Jennifer can’t remember exactly when she discovered rescue. In high school she remembers wanting to rescue horses from auction because she knew that many were headed for the slaughter house. She wanted to retrain them, use them as lesson horses, and find them new families. Then after her first horse died, she contacted a few rescues trying to find another horse. Rescues were not well-known in the 1980s. sp she wasn’t able to find one near her.
After graduating with a Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology and a minor in Equine Science from Northeast Missouri State University (now called Truman State University) she moved to Bryan, Texas where she began working for a woman who turned out to be a collector (hoarder) of both dogs and horses. This vivid lesson in the neglect humans sometimes inflict upon horses prompted Jennifer to once again seek a rescue – this time one she could volunteer with. After months of looking, she realized there were no active rescues in Texas so she and other like-minded individuals formed Lone Star Equine Rescue.
Since no one in the fledgling organization had been involved with rescue before, Jennifer searched for books or resources with instructions on setting up a rescue, but she could not find much so she learned as she went. After the organization became successful, many aspiring rescues approached Jennifer for advice on how to start a rescue of their own or how to improve their current operations. At the urging of several friends and colleagues, Jennifer began work on How to Start and Run a Rescue.
At the same time that the rescue sprung to life, Jennifer entered graduate school at Texas A&M University. She obtained a Masters and Ph.D. in Animal Science in the Ethology section. She focused her studies on equine behavior, learning and welfare in hopes of helping even more horses.
While working on the book, Jennifer parted ways with LSER in February 2005. Although she was disappointed to leave LSER, she had a new adventure in front of her: forming Bluebonnet Equine Humane Society. Bluebonnet opened its doors in March 2005 and quickly became an outstanding rescue organization that serves horses and other equine animals throughout Texas.
Jennifer currently resides near Waco, Texas with her husband, Spencer Williams, two dogs, six cats and six horses, including one she adopted from Bluebonnet Equine Humane Society. She rides huntseat, dressage, western and sidesaddle. She has written a second book about her experience rescuing horses and is currently searching for a publisher. She also freelance writers for several magazines including EQUUS Magazine, Stable Management, AQHA Journal, Cat Fancy, and Dog Fancy.