Hopeful Acres

Meet Our Founder & Our Instructor

Rick Jansen

Hopeful Acres was established in 2018 by Rick Jansen. He had the idea of starting this organization for many years after discovering his purpose, which is to “reduce suffering.”

Rick grew up on a dairy farm near Crofton, Nebraska. He joined the Army upon graduating high school, and earned a master’s degree in Project Management before retiring from the service after 24 years.

Rick’s dream is to bring a program to his community that will provide healing, hope, and support to those experiencing physical and/or mental trauma.

Rick is one of our instructors and holds a CTRI (Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor) certification through PATH (Professional Association for Therapeutic Horsemanship) International.

"I would encourage everyone to take part in the various activities that Hopeful Acres has to offer."

--Gavin Fillington, U.S. Army Active

Instructor

Lindsey Miller

Lindsey was added to the Hopeful Acres team in June of 2024. We are excited to have her as part of our team. She has held her CTRI (Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor) certification through PATH (Professional Association for Therapeutic Horsemanship) International since 2020 and continues to grow in her riding skills in both english and western disciplines. Lindsey continues to grow in her learning of horses through clinics, shows, and lessons.

Lindsey previously taught elementary music for 8 years where she had many accomplishments such as lead elementary music teacher for the district she worked, winning numerous education foundation grants, and she holds a national pedagogy certification for music. Lindsey has a love for music and learning. She shares her passion of learning through teaching and is always looking for ways to provide more opportunities for individuals. Lindsey enjoys working with people of all ages, animals, and has always had a love for the outdoors.

Meet Our Herd

High Roller

American Quarter Horse
Previous Barrel Racer

Enjoys grooming, trail rides, and connecting with clients. He enjoys spending time with everyone he meets, and shares his heart in all he does.

His favorite treat is Carrots.

Red

American Quarter Horse
Hopeful Acres Original

Red is one of Hopeful Acres' founding horses. She enjoys grooming, walking through arena patterns, and trail rides. She is a great listener and allows for a trusting bond to form between her and riders.
Although she doesn't care for her face to be touched too much, she shows a very convincing begging face when carrots and treats are out.

Cinnamon

American Quarter Horse
Hopeful Acres Original

Cinnamon is one of Hopeful Acres' founding horses. He enjoys grooming, trail rides, and is a great introduction to riding for our clients.

He is calm, confident, and enjoys treats and carrots. He is sometimes silly and puts his head through the sides of his stall to beg for a treat even when it's not his turn!

Maverick

Appendix Horse
(Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse)

Maverick has a fun and loving personality, but still enjoys playing with the other horses. Unfortunately the other horses don't like to play as much as Maverick does.

Maverick is smart and continues to work hard at learning new things. He likes to smell things around him, is trusting of his riders, and loves carrots.

June

Miniature Horse

June is one of our miniature horses. She enjoys helping clients get used to being around horses for the first time. She is gentle, kind, and loving.
June enjoys being groomed, and lead line work with clients. She will be your best friend if you have treats or carrots!

Dewey

Thoroughbred

Dewey is a retired jumping horse. He competed in jumping and worked in a pony club teaching people how to ride, and start their jumping endeavors.

Dewey enjoys being at Hopeful Acres because it is peaceful and there are a lot of people to love on him. He is one of our tallest horses, but don't let his height scare you. He takes great care of his riders with his steady walk and smooth trot.
He loves to finish sessions with a good grooming and carrots.

Johnny

Miniature Horse

Johnny is one of our miniature horses. He enjoys introducing people to horses, and encouraging them to become his friend.

Johnny likes walking with our clients, grooming and care, and any type of treat or carrot anyone will give him. He often follows people around to see if they're hiding anything in their pockets.

Goats

Dwarf & Pigme

Our goats are a highlight of our program. They are fun to play with and feed. Although they sometimes smell, they are kind and gentle at heart.

Clients love the different colors and markings they show and love to play with the babies the most.
Sometimes the goats show their love by following you around or trying to nibble on your clothes.

Faith

Faith is our Hopeful Acres dog.
She enjoys walks and belly rubs.
She is good at listening and is always there for anyone who wants to spend time with her.
She loves her special treats in her food, but is also known for sharing her food with the cats.

Cats

These cats (Sparkie, Oreo, and Bobcat) have found Hopeful Acres to be a fun, loving, and peaceful home.
They enjoy attention and play time from our clients and owners.

They enjoy getting into the tack room and knocking things over, stealing any lunches or snacks that humans have, and assisting in horse training like playing with grooming brushes, and training aids.

Get More Information

Thank you for taking an interest in HOPEFUL ACRES. If you would like to learn more about our 501 C-3 non-profit organization, please reach out to us. We aim to be viewed as a valuable community resource by people in the greater San Antonio, Texas community.