Xenophon serves children ages 2-18 years of age, through our Therapeutic Riding and Pediatric Therapy Services programs. Our focus is on physical, cognitive and social therapy, using the horse as the therapy modality. The movement of the horse provides the perfect opportunity to build muscle tone and balance. Through games we play while the children are mounted, we can develop fine and gross motor skills, as well as cognitive skills. Interaction with the instructor and the volunteers, ... Read More
Xenophon serves children ages 2-18 years of age, through our Therapeutic Riding and Pediatric Therapy Services programs. Our focus is on physical, cognitive and social therapy, using the horse as the therapy modality. The movement of the horse provides the perfect opportunity to build muscle tone and balance. Through games we play while the children are mounted, we can develop fine and gross motor skills, as well as cognitive skills. Interaction with the instructor and the volunteers, who sidewalk or lead and ensure the rider's safety, provides the perfect avenue for speech and social development. In therapeutic riding, basic horsemanship skills are integrated into the therapy goals. In Hippotherapy, which is performed by a licensed physical or occupational therapist, riding skills are not taught, as the emphasis is purely on the physical or occupational goals. While the physical and cognitive improvements are measurable, there is no way to measure the self-confidence and self-esteem that are developed from the partnership that develops between horse and rider. In a lovely rural setting, while mounted on their horse, our riders do not even know they are doing therapy. The strides our riders make are remarkable, transferring from inside the arena to outside in their daily lives.
In order to meet the needs of our community, we began programs for young adults called Camp Alumni and Bridle Paths to Success. Camp Alumni enables our young adult alumni to return for enhanced equine activities, and adds grooming, leadership & communication, peer engagement, and teamwork skills for their every day life. Bridle Paths to Success serves adults with disabilities from two local non-profit residential programs, RES Success and Las Trampas. Through the program, participants learn horse husbandry, ranch skills and life skills. The bonding with their equine partners also builds self-esteem and self-confidence.
Wanting to expand our community again, we began working with the Martinez VA Hospital, offering equine-based therapies to veterans with PTSD and traumatic brain injury. Xenophon offers a quiet place to allow learning through interaction with our therapy horses and recognizing their new communication skills can enhance their relationships with family and friends.
In 2018, we joined forces with Connected Horse, a nonprofit organization which developed a curriculum for using horses to aid individuals living with memory loss and their care partners. Two research studies done through Stanford University and UC Davis, demonstrated the effectiveness of working with the horses on stress reduction, depression, and anxiety, with improvement in sleep patterns and quality of life indicators. Xenophon is the first center to pilot this curriculum in the US.
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