Chapter 4: Meet Joey

When an injury cost Joey—a prize-winning Appaloosa—his show career, he moved from one owner to the next, ultimately experiencing severe abuse and neglect. A rescue group found Joey nearly dead from starvation―and blind.

Then he came to Hope Reins―a ranch dedicated to helping hurting kids who had been abused, emotionally wounded, or unwanted. By teaching these children to care for rescued animals, the Hope Reins staff were convinced they could reach kids with love and hope and show them that we are never forgotten by God.

Jennifer Bleakley, a Hope Reins volunteer and aspiring author, fell in love with Joey and his courageous journey from darkness to light. Her experiences with Joey and the work at Hope Reins inspired her to write Joey: How a Blind Rescue Horse Helped Others Learn to See.

After five years, she completed the work, and it took on a life of its own. To everyone’s surprise, Tyndale Momentum—one of the largest Christian book publishers—jumped onboard to publish the work. The book was released on May 8th 2018, and Joey helped bring Hope Reins and its ministry of hope and healing to a national audience.

God inspired the work of Hope Reins through the book Hope Rising, and now he has grown our ministry through a book of our own.