One Acre Wonders – Outdoor Schooling, Autism Support, and Equine Wisdom with Catherine Ward & Nicole Jones | Ep 30 Equine Assisted World

In this episode of Equine Assisted World, Rupert Isaacson speaks with Catherine Ward and her daughter Nicole Jones of One Acre Farm in Texas. Together, they’ve built a thriving outdoor farm school and equine-assisted program on just a single acre—proving that miracles don’t require massive land, just massive heart.From backyard chickens to neurodiverse farm school, from ABA burnout to Montessori inspiration, and from homeschooling to creating a whole new educational paradigm, Catherine and Nicole share how they blend horsemanship, autonomy, and science to create a truly inclusive, joy-filled learning environment.Discover how they overcame lawsuits, personal tragedy, and cultural bias to build something profoundly impactful—and how you can, too.📚 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:Starting Small: How One Acre Became a Movement (Starts at 01:00)The origin of One Acre Farm and why location doesn’t limit transformation.Why their first class was on raising backyard chickens.From ABA to Montessori to Movement Method (Starts at 06:00)Nicole’s early experience with ABA and why it didn’t sit right.Discovering Montessori and how it changed her educational path.Faith, Loss, and Resilience: Catherine’s Personal Journey (Starts at 14:00)How growing up wealthy and then losing everything shaped her.Finding strength through grief and rediscovering purpose in education.Transition from Public School to Homeschooling (Starts at 24:00)Catherine’s decision to homeschool and build a lifestyle of faith and connection.What autonomy looked like in their homeschool setting.Neurodiversity, Animals, and Movement Method (Starts at 33:00)Why ABA didn’t work—and how Horse Boy and Movement Method did.The power of swinging, manure, and goat poop for emotional regulation.The Science of Belonging: From Chickens to Compass Skills (Starts at 44:00)Building trust, confidence, and cognitive growth through nature.Why letting kids lead creates powerful learning moments.The Curriculum in Action: Real Academics in a Farm School (Starts at 56:00)How they teach long division, reading, and geography through farm chores.Montessori flexibility and real-world applications.Emotional Intelligence and Social Development (Starts at 1:08:00)How children learn to navigate social dynamics and resolve conflict.Why mixed-age groups foster natural mentorship.Infrastructure and Burnout Prevention (Starts at 1:22:00)Turning living rooms into classrooms and avoiding mission drift.The challenge of staffing and seasonal demand.Mentorship, Consulting, and Creating New Campuses (Starts at 1:35:00)Helping others start their own programs with land/educator pairings.The vision for a “thousand One Acre Farms” worldwide.From Mobile Education to Legacy Building (Starts at 1:47:00)The story of the mobile petting barn and education trailer.What Catherine and Nicole want to leave behind for future educators.🌟 Memorable Moments from the Episode:Why kids who “failed” at preschool thrived at One Acre Farm (46:00)Catherine's powerful visual for neuroplasticity: getting to Dallas without I-45 (1:27:00)When Nicole knew Rupert was speaking "right to her soul" (1:33:00)"Let kids do dangerous things carefully"—why risk builds resilience (1:47:00)Pumpkin smashing as science, therapy, and fun—all in one (1:50:00)🤝 Connect with One Acre Farm:Website: https://oneacrefarmtx.com Email: Catherine Ward – [email protected] | Nicole Jones – [email protected] Phone & WhatsApp: +1 832-860-4756 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oneacrefarmtxSee All of Rupert’s Programs and Shows: 🌐 Rupert Isaacson: https://rupertisaacson.com💻 Equine-Assisted Programs: https://newtrailslearning.comFollow Us:Long Ride Home📘 Facebook: https://facebook.com/longridehome.lrh📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/longridehome_lrh🎥 YouTube: https://youtube.com/@longridehomeNew Trails Learning Systems🌐 Website: https://ntls.co📘 Facebook: https://facebook.com/horseboyworld📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/horseboyworld🎥 YouTube: https://youtube.com/newtrailslearningsystems🧺 Affiliate Disclosure: Some links may be affiliate links. If you purchase through them, we may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting the show!

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