Joel Viloria
Owner & Driver of Ridgeview Equine Transport
Joel's experience in the equine industry includes over 15 years of competitive draft horse showing, over 20 years of reproductive experience, and over 25 years of horse hauling experience with both pick-ups and semis. He has moved high caliber show horses across the country, stallions for breeding season moves, import / export travel, mares and foals, mules, donkeys, and even a few Zorses.
Joel started working with horses as a kid. His parents ignited his passion for horses when they gifted him his first pony, "Sugar". He then learned to drive horses under his trainer, Ladonne Hatley, a prominent horse trainer in Southern California. Ladonne introduced Joel to Sioux Munyon, who gave Joel the opportunity to show for her hitch "Sioux Munyon Insurance Belgians". Under Sioux's wing Joel showed her Belgians in single cart all the way up to a six-horse hitch. He also had the pleasure to be mentored by Gene Hilty, head driver for Van Exel Belgians, where he expanded his knowledge in hitch driving. He continued to show draft horses across the country from the Draft Horse Classic in Grassvalley, California to the Britt Draft Horse Show in Britt, Iowa.
Joel received his Bachelor of Science in Animal Science and Management from the University of California, Davis with an emphasis in Equine Reproduction. During his time at UC Davis he worked as a student Breeding Manager at the Animal Science Department Horse Barn. He also established the UC Davis Horse Barn Draft Horse and Driving Club with Robin Denney and the support of Bob Denney and Hames Valley Vineyards. He regularly transported the draft horses between Hames Valley Vineyards in Paso Robles and the University. Joel served as club President for his time as a student from 2003-2006.
UC Davis Draft Horse and Driving Club
After graduating from UC Davis he moved to Herald, CA and began working as Breeding Manager for Oasis Ranch, a large Quarter Horse breeding and training facility. During breeding seasons the facilities horse numbers would swell to over 300 head. Under Joel's direction the facility became a USDA approved and inspected semen collection and storage facility for internationally approved frozen semen. Semen was regularly collected, frozen, stored and shipped to the EU and Australia. Joel transported high caliber breeding and show horses for import and export as they circulated through the facility. He regularly transported wet mares with foals on their side for reproduction and emergency needs.
Joel returned to the University of California, Davis as the Equine Facilities Supervisor for the Animal Science Department teaching and research Horse Barn. He trained, and taught students to train, horses for both the show ring and the breeding shed. During his time at the University he managed everyday activities on facility including collection of stallions, semen evaluation, breeding of client mares by means of Artificial Insemination, ultrasound and palpation of facilities brood mares, foaling of ranch and client mares. He managed and performed freezing, storage, inventory, and shipping of frozen semen for both outside clients and facility stallions and donkeys. He was also in charge of transportation of horses per facility needs and training students to drive and maintain facility trucks and trailers. Joel worked with veterinarians for breeding needs as well as herd health issues and coordinated with professors and veterinarians to facilitate and assist with research needs with animals or samples. A large focus at the University was to teach student labs for Animal Science classes in equine handling, reproduction and restraint, read and review Production Internship applicants based upon internship application, resume, GPA and accomplishments. He taught to wean, halter break and show fit foals for the barn's annual production sale. Coordinated and managed the facility’s annual yearling production sale including facility preparation, sale animal training, conditioning and marketing. Joel also managed exercise riders who were responsible for everyday exercise of show horses and standing stallions.
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For University outreach Joel provided tours for outside groups including high school FFA groups, local 4H groups, Community College Equine classes and Pony Clubs. He additionally met with potential UC Davis students to advise on offered programs in Equine Sciences for the department as well as working with the Animal Science Advising Center to schedule visiting parent and student tours for incoming or applying students. Joel planned, coordinated and ran large public teaching programs for the Horse Barn with regularly greater than 400 attendees per event including annual Public Horse Day, Donkey Days, FFA Light Horse Contest, Picnic Day public displays and performances on equine reproduction. He was also a staple at Bishop Mule Days bringing down students with their training mules as well as the famous jack, Action Jackson. He coached the UC Davis Horse Barn Packing Team to win the 2015 Bishop Mule Days Interscholastic World Champion Packing Team.
UC Davis Horse Barn
He developed and maintained the Animal Science Department Horse Barn's training programs and records, wrote and maintained facility Standard Operating Procedures, completed paperwork and passed facility inspections for both Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) and Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International (AAALAC). He was also one of two UC Davis Representatives chosen to teach an outreach program on reproduction, equine management and training at the Kyungpook National University of South Korea.
Jeju Horse Park, South Korea
Joel moved on to become the Ranch Manager for Rosehaven Ranch, a Straight Egyptian Arabian ranch in Washoe Valley here in Nevada. He was responsible for facility management including supervising ranch workers, equine care and breeding management, reproduction including embryo transfer, freezing semen and training horses for riding and driving. He, as always, transported facility Arabians for breeding and sale purposes all over Nevada and California.
Recently, he had been driving semi as a regional flatbed driver where he continued to grow his knowledge of the transportation industry. Picking up and delivering legal flatbed loads, multi-drop loads, oversize permit loads including wide loads, over-height loads and over-length loads, stretch flat oversize permit loads, and over-weight permit loads covering mostly Nevada, California, Oregon, Washington and Idaho. Operating specialized flatbed trailers including stepdeck, split axle, stretch flats and stretch stepdeck, conestoga, double-drop and 3-axle trailers with lift axles. Honing his customer service skills working with shippers, receivers and job-site workers. Managing freight BOL’s and permits for oversize loads to ensure accuracy and legal operation. Focusing on safe securement and management of loads and labeling and sorting multi-drop freight. Scaling and adjustment of loads and axle positions to ensure proper weight and length for DOT, FMCSA and specific permit regulations. Performing tractor/trailer walkaround inspections to confirm good operational status of vehicles and overall safety for his load and the public.
Joel and Erica are proud to be expanding Ridgeview Equine to not only offer equine transport for horses in training, but now to the equine public. We look forward to the honor of hauling your horse, wherever your needs may take them.
