Our History
Veronique Matthews founded her soul’s passion, Hearts & Hooves, harmonizing her love for people and animals.
In 2001, when she was sidelined by breast cancer from her busy life as a mother and massage therapist, she assumed that it would be a temporary pause in her life.
Little did she know that this event was life-changing, one of those moments where one door closes and another opens.
Because of complications during her surgeries, Veronique was unable to continue as a massage therapist and her pain, believed induced by side effects of the antibiotic Cipro see this link and this link for details of this horrible iatrogenic disease, was severe, constant and continues to this day. However, at her lowest ebb when things were looking really bleak, she found Toby—a friend and therapist in the form of a dwarf miniature horse, just 22 inches tall.
From the minute that Toby came into Veronique’s life, things changed for the better.
Her painful recovery was no longer such an intolerable burden. She began to look forward to what the next day might bring and to enjoy sharing her time with Toby.
Toby had such a powerful effect on Veronique’s life that she felt she must share this wonderful gift. Veronique decided to follow her heart and try to give others the opportunity to heal themselves in the same way that she had been healed. Soon after getting back on her feet, Veronique founded Hearts & Hooves Inc., a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization. With Toby as her guide, Veronique set out almost every day to bring comfort and healing into the lives of others.
As time went on her herd of healers grew, often from donations within the mini horse community. Using an old mini van for transport, Veronique and Toby took the herd of mini healers to many places: hospitals, nursing homes, Alzheimer units, state hospitals, schools for the blind and deaf, neuro rehabilitation centers, schools for persons with disabilities, women’s abuse centers.
In short, they went anywhere they could make a difference.
As word spread, the requests for visits increased, as did the number of willing volunteers. The response that the Hearts & Hooves volunteers and their tiny cavalry have received is beyond Veronique’s expectations. Now, six years after the inception of Hearts & Hooves, the minis’ expertise is in constant demand in Austin and the surrounding areas.