Dakota Theobald stands with Kenny and Buttons, two of the horses at Harmony Family Center.
Located in the heart of the East Tennessee Smoky Mountains, Dakota Theobald works long hours at Harmony Family Center’s The Barn program in Montvale Springs. She serves as the program coordinator, working tirelessly in her position to better both horses and her clients.
Theobald has loved horses from an early age, yet she had very few opportunities to actually be around them. As an adult, she attended occupational therapy school and began brainstorming how she could combine her love of animals with her love for helping others. She had the dream, and she made it happen. “Horses were simply in my blood!” she says.
On a day-to-day basis, Theobald fills many different roles as the program coordinator. She’s a farm hand, volunteer coordinator, client coordinator, camp planner and marketing pro. She also trains and cares for numerous horses at the Harmony Family Center. She documents, manages collaborations with community partners and plans and markets events.
Theobald’s favorite part about her job is sharing the goodness of horses to help individuals heal. When asked what her best experience while working with horses has been, she said, “The experiences I hold closest to my heart are when we bring in kids and adults who have experienced more hard things in their life than most, and they leave with smiles on their face after an equine snuggle or finding the confidence to lead a horse without help.”
Theobald also cares for her own horses, like Graham.
Theobald’s caring nature doesn’t stop with her clients; she is passionate about the horses’ well-being at the same time. If a horse begins to show signs that they are no longer happy in their position, Theobald helps to find the animal a loving home that better suits their needs.
Her work spans all ages and needs. Harmony Family Center offers many helpful programs, including those aimed at supporting adoptive families or children in the foster care system and residential homes. There are also programs aimed at serving both children and adults with physical, mental or cognitive needs.
Theobald says that her mission is “to help humans and horses come together in harmony. The horses are the motivators and teachers, and I’m here to keep everyone safe!”
Theobald is a prime example of the last line in the FFA motto, which is “Living to Serve.” She lives nearly every day of her life serving others in her local community. She has proven that you can apply this portion of the motto into all aspects of life, including making a childhood dream of working with animals come true.
