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Ride On celebrates second anniversary
Ride On, an equestrian facility in Newbury Park that allows disabled riders to enjoy the therapeutic benefits of horsemanship, hosted a get-together Saturday to celebrate its second anniversary of operation in the Conejo Valley. Brian McQueeney, executive director, said that the day was all about having the community into the center to see what they do there. In addition to riding demonstrations, there was a barbecue for all comers. "We’ve been here now for two years, and we’re real pleased with what’s going on here," McQueeney said. "We’ve got a great group of riders and volunteers that come out here every week and do this, and it’s real enjoyable to let the community come in and see what we’re doing." Talking about the progress that Ride On has made in its two years in Thousand Oaks, McQueeny said that it took the organization five or six years at its other location in Chatsworth to do what had been accomplished in only two in Thousand Oaks. He said that the partnership Ride On enjoys with the Conejo Recreation and Park District, as well as having a home with a 40-year lease is a huge advantage when the nonprofit approaches the community for support. "The single biggest threat to any nonprofit starting up is where do you house yourself," McQueeney said. "But we can go to the community and say that anything we put here at the center is going to be here for generations to come." He also complemented the local community for being the type that does go out of its way to support programs such as the therapeutic work done at Ride On. The center consists of a pair of barns, trailers for the caretakers and a large pipe corral. The biggest single addition to the center is a new, very large, wooden round pen—a circular corral with 8-foot-tall solid wood walls. McQueeney said that in usual equestrian settings, it’s used as a tool to help train horses, as it centers the animal’s attention on the trainer, and the limited space helps to keep the horse from getting too far away to work. "We use it for riders who suffer from attention deficient, or riders who, for whatever reason, have trouble focusing. Again, it helps force them to look at their instructor," McQueeney said. He said that it also allows instructors to teach without the rider’s mount being able to get away and travel more than a few feet from the instructor in order to ensure the wellbeing of the riders. The center teaches about 45 students a week in Thousand Oaks; however, he said the center could handle 100 students. He said that the current, very tough fundraising environment is forcing the organization to grow at a slower rate than it would like to. To that end, Ride On is sponsoring a "Walk to Ride" event at the Paramount Ranch from 9 a.m. to noon on Father’s Day, Sunday, June 15. "We have trails of different walks and abilities," McQueeney said. There is a hike suitable for kids and dogs are OK on a leash. There will be refreshment and entertainment, T-shirts for walkers with pledges of $35 or more and walkers will be entered into a special drawing for a prize. For more information on the walk, call Sara Jones at (805) 375-9078. George Lange, chairman of the CRPD board, said that the district is very proud of the progress Ride On has made in its first two years in Thousand Oaks. "We are so pleased to have a tenant that has contributed as an organization to the Conejo Valley," Lange said. The equestrian site is a CRPD property, rented to Ride On. Lange said that the Ride On was recently recognized by the state for its work with disabled riders. While accepting the award, McQueeny complemented district for the vision its has for the community to allow a small group like Ride On the luxury of using a facility such as the district owns. |
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