Podcast Episode Details

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

Episode 30

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

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  Published on 3 months, 1 week ago