About Us
Kauli Sparks and Kim Sparks (sister-in-laws) started Hearts and Hooves of Lubbock in late 2004. Kauli had seen a story about the miniature horse therapy on the Today Show and decided that was her calling. She contacted Kim and she was on board immediately. They went to training and met Honor and Jolly, it was “love at first sight.” Since they were told by their husbands to not think about coming home with a horse they did not have anything to haul the horses in. They loaded Jolly and Honor in Kim’s Pathfinder and drove to Brownwood, where a trailer was waiting on them.
When they got home, the adventure started and has continued to this day. Oreo was added to the family shortly after Honor and Jolly arrived, then a few months later Sparkles was added. Kauli and Kim trained Sparkles Oreo to do the same work Jolly and Honor had been trained to do. They have been delighting children and adults for almost four years. PepperJack and two others were donated almost a year ago. Kauli gave the colt and mare to her brother and sister-in-law to start their own miniature horse therapy. We kept PepperJack, we hope to teach him to pull carts. He is a great addition just because of how pretty he is and his “White Snake” mane.
We take the horses to nursing home, Alzheimer’s units, schools with special needs kids or anyone that just needs a smile brought to their face. The little horses have a way of making people feel good. We have been to places and the staff will tell us “that person has not spoken since they have been here”, yet when we walk in with the horses they cannot stop talking. We have also seen people with Alzheimer’s respond to the horses when they do not respond to their family or the staff. It is truly amazing to see the reactions we get from the horses.
If anyone is interested in becoming a volunteer with Hearts and Hooves of Lubbock, please e-mail and tell us your interest. There are many opportunities…..caring for the horses, bathing the horses, fund raising, the list goes on and on.
