Any programs/grants available for a disabled veteran taking over a horse farm?
A disabled veteran in Pennsylvania may receive a property tax exemption on his/her primary residence if the veteran is 100 percent disabled as a result of service. The exemption amount varies.
Pennsylvania
The 100% is based on VA service connection and if you are between 70%-90% SC you can also apply for Individual Unemployability (IU) from the VA which pays you at the 100% rate while unemployable, or going through any Voc Retraining program to become employable again- best bet is to contact a VSO Vet Service Organization to assist like the DAV or VFW.
Vet Success on VA.Gov or through ebenefits is helpful as well.
Good Luck..........
I read this a few minutes ago and thought of your situation, maybe it can help guide you :)
USDA | Outreach | Information for Veterans
The Office of Advocacy and Outreach (OAO), created by the 2008 Farm Bill, coordinates programs and outreach across USDA for several underserved groups of farmers and ranchers. The Office is working with several states and organizations to create programs to help veterans transition to farming, ranching, and other agricultural jobs. While no federal programs exist specifically for veteran farmers and ranchers, financial and resource...
Government Grants to Start Non-Profit Horse Riding
Ranchers knowledgeable in the care of horses may wish to reach out to disabled children and/or adults by offering equine assisted therapy. The cost of starting a venture of this type can be ...
I think that it's a wonderful thing that you're doing, both for yourself and for the potential animals that might one day be part of your land & your operation. I think that SSG Swan was referring to a number of programs that are available for veterans, particularly those who are service disabled, to start up businesses. It's a section of the VA that does a lot of the same work that the Small Business Administration does for civilians. Here's a link to a page that I found on the VA website that might help direct you towards the place/people that can answer your questions: http://www.va.gov/osdbu/programs/.
One other place you might consider is local churches (if you are a church member yourself) as well as local veteran organizations like the American Legion of the VFW. They might have programs to help you in some manner, whether that be to help you re-install your farm's fence or find someone to do the work for you. For your information, I only just now found the VA information with a very quick Google search ("program available for veterans buying a business") and the above link was one of the first entries I found.
Good luck!!!
Small and Veteran Business Programs - Office of Small & Disadvantaged Business Utilization
Learn more about Veteran and Small Business Programs in the VA Office of Small and Disadvantage Business Utilization