Mark and I anxiously awaited the first day… not really knowing what to expect, nor how our Mustangs would react. We were not your typical equine therapy program and we also were not using school horses. We were simply two individuals that understood where these men were coming from. We knew we were taking a chance by using our herd, who were still working through their own trauma. Yet we knew that the trauma both man and horse had endured was the connection they would be able to feel between one another. If they could break through the barrier together, they could feel the magic. I knew our Mustangs would be stubborn and reluctant, but I also trusted them one hundred percent with these men. I knew that these individuals would have to go to their very soul to essentially speak to the horse. There are no words when you talk with a horse, it is more of an energy transfer, a feeling you get, an understanding. 
Our plan was that each week, we would do an hour of groundwork with our heroes and their Mustang. The second hour we would do some sort of mindful art as I like to call it. We were blessed to have Divine Sistarhood offer their services to us at no charge. They came out and taught our heroes breathing techniques and Qi-gong. We did this alongside our horses, it was pretty amazing. 
As the weeks went on, we incorporated art and obstacles that were challenging to both our Mustangs and our heroes. We built relationships with these guys and learned a lot from them that will shape the program as we move forward. This coming Tuesday is our last session before the hot summer months. The whole experience has been incredible.
While we have been focused on developing the best program we could, we also worked hard on the business elements of Unbridled. We knew that in order to thrive we needed the expertise of business minded individuals. How as a 501-c3 non-profit do we market what we are doing? How do we compete for grants and money alongside so many others? It is a scary thought when you jump all in, with a few dollars in your pocket, but faith so huge and a belief in what you are doing that nothing else could parallel. All I can say is that this is a process. Each day we learn something new, we encounter brilliant people and through this we are building an incredibly strong foundation of what The Unbridled Heroes Project is… what it means beyond the words. We are so thankful to everyone who has been following our journey, to our friends, family and supporters, THANK YOU. A special thanks to the team behind unbridled: Cat, Sheila, Pam, Jack, Monika, Elizabeth, Jen, Yasminka, John, Rose, Christina, Jess, Nick, Rhi, Nancy, Matty, Meghan and Kevin Henry…. words will never express my gratitude toward you all… In the end, be beautiful and Unbridled. Practice empathy and compassion daily. Wake up in a grateful state… be your own beautiful. Much love, Amy & Mark
We are so grateful to Roush Performance and All American Ford for inviting us to the car show. We went on Thursday for Press day and will be back at the end of this week. It was quite a wonderful experience and another platform to let people know what we are doing at Unbridled. We are so grateful to hopefully a lasting partnership with Roush and All American Ford!! My favorite part about the day was being with my mom, my son, my best friend and business partner, my husband and one of our UHP team members!! We had so much fun taking the ferry over, laughing together… simply being with one another. Those are the special moments… the process of getting from where you are to where you want to be… the journey. ENJOY the journey. LOVE your people and be kind.
We have had a very busy few weeks!! Mark and I had the honor of speaking to 600 students at West Essex Middle school about Unbridled Heroes. It was amazing and inspiring. I always get really nervous before a speech and in the end, I simply speak from the heart and it comes naturally. If I can reach one child and change that one life, I am happy. We talk about kindness and faith in yourself, the faith to be YOU. And when you are YOU, the rest happens as it is supposed to. That being said, there will always be obstacles and things in your way, but if you stay true to your own heart’s mission, you will get through all the storms and prevail. And through every storm, you will become that much stronger and that much more beautiful. Be UNBRIDLED!!!
