This year’s annual PATH conference took place in Bellevue Washington. Xenophon was able to assist five staff members with attending the conference. There were two days of workshops and seminars, which were all presented with helpful and new information. The third day of the conference took place at Little Bit Therapeutic Riding Center, where the Seattle Mounted Police treated us with a demonstration at lunch. New ideas from lesson plans to barn management where brought back to enhance our program.

Xenophon had a “thank you” award luncheon for our amazing volunteers. Thanks to our new covered arena, the rain didn’t matter. Our parents provided yummy salads and desserts to go along with BBQed hamburgers and hot dogs. Awards were given out to those who have given 30, 60, 90, and more hours. We have so many volunteers who have been with us for years and years, some accumulating 1000 hours and more. We are so fortunate. A great big thank you to all.

We are now closed for the holiday season and will resume lessons in February.

Click to view pictures and videos from the Xenophon Volunteer Luncheon!

On October 7, 2012, Xenophon hosted a day of educational workshops for our instructors and for instructors from other local therapeutic riding centers.  The day was designed to provide a networking opportunity with other professionals in our field as well as continuing education on a variety of subjects.  Over 21 people from 3 different centers attended a total of 6 workshops.  These covered a variety of subjects from how to best use the horse as a therapeutic tool to medication awareness to teaching approaches for clients with autism.  Xenophon is fortunate to have talented instructors who shared their knowledge and expertise on a variety of subjects with those in attendance.   The driving clinic was a big success and provided comic relief as participants took turns being the “horse” and trying to understand a new vocabulary of words from their “driver”.   All were thankful to John Sayuk, a pharmacist, who shared his knowledge of the side effects of medications and how these might impact our riders.  It was a great day of networking and instruction with all hoping to continue this in-service day into the future.

                                                                             JIM PIRE
Tai Yong, with Xenophon walkers, recently took part in Xenophon’s horse show.
PATH (Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International)
recently visited Xenophon for its five-year accreditation and certification inspection.
Xenophon passed with a 100+ rating for safety, facility setup, and quality of instruction.
PATH even discovered new safety techniques utilized by Xenophon that it plans
to implement with other PATH certified centers.
ORINDA NEWS

Landscaping Project Completed

If you have been out to the center, you may have noticed the new beautiful landscaping that has certainly enhanced the look of the place.  Five new planter beds were installed over the past few weeks to break up the “moonscape”.  The project was the work of numerous individuals and companies.  Garden Lights Landscape Design, located in Orinda, provided the landscape plan for the beds pro bono.  Lopez Landscaping came in and prepared the beds and installed the irrigation system well below cost.    A big thank you goes out to our board member, Leslie DeBoer and her friend, Pam Winther, who is a landscape architect.  They were able to secure all the plants we needed at wholesale.

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Week of Caring 2012

  Xenophon was fortunate to be one of hundreds of non-profits who benefitted from Week of Caring this past week.  Once again, the Volunteer Center of the East Bay and Chevron, banded together to bring non-profits and corporate employees together.  The Volunteer Center coordinated projects amongst the non-profits and different companies from around the East Bay provided the labor by giving their employees time off work to come and help.

We had 14 Chevron employees arrive on September 12th.  In just 4 hours they installed a wheelchair path from our 2 handicapped parking spaces, across 50 feet of driveway to the mounting ramp.  The labor involved heavy digging and carting wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow of rock back and forth.  What they accomplished was truly amazing.  In additon, the group managed to paint our entire arena fencing.  Thank you, Chevron for your hard work.  Our parents are thrilled, as are we!

Xenophon was fortunate to be one of hundreds of non-profits who benefitted from Week of Caring this past week.  Once again, the Volunteer Center of the East Bay and Chevron, banded together to bring non-profits and corporate employees together.  The Volunteer Center coordinated projects amongst the non-profits and different companies from around the East Bay provided the labor by giving their employees time off work to come and help.

We had 14 Chevron employees arrive on September 12th.  In just 4 hours they installed a wheelchair path from our 2 handicapped parking spaces, across 50 feet of driveway to the mounting ramp.  The labor involved heavy digging and carting wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow of rock back and forth.  What they accomplished was truly amazing.  In additon, the group managed to paint our entire arena fencing.  Thank you, Chevron for your hard work.  Our parents are thrilled, as are we!

PG&E Lends a Hand:
The project could not have been completed without the many hands it took to dig the holes, plant the plants, install the landscape fabric and then shovel and install the mulch.  On August 29, a wonderful crew from PG&E came in and worked for an entire day at the center.  They completed the planting of 3 large beds and put down a great deal of the landscape fabric.  We are grateful to PG&E for the long standing relationship they have had with Xenophon,, from the ability to lease the land to their sponsorship of our gala.  A big thank you to Mark Caron, one of our board members, and his team from PG&E who provided all the helping hands.

Chevron Joins In:
Last, but certainly not least, a wonderful group from Chevron arrived on September 5th and in one afternoon managed to complete the plantings of the final two beds, finish off the landscape fabric and put the mulch in all 5 beds.   This group from Chevron has come to do projects as Xenophon for over 8 years.  They built our deck, the run-in shed on the hill, installed fencing, and painted more buildings and fences than we can count.  In addition, they have supported us as sponsors and attendees at our annual gala.   Thank you to Louie Ehrlich, and his group for their continual support.

By HEATHER WILSON
Staff Writer, Orinda News

Orinda’s therapeutic riding center Xenophon, a center for special needs children, held its annual horse show on June 2. The event showcased the students’ riding abilities and new found confidence. Friends and family members came to enjoy the performances by several students; however, the day also celebrated the retirement of a much-loved therapy horse named Cocoa.

Cocoa has been working at the center since 2001 and has served her students well with gentle patience. In 2008, Cocoa was honored by the national governing body of therapeutic riding, PATH International. Chosen as the therapy horse of the year, Cocoa truly deserves the honor. Executive Director Mari Parino states, “Cocoa has been suffering from severe arthritis and is finding it harder and harder to get around. We have had to cut back significantly on her work load, even though she thinks she should still be working. This will very likely be Cocoa’s last show, so we thought it fitting that we should honor her today.” Friends in attendance had many accolades for Cocoa. “Congratulations Cocoa on this well-deserved recognition and honor,” said one. “Thank you for all that you have done for our kids. You are much loved,” added another.

For those of you who have never experienced the 4th of July parade in downtown Orinda, it is definitely something that should be added to your list of “to-dos”. The home town atmosphere, the smiling faces, the flags and splashes of red, white and blue, the children laughing and clapping and collecting candy, all add up to a fun festive and patriotic event. Xenophon participated in the parade again this year with our annual float. “Exercise Annie” made her annual debut with riders Kyle Anderson, Fiona Fahey, and Isabelle Penston. A fun time was had as we wound our way through Theater Square and Orinda Village. A big thank you to Jim Taylor for his expert driving and the use of trailer yet again. Thank you to all the volunteers who came, decorated, rode and walked. Our float was beautiful.

It is with much sadness, that we had to put down one of our very special team members, Cocoa.  As many know, Cocoa suffered from extreme arthritis in her hind legs.  Over the last  few months, Cocoa’s disease progressed at a rapid rate. She had taken several terrible falls and was having trouble getting back up after rolling.  Last week she fell again in her paddock and could not get herself back up. Our veterinarian was called, and on his advice, the decision was made to end Cocoa’s suffering.

Cocoa came to Xenophon in 2001.  She was purchased for the center after having had several owners and many jobs: including show horse, parade horse and trail companion.  Cocoa had a huge spirit and could be quite the challenge for her able-bodied riders.  What made her so special to Xenophon was that she had an intuitive sense of her riders abilities.  Thus, our most challenging riders were put on Cocoa.  She would always carry them with concern and care.  Cocoa’s disease prevented her from carrying riders for the past 7 months, but true to Cocoa form, she continued to play an active role in the program by caring for her students on the ground.  During her ground lessons, Cocoa could give and heal just by her presence. She worked for Xenophon for over 11 years and impacted the lives of countless children and adults alike.  In 2008 she won the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship’s Horse of the Year award.

We are grateful we could honor Cocoa at our horse show. It was a fitting tribute to an amazing horse. We are happy that people had time to visit with her and say their goodbyes over the last weeks. She has left a huge hole in the program and in many hearts. She will be sorely missed and fondly remembered.

On Saturday, April 28th, Boy Scout Troop 237 came to Xenophon to do a service project.  Ten wonderful boys, from middle school and high school, donned paint brushes and rollers and gave a face lift to our hay shed and tool shed.  For some boys it was hard to tell if more paint ended up on them or the buildings, but they did a great job and met the strict expectations of their troop leader.  Thank you Troop 237 for your help.  Our center looks wonderful.

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