A hawk perched outside by our bird feeders.

A "7 days a week, 365 days a year" Job - copy block

     Joyce Miller has had a passion for horses since she was two years old. Her father used to ride horses, so she said "it must run in the family".  Now 71-years-old, Joyce opened the horse farm in 1981 down in Illinois where she gave lessons and housed horses for other riders.  The farm is now located here in Mount Pleasant, where she still gives riding lessons.
     Horses haven't always been fun and games for Joyce: one year, she was riding and the horse reared without giving her any indication that it was going to.  She fell, and so did the horse - on top of her.  Joyce said that she wasn't in any pain, but she knew that he back had been broken.  Once in the hospital, she was told that her back had snapped and she should have either been paralyzed or dead.
     Amidst multiple injuries and now arthritis, the work Joyce used to do with ease is now physical pain and a hassle.  While she still can teach riding lessons and smaller tasks around the stables, cleaning an entire horse stable that houses up to 13 horses is not an ideal job for a 71-year-old woman.  Joyce has two volunteer helpers, Josh and Meghan, that move the horses from their stalls into the outdoor arena (in dry weather) or into the indoor arena (in wet weather).  Josh and Meghan have the duty of cleaning the horses stalls, and sweeping around the entire stable to keep hay, matting, and manure out of the center of the stable.  Joyce is still able to feed the horses hay, give them water, and also feed them grain.
     From my time at Joyce Moody's horse farm, I could tell that horses were definitely her heart and soul.  It astounded me that she can still run the farm at 71-years-old, pick up bales of hay that can weigh up to 20 pounds, and keep riding horses even though one had fallen on her many years ago.  Tears came to her eyes when talking about horses that have died on the farm, as it brought back memories of fallen friends.  Horses have been and still are her life.  Joyce's husband has been asking her to sell the farm for the past few years, "But I can't do it.  I'm not ready for that.  I will be working here until I am physically unable to.  This is a seven days a week, three-hundred and sixty-five days a year job.  Somebody has to do it."

A "7 days a week, 365 days a year" Job

This is Joyce Moody with her horse, Dubious Bean.  He weighs 1200 lbs, and is 21 years old.  Joyce is 71 years old and has been running her horse farm since 1981.

Inside of Joyce Moody's horse farm. (from left) Meghan, Josh, and Joyce (71).  Meghan and Josh volunteer at the farm to help Joyce by cleaning the horse stables, and cleaning the indoor and outdoor arenas.

One of the horses, Loyola, watches for Joyce to come around with her bale of hay.

Joyce feeds the horses hay every day at 4 o'clock in the afternoon.  The barn dog, Jackson, follows Joyce wherever she goes about the barn.

The floor of the stable must be swept at least three times a day to keep the matting, hay, and manure off of the main floor.