Sisterhood Spotlight
Senior Facilitator, Spur N Up Hope Inc.
Lee is certified in three Equine Assisted Learning programs and serves as the Senior Facilitator at Spur N Up Hope Inc. Her work is rooted in the belief that horses have a unique ability to teach emotional resilience, trust, and life skills—often without a single word spoken. As the program has grown, so has its impact, reaching people from all walks of life and offering a safe space for transformation.
Spur’n Up Hope grew from your own faith and love of horses and a desire to help youth heal from trauma. When did you first recognize the unique power of horses to teach life skills and emotional resilience?
I realized at a young age the unique friendship and emotional support that I had with my horses. Moreso as a teenager, dealing with teenage issues, that I could tell my horse everything on my mind and she never laughed at me, judged me or told anyone anything I told her. I could trust her completely. I only knew how empowering it was for me and would be for others to have a 1000 lb animal do whatever you asked them to. It wasn’t until I got my 1st Equine Assisted Learning certification through Equine Connection, that I learned about how they could teach Life Skills and by utilizing the BuildingBlock Curriculum, how to make that happen. I’ve since gotten EAL certifications with 2 additional companies. The last being through Dreamwinds in Tryon, NC who work directly with the founder of the BuildingBlock curriculum.
Your work now reaches adults in recovery and veterans as well as youth. How have you seen the program’s impact differ across these groups?
The biggest thing I began to realize when we were given the opportunity to begin to serve the recovery community was that so many of the adults in recovery were once the same youth we began serving in 2017. They had trauma that they dealt with and numbed through drugs and alcohol. It made me hope that maybe some of the youth we were serving could change their trajectory through using some of the Life Skills they learned from our Horse Teachers.
I love to watch the Veterans we serve leave some of the trauma and ptsd baggage they carry behind them when they are spending time with the Horses. If even for a couple hours, they seem free from the worries that haunt them daily from the things they’ve seen in service to our country. We owe them so very much for giving such self-sacrifice in service to us and keeping us The Home of the Free. It’s definitely because of those Brave individuals.
Running a growing nonprofit requires wearing many hats. What has kept you motivated and grounded as Spur’n Up Hope has expanded its reach?
That’s a tough question, because sometimes when I’m totally mentally and physically exhausted, I’m not sure. I truly love and have a heart for serving others, especially the people that others don’t see or want to see. I feel that it is my God given mission to make sure that everyone knows they matter and that they are loved no matter what they’ve done or where they find themselves at the point when I meet them. The farm is a totally judge free zone!! That is VERY important to me, that anyone who volunteers here shares that feeling. I never want anyone to feel “less than” when they are here. Matthew 25:40 – Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me, is over the entrance to the barn to remind everyone coming in that we are to serve each other as if we were serving Jesus. I guess that’s what drives me forward when I don’t always feel like it.
For those interested in equine-assisted learning or supporting people in recovery, what books, training programs, or community resources would you recommend?
My first recommendation would be to volunteer with a program that is doing EAL to understand more about it. We are always looking for volunteers to join our team. The reason I suggest that is that it’s not cheap to get good certifications and you want to make sure you understand all that goes into it first. If someone is looking for a good certification program, I would definitely suggest Dreamwinds in Tryon, NC. Tracey Evans is amazing and a wonderful source of inspiration and knowledge. I’m always happy to listen and advise any way I can and if I don’t know the answer, I’ll find out or send people in the right direction to get the answers they need.
For supporting people in recovery, volunteer with one of the many recovery programs in the area. If you are in recovery and looking for help, reach out!! We provide a weekly Life Recovery group meeting at the farm every Tuesday, from 6-7:30pm. There are recovery group meetings at my local church, Christ Family Outreach after church every Sunday and Chapel Midlothian has a group meeting Thursday evenings as well. Just don’t isolate, find your people and ask for help.
About Lee Williams
In 1998, Lee Williams returned with her children to her family’s land and founded Dusty Spur Farm—a place where faith, healing, and horsemanship could grow together. Guided by a divine calling to use the farm to help others, Lee began planting the seeds of what would become Spur N Up Hope Inc. Over the years, through prayer, perseverance, and the support of friends and horses, her vision blossomed into a nonprofit dedicated to helping youth, adults in recovery, and veterans heal from trauma through equine-assisted learning.
Whether she’s leading a session in the arena or managing the many roles of a nonprofit leader, Lee remains grounded in her faith and the purpose God placed on her heart. Spur N Up Hope is more than a program—it’s a living testimony to the healing power of connection, community, and grace.