We had another successful event and fun party at the 2019 Blues in the Barn!
Sending immense gratitude to our supportive community! It is thanks to you that we are able to continue offering these valuable programs which inspire connection and conservation through the power of horses.
It truly does take a village!
These are the current plans for the covered arena that will allow us to expand our outreach programs and services. Your support is helping us build this arena and a broader community.
HORSE CHAMPIONS
The Horse Champions Runway Show was a huge hit at the 2017 Blues in the Barn event! The feelings of community, connectedness, generosity and joyfulness were thick in the air as our horses strutted their stuff down the red carpet. Our horses are the heart of what we do. Each unique horse at Ocean Riders participates and contributes in their own special way to the diverse public programs that we offer. Please visit our Horse Champions page to learn more about these phenomenal teachers and their unique “horsenalities”! This project is on-going and we continue to add more of our horses to the campaign so check out their profiles today.
OUR CURRENT GOAL: Build a Covered Arena
Our programs teach leadership skills, promote an appreciation for our local watershed and inspire future stewards of the land. Building a covered arena is our current priority so we can provide these programs year-round and expand our impact to serve a broader population. Program planning is unreliable without an area for equine activities that is protected from wet weather. Children are disappointed and time and money is wasted when we have to cancel a program due to inclement weather. A covered arena would allow us to provide programs regardless of weather conditions.
ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP
Now more than ever we need to take collective responsibility for protecting our environment, animals and natural resources. Overwhelming research supports the countless health benefits of spending time in nature. Ocean Riders is committed to teaching the next generation to be environmental stewards and all our programs emphasize the interconnectedness of living things and our responsibility for taking care of the land that takes care of us and our horses.
If this is a cause you believe in please consider supporting our mission.
With your generosity we can reach this goal! You can make a tax deductible donation online or by mail. We appreciate your support in any amount. Thank you!
Special thanks to our longtime partner Bay Area Barns and Trails for being a champion of our mission since 2001. We are grateful for their commitment to helping us reach our goal of building a covered arena in an environmentally-conscious way. Please visit their website to learn more about how they support the equestrian community throughout the Bay Area.
GOAL ONE MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: Re-roof our Hay Barn
Ocean Riders sends gratitude to everyone who attended our 2015 fundraiser and donated to help us raise the $43,000 needed to restore the roof of the historic Portuguese dairy barn.
FUTURE PROJECTS:
Thanks to your generosity, our most urgent goal to re-roof the historic dairy hay barn was accomplished in the first year of our lease. Once we reach our current goal of building a covered arena to offer year-round programs we will significantly reduce our fundraising efforts because the for-profit programs that Ocean Riders partners with will be able to fund and support our not-for-profit programs for under-resourced communities. The facility fees accrued from these for-profit partnerships will also allow us to continue preserving the beautiful historic buildings of the Golden Gate Dairy. We are also working on another collaborative effort with the local Portuguese community to create an interpretive center in our hay barn that will exhibit the history and culture of the Azorean Dairy Farmers who farmed in Frank valley and many others thoughout Southern Marin. Please visit our History page to learn more.
