Larry JOnes
Equine Specialist
Larry Jones has been working with and starting horses since the mid 1980’s. He studied in many training philosophies and ultimately Natural Horsemanship resonated the most and guided this career path. Larry became a certified Equine Specialist and has been with Haven’s Horses since 2012. He has worked with the horses used for therapy sessions. After acquiring a weanling filly, he included clients in her schooling and this was always a special experience for them. In his off time he likes trail riding, his family and enjoying life in Montana.
Photo by Tyrone O'Shea
How horses saved me
As a kid, I had career aspirations to play professional baseball. I was consumed with this desire and practiced and played every opportunity I had. In college, with scholarships for baseball, I suffered a career ending knee injury and watched my lifelong dreams for playing pro ball slowly slip away from me. I was lost and working in a job that was nothing near what I had dreamed of for my future.
One day I went to the LA Equestrian Center with a friend who was taking riding lessons. As I walked down the breezeway of the barn I was overcome with the visceral joy that I experienced when I played baseball. Among the horses I felt at home and knew right then this was where I needed to go next.…
In my childhood I had ridden at my uncle’s farm in Oklahoma but I had no idea then of the intense connection that could occur between human and horses. Horses came back into my life, and for a reason. They were here to save me...and my new journey began.
I dove into learning all I could. My mentors included John Lyons and the Natural Horsemanship movement, and later Mark Rashid and Warwick Schiller. As I learned, I began to approach the horse and ask, what can I do for you today? The relationship allows everything else to happen. It is a place where trust and harmony reside.
Photo by Tom Harris
I advertised that I could exercise horses, especially those with weekend warrior owners. Often, I found myself being asked to work with horses “with problems.” Well, these horses weren’t happy horses. Eventually, I helped those owners who were having trouble understanding their horses needs. I realized there was an opportunity to help promote and create a better relationship between the two. You have to see the world thru the lens of the horse to understand how they think, feel and learn. My mission was to be an agent for helping develop a better life for horses and their owners.
Everyday I honor horses as the amazing creatures they are, blessed to work with them and heal old wounds. In the process of helping them, I realize now how much they saved me. Horses and people really want the same thing; comfort and peace. They bring purpose and meaning in my life and together we build strong connections and relationships with others.
