Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Joy Jones . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Joy , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We love heartwarming stories – do you have a heartwarming story from your career to share?
One of our youngest clients is a little boy with a history of trauma. At the age of three, he struggled to engage with just about everything. We had seemingly tried everything but even the smallest task of asking him to pet our miniature horse, Pete, proved to be a challenge. We had tried many different techniques, and after a month of trying to help him overcome his aversion to anything tactile, he finally brushed him once. I was ecstatic, mom was crying, and all the volunteers couldn’t believe it. His mother was beside herself when he finally felt comfortable enough to ride. Now, six months later, he is riding assisted by myself for over 20 minutes. After knowing his history and the things that he has had to overcome at such a young age, being able to witness such amazing progress and celebrating his small steps brings me so much joy and hope for his future. It’s the moments like these that make all the work of horse care, barn management, program development, and fundraising worth the change in someone’s life.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Joy Jones and I run SOAR Arena Therapeutic Riding. SOAR is an all-inclusive program that provides horseback riding and equine-assisted learning services to children and adults with special needs in Central Texas. We see anywhere from 40 to 60 clients a week and they range from 3 to 90 years old. We work with physical and developmental disabilities, mental health, and neurological issues. After a thorough evaluation, each client is partnered with one of our trained therapy horses. Our sessions are kept to a small student-to-instructor ratio, depending on the ability of the client. Clients, depending on their individual therapeutic goals, learn ground safety rules, grooming, riding skills, and basic horse care. Other opportunities are given for more extensive skill building such as completing an assigned task, using critical thinking for interpreting instructions, and goal setting Growing up I had the amazing opportunity to build my horsemanship skills by showing in 4-H and AQHA shows all over Texas and out of state. I was able to achieve several World Championship titles and I believe this extensive background set me up for success to run an equine centered program. While going to Texas State for Therapeutic Recreation, my sister and I decided to start our own riding program. Growing up, Joanna and I were incredibly close and almost every waking moment was filled with some horse related activity. It seemed the most logical path to follow when we decided to tie our therapy degrees together with the equine world. As time went on and we both made advancements in our respected careers, the lead role of running SOAR has been given to me. Although initially this was a massive shift for me, it was the push I needed to fully embrace my vision for the program. With our therapists, and the help of our amazing horse partners, we expect miracles to happen when we touch body, mind, and spirit! We strive to help everyone, with any ability, to increase their quality of life, build confidence, develop their basic life skills, and achieve the maximum level of independence.
I am most proud of this program because we focus on building individual goals as well as providing excellent equine partners to various levels of riders. One of my greatest joys is being able to discover and develop a horse that can provide the services we need. I strongly believe that it’s our horses that set us apart as a unique experience and it’s a blessing to work alongside while giving them the space needed to work their magic.
Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?
There are many attributes that play key factors when working with unique needs and thousand-pound animals. I believe the crucial ones come down to flexibility, an abundance of patience, and being willing to think outside the box. Many times, new clients have a fear of horses because they have never been able to be exposed before, but after months of patiently working with them, it makes it all worth it to see them ride for the first time. As a therapist, it’s important to know the timing of when to let go of my expectations and plans for my client’s session and be flexible in the moment.
If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?
Growing up, I always knew that my heart wanted to be in the horse world and originally, I didn’t have college set on my horizon. Although it was my father and sister that convinced me to “get that piece of paper,” it was through getting that degree that showed me that it’s not necessarily the destination that holds the most gravity, but the journey of steps to get there. Any job in the therapy world requires a certain level of sacrifice and selflessness, and there are many days that it looks messy, and it feels like we see no success. With no doubt, this career path is extremely hard, and you have to have resilience to last, but the longer I work with SOAR I have come to realize that I am doing what my little kid heart wanted. I have the opportunity to work with horses in the process of making them the best they can be for their rider. I get to see people’s physical lives transformed and joy reborn on their faces, so yes, given the choice to go back, I would pick this passion; time and time again.
Contact Info:
- Website: soarriding.org
- Instagram: soar_riding
- Facebook: SOAR-Therapeutic Horseback Riding
Image Credits
Riley Jones-Dove Eyes Photography