Horses
Bandit is a 10 year old registered Paint gelding. Bandit is our tallest horse at 15.2 hands. He came to the Xenophon program as a three year old and has become an integral part of our team. Although most horses do not start working as a therapy horse at such a young age, Bandit has been a talented therapy horse from the beginning. It is his all around calm temperament and easy going nature that allows him to be such a successful therapy horse. Bandit is loved by all of his riders and anyone who has the pleasure to spend some time with him. Outside of his work with our students, Bandit enjoys going on trail rides and jumping!
Cocoa is a 22 year old Morgan Arabian cross. She is a dark bay with no markings and stands at 14.3 hands. She has been at Xenophon for about 5 years and has become a truly intuitive therapist. Cocoa has the ability to sense how disabled or novice her rider is and does what she can to help them maintain their balance and confidence. As our most senior member, Cocoa is also our most energetic horse. She is always eager to please and do her job to the best of her ability. Cocoa’s favorite thing to do outside of her therapy duties is to go out on the trail! In 2008, Cocoa had colic surgery, and after spending 9 days in the ICU at UC Davis veterinary hospital, she is fully recovered. Cocoa was voted the NARHA National Therapy Horse of the Year. She is one in a million.
Kiwanis, nicknamed Kiwi, is a 10 year old Haflinger mare, who was donated to Xenophon by Creeky Routson, and funded in part by Kiwanis of Moraga Valley. She is a golden chestnut color with a flaxen mane and tail. She came to Xenophon five years ago with minimal experience under saddle. At that point in her life she had already achieved a lot by being the proud mother of two foals. From the time that we acquired Kiwanis it was obvious she was willing and able to do whatever was asked of her. She is a stocky horse standing at only 14 hands. She Is now learning to be long lined (driven from behind) in order to become a hippotherpy horse. Hippotherpy is physical therapy on horsback. Hippo is “horse” in Greek. She is a fast learner and seems to enjoy her new role at Xenophon.
Pal is a 13 hand chestnut pony gelding with minimal white markings. He is in his mid-teens (no papers, so no way to know for sure). Pal’s personality is gentle and affectionate. He will always nicker when a person visits his paddock. Pal loves people and attention, and he also gets along well with the other horses. He came to us with quite a bit of training although he was a bit rusty at it. He went through our training program and although he can be a bit lazy, but he has three good gaits and is steady and not spooky at all. Out on the trail he is quite enjoyable to ride, interested in everything and not worried by dogs, bikes or traffic. He has settled into his job as a therapy horse and has been a great addition to the Xenophon herd. He has become an excellent mount for younger children.
Echo is a handsome grey Arabian gelding, approximately 20 years old. Before coming to Xenophon, Echo spent the bulk of his teenage years in a pasture, grazing and simply being a horse. His lovely under-saddle work and his excitement for our horse show suggest that Echo probably had extensive training and show experience in his earlier years. Even before he finished his therapy horse training, Echo won over many of the students and volunteers at Xenophon, greeting everyone from his paddock with nickers. He was eager to start his new job, and as he finished his training he found several tactics for attracting the attention of the horse handlers – as if to say “pick me for this lesson”. As a lesson horse, Echo tries very hard to keep his students safe and follow his handlers’ instructions. He pays careful attention to his students’ balance and is very sensitive to their reins and voice commands. His excellent trot has helped some of our students to learn how to post, and his sensitivity to his rider’s abilities makes him appropriate for a range of skill levels – from beginners to advanced students. Echo loves the company of the other Xenophon horses and thrives on the attention his students give him. He has quickly become a very popular character at Xenophon and an integral part of our program.
Many of you may have noticed that a familiar face is missing around the barn. Our horse, Pooh, was retired at the end of last year. Pooh had a condition that made her unsuitable for therapy work any longer. She has gone to a lovely home with Hannah Haynie, our Horse Handler Coordinator, where she is enjoying trail riding and love lavished on her by Hannah. We know she was a favorite among our equine friends and she will be missed by many of our students. Please feel free to ask Hannah about how she is doing.