Xenophon Therapeutic Riding Center

Into the Future

The new covered arena is on its way.  This is a dream that will really come true in the very near future.  The expansion will allow us to have  a year-round program and expand to meet our ever-growing wait list.  We will have the help of Clark Construction, Lescure Company, and McGuire and Hester, among others, to make this dream come true.  This is the beginning of our $150,000.00 campaign.  I know that is a huge amount of money, but with your help I know we can  reach our goal.  Your donation will mean so much to so many.

All donations are 100% tax deductible.

Please consider donating at one of these levels,

but no donation is too small:

$100.00     $250.00     $500.00     $1000.00

We finish our year with a horse show for all our children.  It is a happy and joyful day for all.  Our students show their families and friends what they have  accomplished.

I finally finished the horse show pictures. Click here to view the album. Enjoy!

Thank you Jim Pire.

Chevron executives came to Xenophon again this year.  The task was to pound posts, dig trenches to build a new paddock, and paint the picket fence.   It was hot and dirty work but now we have a new place for our horses to live and a bright white fence.  THANK YOU CHEVRON!

This is the eleventh year that the Martinez Horsemen have held this fabulous event for Xenophon. Two of our students demonstrated their riding skills for all to see. It is always so much fun to show off our program and to be part of the “Battle.”

Thank you Martinez Horsemen!

Thank you to Eric and Julie Thomas for their fabulous evening. Sixty enthusiastic horse lovers came to Thomas Ranch to learn about reining and other horse-helping topics.
Eric demonstrated how to work in partnership with the horse focusing on the value of allowing the horse enough time to process our requests.
It was a wonderfully informative event.

Eric demonstrating cutting with the cow, Matilda.

Julie and Eric and friends

KCBS Video

Two of our students, Grant and Rebecca, enjoyed waving to the crowd gathered for the festivities. Instructor, Heidi Koch, rode Annie, who was happy and calm.

Our Students giving a demonstration of their riding skills
Thank you to all the hot people who ignored the elements to come to our Open House. It was wonderful to see so many brave souls. It was the hottest day on record so far. Our talented students demonstrated their riding skills on our fabulous horses. The hot dogs were delicious and the lemonade hit the spot.
A good time was had by all!

Xenophon volunteers worked hard to clean, dust, weed, paint and generally get dirty to get the barn and environs clean.

Our board president, Chris Legallet, thanked the volunteers for all their work and encouraged them to find new ways of fund raising in this challenging year.

The next day we had 55 new volunteers at our training.

It’s a great start to a new year!

Each student’s lesson is customized to meet his or her individual needs. Instructors work with the parents, teachers, and therapists to achieve each individual’s goals. Our instructors work one-on-one with each student teaching them riding skills and sportsmanship through different activities and games. The interaction with the instructor and volunteers, during the lesson, help the student learn important lessons about socialization.
Our students often form bonds with their horses. This bond helps our students learn responsibility and to rise above their disabilities with a newfound freedom of movement and skill.
Individuals with the following disabilities commonly participate and benefit from equine facilitated therapy and activities:

• Muscular Dystrophy
• Cerebral Palsy
• Brain Injuries
• Visual Impairment
• Spinal Cord Injuries
• Down Syndrome
• Amputations
• Mental Retardation
• Attention Deficit Order
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Learning Disabilities
• Autism
• Deafness
• Spina Bifida
• Cardiovascular accident/stroke

Our program accepts students between the ages of 5 and 17. At the moment, there is a 1-2 year wait to become a permanent student. However, this doesn’t mean that your child will not be able to ride during that time. Once your child is on our wait list, he or she will become a substitute rider. When one of our regular students is unable to come to his or her lesson, we call our sub-riders to fill the spot.
First step is to contact us to determine the eligibility of your child. Please email info@xenophontrc.org. You will then need to complete and return the attached forms. They must be filled out completely. The Student Medical History and Physician’s Statement must be filled out and signed by the student’s medical doctor. This form must be updated annually.

• Student Application and Health History
• Medical History and Physician’s Statement
• Authorization for Emergency Medical Treatment

Please send the forms to Xenophon Program Director, P.O. Box 16, Orinda, CA 94563.
Once Xenophon receives the completed application packet, the student’s name will be entered onto our wait list. You will be called when there is an opening.
When your child comes for lessons, he/she will be provided with a helmet. We ask that students wear closed-toed shoes; tennis shoes are okay. The student may wear either shorts or long pants, whichever is most comfortable.

All lessons are weekly, for a duration of 30 minutes. Our program will start up in again in June.  We will have our 2010 program schedule posted shortly.

Lesson times are as follows:

• Weekdays (Mon – Thurs) 3:00 p.m., 3:45 p.m., 4:30 p.m., and 5:15 p.m.
• Weekends (Sat) 8:45 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 10:15 a.m., and 11:00 a.m.

Lessons are $270.00 per session. We require twenty-four hours notice if you will not be present at your lesson. Scholarships are available if needed; for more information please contact the Program Director.