A big thank you goes out to the Danville Rotary for putting the final paint touches on our paddocks.  The drag grey primer turned to Xenophon’s signature green in no time at all with so many helping hands.  They were a wonderful group and the neatest painters we have ever had.  Not a brush or paint pan had a speck of paint left on it by the time they finished up.  We all enjoyed a wonderful lunch together and the group was able to watch our Saturday students show off their riding.  Thank you, Danville Rotary, for your wonderful work and contributing in such a big way to the center.

Meow Gallery: The gallery is empty.

Xenophon was present again this year at the 2nd annual Heather Farms Horse Fair. Held at Heather Farms in Walnut Creek, this was a day dedicated to the horse. There were vendor booths, and miniature horses, wonderful music and food, and of course a myriad of demonstrations. The event definitely grew this year, with many more breeds and clinicians present, demonstrating all aspects of equine sports; from drill teams, to color guards, to reiners, to dressage riders. One of our Wednesday riders, Fiona Fahey, and Wimbeldon did a wonderful riding demonstration. Fiona showed her flawless posture and wonderful trot work. Both of them looked the part of experienced horse show participants, and relished in the applause and attention. Thank you to Heidi, Fiona’s instructor, for all her preparation work. Thank you also to all the volunteers who helped with the demonstration and manned our booth. Xenophon proudly represented the therapeutic riding community.

In preparation for a transition to a year-round program, Xenophon held its first Volunteer Training Session of the year on February 4, 2012. More than 50 volunteers turned out for an informative and interesting day. The format of the training was different this year. It was geared towards returning volunteers in order to give them a more in-depth understanding of therapeutic riding and what happens in and out of the arena. Volunteers transitioned through 4 workshops: Toys and Tack, Body Mechanics, Understanding the Different Disabilities, and Horse and People Herd Dynamics. Toys and Tack, taught by Jan Bindas, Wanda Sayuk and Heidi Koch, gave people a understanding of the different toys and manipulatives we use and why. In the tack section, Heidi showed the different types of tack and explained why an instructor would choose to use each piece based on the child’s needs. Tineke Jacobsen and Melissa Maker helped volunteers understand basic body mechanics and how holds we perform as sidewalkers can have both positive and negative impacts. In addition, they covered body mechanics that are helpful in preventing sidewalkers from repetitive stress on their own joints. Myke Judd and Janet Alexander used their expertise to talk about some of the lesser known disabilities, what physical and cognitive challenges go along with these, and how teaching approaches must differ for each disability. In the Horse and People Herd Dynamics, taught by Mari Parino and Shelly Guthrie, volunteers had a deeper insight into horse communication and how this and herd dynamics affects the horse’s relationship to people. It was demonstrated how this relationship is to key to the horse’s performance in lessons in the arena. Even our most experienced volunteers came away having learned something new.

Xenophon once again was able to participate in a Golden Gate Fields Fundraiser. A fun time was had by all as volunteers served beer, sodas and hotdogs for Dollar Days at the racetrack. The volunteers were not kept too busy to enjoy themselves. While no one found a thoroughbred to ride, Ann Welch managed a ride on a the Golden Gate Pony and a few bets were placed as well.

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of one of our Xenophon volunteers. Alyson Sayuk-Rodriguez lost a battle to cancer on December 3rd . Alyson is the daughter of our instructor, Wanda Sayuk. Alyson was involved with Xenophon both through her mom and as an exercise rider for our horses. Her family said Xenophon held a very special place in her heart. Alyson was 32 years old. Our hearts go out to Wanda and John; Alyson’s husband, Carlos; and her brother, Greg, and sister-in-law, Tiffany. The family has requested that donations be made to Xenophon in lieu of flowers, and have asked that these funds be used for scholarships. If you would like to donate, please mail checks to PO Box 16, Orinda, CA 94563. Please make a note that donations are in memory of Alyson.

November 19th saw the end of our 2011 season. Despite construction delays we managed to operate 2 sessions of therapeutic riding and, thanks to the generous use of their facilities at Leap of Faith Farms in Walnut Creek, we were able to operate 3 sessions of hippotherapy. We were excited to begin operations in August at our new facility and for the first time ever we did not miss a day due to heat or rain. We also continued operations up until Thanksgiving for the first time ever. Our lighted covered arena was appreciated even more as the days got shorter, and parents and volunteers alike enjoyed the new heated office as the weather turned cold. While we were unable to hold our annual horse show this year, the last week of classes was filled with fun games and friendly competitions, along with the presentation of ribbons to every rider at the end of their lesson.

The staff at Xenophon wish you all a very a happy holiday season. We look forward to seeing you in February of 2012 when we will make our change from a seasonal to year-round program.

ANNUAL PATH CONFERENCE IN KENTUCKY

This year, thanks to a very successful gala, Xenophon was able to assist 6 of its instructors in attending the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International’s (PATH) national conference in Kentucky. Over 775 people attended the conference from centers all over the United States and other parts of the world. There were 2 days of intensive classroom workshops and one day of practical workshops at the Kentucky Horse Park. Our instructors were energized and excited to be with so many peers and participate in advanced education and practices in our field. All brought back new ideas to enhance our program.

SAVE THE DATE – SATURDAY, MARCH 17, 2012

Be sure to mark your calendars for Xenophon’s annual gala event. Please note the new venue! This year’s gala, “An Enchanted Emerald Eve”, will be held at the Round Hill Country Club in Alamo. Our committee is hard at work and it should be a fabulous event. Invite your family, friends, and colleagues.

HALLOWEEN FUN

Many of our staff and students got into the Halloween spirit during our Halloween week celebration. We had costumes, games and special snacks. Fun was had by all.

Xenophon had a special visit to the center on Saturday, October 29th.  The Lion’s Club of Walnut Creek came to visit to see our new horse, “Dandie”, in action.  Dandie, whose full name is Dandelion, was purchased for Xenophon by the Walnut Creek Lion’s Club.  True to form, Dandie showed what a special horse she is carrying her 2 students with special care, and allowing Aidan, one of our more advanced riders, a chance to show off his independent riding skills.  In addition to their visit, the group worked to plant 3 redwood trees on our hillside.  A big thank you goes to the Lion’s Club for their donation and for planting our trees.

For the 11th straight year, Xenophon participated in the Week of Caring and was the fortunate recipient of donated hours by both Wells Fargo and Chevron Corporation. Week of Caring is a county wide effort, spearheaded by the Volunteer Center of the East Bay, where corporations allow their employees time off from work to help local non-profits. This year we had a group of 8 people from Wells Fargo who came and built a brand new, 2-stall wash rack.  A second group of 12 people from Chevron also came during the week and took on the task of painting our new office and sitting area. Both projects hugely enhanced our site. We are very grateful to the generous men and women of both of these companies for all of their hard work. Thank you from the staff, students and horses at Xenophon.

Wells Fargo Workers

Chevron helper paints office

Chevron people at work

The Chevron Crew

The Wells Fargo Helpers

Thanks to Chevron

What an amazing evening! The party to celebrate the opening of our new covered arena was so much fun. We were joined by 100 friends of Xenophon to honor those who helped to make this possible: Clark Construction, McGuire and Hester, The Lescure Company, Contra Costa Electric, and ISEC.

The evening started with a banjo band before dinner, then a delicious BBQ dinner. After dinner the DJ played country and western music and we danced the night away. It was a sparkling start to a new phase for Xenophon.

Click here to see all the photos.