About us
Our Story
Before we were SOAR, we were the Norris Family Farm to our friends and neighbors. The founder of the farm, A.K.A "Momma Norris", had always wanted horses and so she began the long process of acquiring them and other livestock. Her daughters Joy and Joanna showed horses, trained horses, and basically lived and breathed horses throughout their childhood.
After many years of living the “horse life," Joanna had an idea to make their mutual
love for horses accessible to all. During that time she was working full time as a REC
therapist and took the dive into the Therapeutic Horseback Riding world. After some
research and some trial-and-error, the dream of SOAR became a reality after both sisters became
PATH International (Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship) certified.
Following the certification, the real work began. We had many generous individuals donate our first therapy horses and other items. We worked until we made our humble farm a comfortable space for our soon-to-be clients, which we continue to work towards today.
While Joy was at Texas State completing her bachelor’s degree in REC therapy, she partnered with Joanna to build what you see today. It is always exciting to apply our REC therapy background to our sessions as we get to see individuals of all ages experience growth, all while enjoying and “playing” in the process. Our desire is to provide all individuals with a horseback riding experience that impacts them physically, cognitively, emotionally, and spiritually.