Xenophon Therapeutic Riding Center

06/07/2024

THANK YOU to the amazing Gala Committee and dedicated volunteers! Your hard work and passion transformed our beloved center into an event venue and put on a gala for the ages!!!

Special thanks to:

Alexis Gottschalk, Amy Ripley, Andrea Raub, Ann Call, Anna James, Annie Quirk, Barbara Donovan, Barbara Roth, Bonny Griebstein, Brian Mathews, Capri Filippenko, Charles Vitt, Cherie Garcia-Day, Chris Hangen, Christine Tomacci, Cindy Moore, Clara MacDonald, Colin Finnegan, Danielle Coburn, Deborah Peary, Diane Morabito, Elena Halper-Schilt, Elizabeth Stokes, Em Dodge, Eric Legare, Gail Stern, Gail Pohlman, Gayle Jackson, Haley Mathews, Jack King, Jane Griebstein, Jennifer Wiseman, Jim Taylor, Jim Pire, Joan Saunders, Joel Browning, Jordan Case, Kelli Jackman, Kelly Pire, Kim Kellogg. Laura Fend, Laura Newell, Leilah Moses, Linda Parsons, Lindsay Kayser, Lisa Browning, Lisa Dominiak, Lisa Powell, Lorna Lyle, Mackenzie Finnegan, Madelaine Babb, Margo Garner, Mari Parino, Marilyn Schumacher, Melaine Dillon, Michael Stern, Michelle Bushong, Mikha Diaz, Nicole LeBas, Noelle Filippenko, Ola Alani, Orion Filippino, Paula Newton-Molgaard, Peggy Huston, Penny Tinder, Peter Molgaard, Rachel Bloom Walters, Rebecca Wernicke, Rebecca Weston, Renee Dyer, Rita Akol, Robin Lim, Sam Parino, Sara Damron, Sarah Moses, Scott Parsons, Shazia Malik, Terri Troise, Tess Casey, Theresa Vitt, and Wendy Clark.

BTC, Orinda; Clipped Wings; NCL Alcalanes; NCL Lamorinda; Scouts of America: Troop 303.

I aspire to a complete list, but in the event that I have missed recognizing you and/or your organization specifically, I apologize! Please know that your contributions were felt and valued!

05/02/2024

Get ready to raise your gala bid numbers for your next vacation! We have a number of exclusive experiences in our Live Auction, one of which is a stay in a gorgeous and cozy Homewood cabin. Enjoy fresh air, wildlife, trees, dining for two at Christy Hill, and all that Lake Tahoe has to offer!

04/26/2024

Calvin is enjoying our day pasture, built in 2023. At the Barn Dance, our guests will learn about each of the hands that helped build our center, including Scout Danny Goldwyn! Calvin says, “Thank you! I love pasture time!” We have many people to thank for building our current beautiful center!

04/23/2024

It wouldn’t be a Barn Dance without line dancing! We are so excited for our June 1st gala, to kick up our heels with our instructor, Delia Schletter! Wear your comfy boots!

04/19/2024

Perfect equitation always builds up an appetite, and at the Barn Dance gala, you can satisfy your hunger by bidding in the Live Auction! One of our most scrumptious and delicious packages is a Paella Feed for you and 20 of your closest friends at a private ranch in serene Alhambra Valley. Enjoy feeling whisked away to Spain with these authentic eats- get your bid numbers ready!

04/11/2024

Link in Bio: Gala tickets are almost sold out!! If you want to come to our Barn Dance, but your tickets today! Come to our amazing facility and see how our center was built- including our newest additions on the trail! Congratulations to Charlotte on earning her Eagle Scout Award! We are so excited to celebrate with her!

04/10/2024

Link in Bio: Ready for the Gala! The barn looks amazing, thanks to the help of over 80 volunteers who came out last week to sand, brush, paint, scrub, w**d, cut, and plant! We can’t thank our volunteers enough, along with the help of BSA Troop 202, SOMOS, Chevron Veterans, and the Moraga Kiwanis. What a great way to celebrate national volunteer month by meeting new friends! Congratulations to our Eagle Scout on her completion of her Eagle Scout Project, a percussion keyboard xylophone for our clients to enjoy on the trail!

04/09/2024

We are looking for our next Equine and Facilities Manager! Our beloved manager is retiring and we are looking to pass the baton of stewardship for our herd and barn to their next caregiver. Take a peek at the listing and reach out! https://www.bayequest.com/listing/equine-and-facilities-manager-xenophon-trc-orinda-ca/

04/04/2024

Link in Bio 🎠🦄💎Making new friends 💓👑Windsong, (FKA) Beau, is making so many new friends with the herd and our clients. If you want to make friends with our herd and clients, buy your tickets today for our Barn Dance Gala: Boots to Roots! Meet our participants, horses, and see demonstrations of the work we do. Enjoy BBQ and drinks from Canyon Club Brewery and Darcie Kent Vineyards.

03/27/2024

Thank you to the Orinda Chapter for making new chalkboards for our arena! The instructors and clients and thrilled to have a big surface to be creative! We can draw arena figures, play tic tac toe, leave a message for our friends, and draw, working on riding patterns, fine motor skills, critical thinking, and creativity! BTC Orinda did an amazing job, and we are so grateful! BTC is a service organization dedicated to developing an altruistic spirit in young men through active participation of parents and son in philanthropic projects in their community.

03/01/2024

Congratulations! We are halfway to our goal! Thank you so much to everyone who has donated so far. Your donation will help us continue to provide life-changing services for people with disabilities. Beau is settling into his new home nicely, and is deeply in love with Linda and the herd. Please keep sharing this fundraiser. Together we can reach our goal!

Check out the LinkTree in bio or https://gofund.me/e64f8fb2

02/23/2024

Bring Beau Home - help us purchase a new therapy horse! Link in bio 💓🎠💓 Hi, my name is Linda and I am the Equine Manager for the Xenophon Therapeutic Riding Center, which is a non-profit 501(C)3 organization. We are fundraising to purchase a new and younger therapy horse to support our growing list of clients. Currently we have a wait list of four to five years for new clients. We already have a fabulous team of horses but some are aging and have limitations. We are having to limit our use of the older horses because they can’t accommodate some of our clients’ weight and height, or our unbalanced riders.

With the growing demand for our services, a younger horse will expand our mission capability and length of service for many years. Our veterans, Occupational Services patients, Therapeutic Riding participants, and Physical Therapy patients would be enhanced with the purchase of a more youthful and physically fit horse. Beau is a sturdy 8 year old Halflinger. Haflingers are known for their patient temperament, which is crucial when working with individuals with social, physical, and emotional challenges. Because of their strong build, yet shorter stature, they provide a safe and stable riding experience.

The staff of Xenophon Therapeutic Riding Center, and the clients served by our programs, want to extend a heartfelt appreciation for your generous donation toward the acquisition of Beau. All donations are tax deductible.

At Xenophon Therapeutic Riding Center, children, and adults with all levels of ability and needs are welcomed, supported and cherished. With the help of our equine partners,we strive to offer the highest possible standard of therapies designed to enhance the quality of life for children and adults. Thanks for helping us make the magic happen.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/bring-beau-home-our-new-therapy-horse

01/18/2024

Link in bio! 🦀 Order your Crab Feed today! 🦀 Ruthven says, “Come to our Crab Feed!” Help support life-changing programs for people with disabilities in the East Bay.



Join Xenophon Therapeutic Riding Center for our 4th Annual Drive-Thru Crab Feed! Order online by February 4th. Pick-Up is from 2:00 pm - 6:00 pm Friday, February 9th, at the barn, 60 Don Gabriel Way, Orinda.

Our Crab Feed Dinner for Two includes two fresh crabs, cleaned and cracked, a large Caesar salad with croutons and dressing, a Semifreddi’s baguette, and cookies. . . . all bagged together for a luxurious feast with friends. If you need more crab, we offer an additional bag of crab that comes with two fresh crabs cleaned, cracked, and bagged separately. You can also add the outstanding “Boston style” clam chowder to your order. A real crowd pleaser, the soup is 32 oz of heavenly ambrosia. Treat yourself to a mouthwatering seafood banquet with all the comforts of home!

Price List:

Dinner for Two: $100
2 Fresh Dungeness Crabs
Caesar Salad
Sourdough Baguette
Artisan Baked Cookies

Extras:
Additional bag of Crab $60
Clam Chowder (32 oz) $25

Orders $185 and over will receive a bottle of wine to complete your meal.

Order online by Sunday, February 4th!
www.xenophontrc.org

If you placed an order, look for an email from us on Wednesday 2/7 with directions and a map for pick-up on Friday 2/9/24.

We are proud to be a part of the Lamorinda community, helping people with disabilities thrive through equine-assisted services. Your support means that children, adults, veterans, and people living with memory loss can continue to blossom through our programs. Thank you to our extraordinary local sponsors and thank YOU for believing in and supporting our mission.

Thank you to our sponsors: Diablo Foods, Eric and Megan Lindberg, Safeway, Semifreddi’s

01/05/2024

🦀 Link in bio 🦀Join Xenophon Therapeutic Riding Center for our 4th Annual Drive-Thru Crab Feed! Order online by February 4th. Pick-Up is from 2:00 pm - 6:00 pm Friday, February 9th, at the barn, 60 Don Gabriel Way, Orinda.

Our Crab Feed Dinner for Two includes two fresh crabs, cleaned and cracked, a large Caesar salad with croutons and dressing, a Semifreddi’s baguette, and cookies. . . . all bagged together for a luxurious feast with friends. If you need more crab, we offer an additional bag of crab that comes with two fresh crabs cleaned, cracked, and bagged separately. You can also add the outstanding “Boston style” clam chowder to your order. A real crowd pleaser, the soup is 32 oz of heavenly ambrosia. Treat yourself to a mouthwatering seafood banquet with all the comforts of home!

Price List:

Dinner for Two: $100
2 Fresh Dungeness Crabs
Caesar Salad
Sourdough Baguette
Artisan Baked Cookies

Extras:
Additional bag of Crab $60
Clam Chowder (32 oz) $25

Orders $185 and over will receive a bottle of wine to complete your meal.

Order online by Sunday, February 4th!
www.xenophontrc.org

If you placed an order, look for an email from us on Wednesday 2/7 with directions and a map for pick-up on Friday 2/9/24.

We are proud to be a part of the Lamorinda community, helping people with disabilities thrive through equine-assisted services. Your support means that children, adults, veterans, and people living with memory loss can continue to blossom through our programs. Thank you to our extraordinary local sponsors and thank YOU for believing in and supporting our mission.

Thank you to our sponsors: .foods, Eric and Megan Lindberg, Safeway,

12/24/2023

As 2023 comes to a close, we have been taking stock of all the things for which we are thankful. First and foremost are the relationships that we have built: those with our participants from all 5 of our programs, our amazing volunteers who work in lessons and in a myriad of ways behind the scenes, our sponsors who help make our fundraisers successful, and, of course, our generous donors. Each and everyone of you contributes to the joy and success that we see at Xenophon.

With your help, here is what we achieved this past year:

-Built our veteran’s program back up to pre-COVID numbers, welcoming returning friends as well as new faces.
-Hired more instructors and occupational therapists to work with our team.
-Impacted the lives of 59 children through Therapeutic Riding and Pediatric Therapy Services.
-Worked with 11 services groups this year.
-Repaired and upgraded our sensory trail with a new bridge that goes clippity-clop when the horses walk.
-Won the overall PATH International Equine Caretaker of the Year award with our amazing equine Manager, Linda.
-Won the Region 11 PATH International awards for Equine of the Year, Ozzie, and Veterinarian of the Year, Dr. O’Brien.
-Added a brand new pasture for the horses to enjoy and added year-round footing in the paddocks, thanks to the work of two eagle scouts, Danny and Capri.
-Trained and added to our family 52 brand new volunteers this year.

We look forward to partnering with you in 2024 to continue changing lives.

Xen Love and Ours,
The Xenophon Staff

center

12/19/2023

Boop! Whose nose is this?

09/16/2023

Everyone is dressed up and showing off their best this week! And the week isn't over yet!

09/10/2023

What a fabulous BIG Check!! Gianni's Italian Bistro had a contest and our Xen volunteers came through BIG time! Thank you Melanie & Gianni delivering a BIG $1000 grant check and your continual support. It wasn't too hard for our passionate to enjoy group gatherings and family dinners...turned some newbies into regulars! Mark your calendar for our Gianni's Tips for Change dinner on Dec 4th...another yummy way Gianni's Italian Bistro supports !

08/25/2023

30 Years Strong! That's how Julian is helping us to celebrate our 30th Anniversary! Heartfelt gratitude to Julian again for his thoughtful fundraising for Xenophon Therapeutic Riding Center...he loves purple and has designed & decorated items for many years, for us to sell with all proceeds going directly to Xen! Amazing rider, amazing person, amazing !! And we have posters around the center showing off our 30 years of history and smiles! Stop by and see more, and pick up a Julian shirt!

08/19/2023

Congratulations Linda Parsons!! We are thrilled and proud of Linda, winner of the PATH International Equine Caretaker of the Year!! We have known this for a long time and now the world knows! This is the very first year for this international award (over 800 PATH centers) and she has set the bar very high for future nominees. Our Xen herd receives the most thoughtful, attentive, up to date care that any horse would love, and visitors all comment on how happy the Xennies look...just watch all the love they give to Linda! Can't wait to cheer her accomplishments at the annual PATH conference in October.

07/31/2023

Summer Camp Buddies! Two weeks and all our campers had THE ...what was that? our volunteers said it was ...and staff said !! Thank you to our Guest Artists - Katie Dragon Child Shaw who brought drawing, heroes, puppets, creativity; and Jocie Purcell Creative Vibes Music Therapy who brought music, engagement, creativity, and how humans & horses react to music! Another thanks to all our MANY who made camp for all of us, keeping everyone engaged for our - tie dye shirts, hero sashes, leading obstacle course, musical stalls, nature trail ride, horse popsicles, barn chores, earned badges, , horse bobbing, seed balls, face painting, bubbles, and so much more!! But the best was all the new we made!

07/05/2023

"Hmmm, what's that smell?"
Our new boy is personality plus and very curious checking out our manure bin!
What is your caption for this character?!

06/28/2023

06/21/2023

Kansas Carradine is an equine educator and internationally renowned horsewoman, and performer. Come out to Lassos with Love, July 7th, and support Connected Horse groundbreaking programming for people affected by dementia and their care partners. Tickets and info .org

06/12/2023

Our new boy Fort is shakin' and groovin' ! We're working on new guest artists for summer camp and Music Therapist Jocie Purcell came to work on activities for our and campers and Fort definitely appreciated her music and voice! Which of our will be groovin' to Mozart, Green day, Bruce, Zepplin, head banger or big band?!

05/30/2023

Awards Ceremony for our trifecta of winners...Linda, Equine Caretaker of the year; Dr O'brien, Vet of the year; and Ozzie, Equine of the year!! You all make us !! Our herd is well taken care of...we knew that but now everyone knows!!🎉🙌👏

05/13/2023

Work day at Xen! Thank you to everyone that helped us get our trail back in working condition! Our kiddos are going to be very excited to ride the trail again! W**d whacking, painting, moving tons of dirt back into place. Thank you to our friends Moraga, and our Xen for all your hard work and special to 'Qer Scott for perfect burgers & chicken, Linda coordinating the crew, and Charles' yummy cookies and pecan pie...the real deal! 🙌👍👏

04/22/2023

BO celebrated his with his favorite and a yummy oat, carrot, and apple lovingly made by Terri! April is Volunteer Appreciation month and we want to shower the love and appreciation on all our incredible & passionate volunteers... !! THANK YOU for all your and !

02/06/2023

Beautiful over Xen today! Magic and joy at the end of that rainbow!