We recently had the chance to connect with Dr. Jennifer Williams and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Jennifer, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
I adopted a horse from the rescue named Galeno. He’s been with me since 2013 – through birth of my daughters, moves, miscarriages, the death of my dad, and the hard days of the rescue. I love him dearly, but for years he took a backburner to the rescue. I worked with rescue horses before him, and while I would love him and pet him, I didn’t spend nearly enough time with him.
A couple of months ago, I started an online riding lesson and training program. There are monthly topics and things to work on, and I’ve really dedicated myself to this. I’m putting Galeno first, and I’m having so much fun riding him, achieving new goals, and learning together. Even on days I can’t ride, I spend a few minutes grooming him or petting him, and it always brings me joy. It is wonderful to get to put our relationship first for a change.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Twenty years ago this year, I and a group of friends and acquaintances formed Bluebonnet Equine Humane Society. Our was to help starving, abused, neglected, and unwanted horses across Texas.
Rescue work is hard, and often thankless, and a lot of rescues don’t make it twenty years. We’ve done this through sheer determination and grit and a lot of thoughtful planning. We’ve grown to not just help horses, but we also now have programs to help struggling horse owners keep their horses by providing short term assistance with hay, feed, or veterinary care to owners going through a financial crisis.
Since we launched Bluebonnet, we’ve taken in over 1,550 horses and helped countless others through disaster assistance, the horse owner assistance programs, and educational opportunities. Those things, plus planning for the long-term health of the organization, sets us apart.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who taught you the most about work?
My dad was such a hard worker. When I was little, he commuted daily and took time in the evenings to take care of our little farm and the cattle who lived there. He was always willing to show me and my brother how to do things and to help us build things. When he retired, he started a part time job the next day and a few months later started building a log cabin on the family farm. He worked hard, and I learned from him.
He was also my biggest cheerleader.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
I would tell her that one day she would do amazing things.
I have ocular albinism, which leaves me with very fair skin and light hair. It also means I have low vision. As a kid, that made me very different and the bullying was atrocious. I spent a lot of time lonely and miserable and sad. Sometimes it was hard to see a bright future.
I wish I had known then that I would help launch something as amazing as Bluebonnet, that I would get to spend my life loving and helping countless horses. Those days still impact me and raise their ugly head from time to time, so I would want to tell my young self that it wouldn’t always be like that.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? What do you believe is true but cannot prove?
My faith is important to me, and I believe in God. I can’t prove God exists – that’s what faith is, really, something you know deep in your bones and in your heart and soul but you can’t prove. You just believe it is so.
I don’t talk about that a lot, because I think modern Christianity has been hijacked by people who want to force you to believe how they believe. For me, my belief in God leads me to love my family, to try to be a decent person, and to help horses and those who love them. I truly believe that the rescue is my calling, my purpose in the world. I believe in helping others, in social justice, in standing up for others. And while I know you can believe in those things without believing in God, for me they’re all tied up together.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. When do you feel most at peace?
I love the rescue, and I love my work. But I probably feel most at peace when visiting my family farm in Missouri. Generations of my family lived there. My dad died there. The entire area is full of our family’s history.
And it is quiet. You can’t see another house. I enjoy taking my dog out on a walk around the property, listening to the birds, watching for the deer, turkeys, foxes, and bobcats. It is a chance to recharge, a chance to think through problems and come up with solutions, and sometimes a chance to just be. When I get back home, I’m a much better rescuer – and normally return with ideas on how to make the rescue better.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.bluebonnetequine.org
- Instagram: @bluebonnetequine
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bluebonnet-equine-humane-society/
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BluebonnetEquineHumaneSociety
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@bluebonnetequinehumanesoci5602
