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| Discovering Our Visions through Equestrian Services |
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About the Founders...
Shannon and Gayle Oxford have
owned and lived on their small
ranch just east of Lodi for 30
years. They raised two daughters
and are blessed with nine grand
children. They both have a
lifetime of experience with horses,
dogs and livestock. They raised,
trained and showed Appaloosa
horses in the 1970’s and 1980’s.
owned and lived on their small
ranch just east of Lodi for 30
years. They raised two daughters
and are blessed with nine grand
children. They both have a
lifetime of experience with horses,
dogs and livestock. They raised,
trained and showed Appaloosa
horses in the 1970’s and 1980’s.
| “Our Mission is to give a special child, a special experience, a time and place to remember” With the use of equine & ranch activities along with family participation & support, it is our goal to help children of all ages & backgrounds to build trust, confidence & character. Encouraging each child to challenge themselves in ways that will develop them into caring & responsible adults. |
In The Beginning – How we began our DOVES Program...
In 2008, my daughter Christy, said “Mom, I just can’t imagine my kids growing up
without horses!”. My two girls, Bonnie and Christy, had horses all their lives, so it
was natural for Christy to desire that same opportunity for her children. All our
horses had grown old and passed on to greener pastures, and our last home bred
Appy, Jingo, had been pastured out to a friend to keep her old horse company.
Well, about a week after that comment from my daughter, a friend (an Aussie
breeder colleague) e-mailed me out of the blue asking if I or anyone I knew would
be interested in a horse? She was trying to find a home for a little Quarter Horse
mare, Trella. Well, my ears perked up. Linda told me all about this mare, that she
just wanted to get her in a good home. I could not believe the timing! Shannon
and I talked it over, and decided it was meant to be. So, Stella (as we now call her)
became the first of our “back into horses” horse! As the saying goes, you just can’
t have one! So, the search for another horse, to keep Stella company of course,
was on.
One morning, my friend April called to say she saw a ad in the paper for a paint
mare. We called about the mare, and as luck would have it she has just about a
mile away. So off went to see her. “Molly” was her name, and we thought she was
just the right horse, so we brought Molly home. Molly became our second “back
into horses” horse!
without horses!”. My two girls, Bonnie and Christy, had horses all their lives, so it
was natural for Christy to desire that same opportunity for her children. All our
horses had grown old and passed on to greener pastures, and our last home bred
Appy, Jingo, had been pastured out to a friend to keep her old horse company.
Well, about a week after that comment from my daughter, a friend (an Aussie
breeder colleague) e-mailed me out of the blue asking if I or anyone I knew would
be interested in a horse? She was trying to find a home for a little Quarter Horse
mare, Trella. Well, my ears perked up. Linda told me all about this mare, that she
just wanted to get her in a good home. I could not believe the timing! Shannon
and I talked it over, and decided it was meant to be. So, Stella (as we now call her)
became the first of our “back into horses” horse! As the saying goes, you just can’
t have one! So, the search for another horse, to keep Stella company of course,
was on.
One morning, my friend April called to say she saw a ad in the paper for a paint
mare. We called about the mare, and as luck would have it she has just about a
mile away. So off went to see her. “Molly” was her name, and we thought she was
just the right horse, so we brought Molly home. Molly became our second “back
into horses” horse!
After retiring from the show arena, the family used their horses for wilderness trail riding and
camping. In the early 80’s, together with the family, they started breeding, training and showing
Australian Shepherds and Border Collies. Both Shannon and Gayle are herding dog judges and
their kennel has earned Hall of Fame Status. Their love of teaching has taken them around the
world to share their knowledge.
Yet there has been another calling for the Oxfords. Their love of children and horses along with
their love of teaching and sharing their passions has lead them to a decision to open their ranch
to children and families who yearn to experience the relationship with one of God’s most unique
and beautiful animals - The Horse.
The program is in it’s fourth year. Our prayer is that it will be successful and will grow with the
support of our local community, friends and donors.
Please contact us for further information, questions or to lend your support.
camping. In the early 80’s, together with the family, they started breeding, training and showing
Australian Shepherds and Border Collies. Both Shannon and Gayle are herding dog judges and
their kennel has earned Hall of Fame Status. Their love of teaching has taken them around the
world to share their knowledge.
Yet there has been another calling for the Oxfords. Their love of children and horses along with
their love of teaching and sharing their passions has lead them to a decision to open their ranch
to children and families who yearn to experience the relationship with one of God’s most unique
and beautiful animals - The Horse.
The program is in it’s fourth year. Our prayer is that it will be successful and will grow with the
support of our local community, friends and donors.
Please contact us for further information, questions or to lend your support.
The pony was in Fontana, California. April and I made the trip down to her cousin’s ranch to get the pony. Her cousin tried to talk
us into taking the other horses too, but I didn't need more horses. “Tony” the spotted POA pony, now became our third “back into
horses” horse. Tony has been a blessing, a great pony for the kids and right away I decided that I was going to train him to drive,
so I could enjoy Tony too.
Within just a year we went from no horses to three, then another ad in the paper caught my eye. A 2 year old black POA mare.
We took a look at the little black pony and decided to purchase her, but after having her for a while decided that she was too
much “horse” for the grand kids and traded her for a Quarter Pony named Toby. Toby has some attitude issues, but he is coming
along well and makes a great lesson horse because he is laid back and lazy.
About a year after we got Tony, April calls again and tells me that her cousin called, who we got Tony from. They really need to
find homes for the other hoses he has left because they have sold the ranch. The horses - Premier, a pinto Arabian, Star her
daughter and Mickey another Arabian, all needed a home. I don’t need another horse, right?!
Off we go to Fontana to get the horses, and a barn! Which the Grant’s gave us for taking all the horses and giving them a new
home!
We gave Premier to April’s grand daughter, Alexis, for her first horse. All the horses had not been ridden in many years. But
Premier proved to remember everything and has made a great horse for Alexis. Star was trained and about a year ago we homed
her with another young girl. Mickey is still with us, and we have been doing limited training with him and plan to put him with a
trainer to see if he will work out for our youth program.
So in three short years we have gotten back into the horses, seven in all, a new barn that Shannon built and another barn yet to
erect. In the mean time my oldest daughter and family, five grand kids, moved to Texas. Christy is still in Modesto with her four
children, and they come to ride about once a week. But just not enough attention is given to all the horses.
Now, with half my grand kids living out of state, I didn’t need all these great kid horses. But how do I chose who is to go and who
to stay? I kept turning it over and over in my mind, they will eat us out of house and home!
Shannon and I spent many hours working with the horses, getting them “bomb” proof for the grand kids, little did we know that it
would not be for just our kids......
My mother had been asking me to read this book she bought, Hope Rising, written by Kim Meader. Kim and her husband founded
the Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch in Bend Oregon. There they rescue abused or neglected horses, and match them up with
children. As I read the stories about the children and horses, it hit me! This is what it is all about, us getting back into horses,
sharing them with other children! The statement my daughter Christy made “mom, I can’t imagine my kids not growing up with
horses” came back to me like a blast of fresh air! I can’t imagine ANY child not having a horse in their life! I got my first horse when
I was 12 years old, he was my best friend, my comfort and my shelter through my teens. I decided that I wanted to do what Kim
Meader was doing, making a difference in a child's life, giving them the gift of a horse.
When I told Shannon about my “revelation” he was 100% supportive and as enthusiastic as I was about it. Everyone we shared
our idea of a youth horsemanship program with was also a 100% behind us! It was meant to be......
And so in April of 2008 we began our research on getting this program off and running, and off and running it went! Faster than
we were getting all the details organized! At one point one day while on the internet researching the applications for non profit,
incorporating, tax filing etc. it became so overwhelming and frustrating for me, I up got up from my office chair, and while thinking
“this is too hard, I can’t figure it out! All I want to do is teach children to ride! I don’t want to deal with this legal stuff!” I went to the
living room window to gaze out to try to gather my thoughts. As I looked out the window into the yard, there sat a white dove! I
blinked my eyes a couple of times and thought, we don’t have white wild doves. Just as I was thinking that, another dove a light
gray ring necked dove landed beside the white dove in my yard, they were drinking water from the dog bowl. All at once they both
looked at me at the window! All of a sudden, it was clear, whatever it would take, I was going to make our youth program a reality!
Those two doves, messenger from above, were my reassurance that God was leading the way. That this idea for a youth
horsemanship program was not my idea, rather His idea, and it WAS going to work!
Those two doves have been around our ranch ever since that day. And you know what, I won’t see them for days, then all of a
sudden, usually while thinking, “Oh this is too hard” and all the “what ifs”, those two doves will appear. They will land on a nearby
fence, or fly over my head while calling their “whoooo whooo who.....” questioning call, and I’ll answer back “me that’s who! I can
do this!”
I share this story so you will know how our idea and our vision began, to know that we do not go into this lightly, that we are
committed to this purpose - to have a place where hooves and hearts take flight!
God works in mysterious ways!
Gayle Oxford
us into taking the other horses too, but I didn't need more horses. “Tony” the spotted POA pony, now became our third “back into
horses” horse. Tony has been a blessing, a great pony for the kids and right away I decided that I was going to train him to drive,
so I could enjoy Tony too.
Within just a year we went from no horses to three, then another ad in the paper caught my eye. A 2 year old black POA mare.
We took a look at the little black pony and decided to purchase her, but after having her for a while decided that she was too
much “horse” for the grand kids and traded her for a Quarter Pony named Toby. Toby has some attitude issues, but he is coming
along well and makes a great lesson horse because he is laid back and lazy.
About a year after we got Tony, April calls again and tells me that her cousin called, who we got Tony from. They really need to
find homes for the other hoses he has left because they have sold the ranch. The horses - Premier, a pinto Arabian, Star her
daughter and Mickey another Arabian, all needed a home. I don’t need another horse, right?!
Off we go to Fontana to get the horses, and a barn! Which the Grant’s gave us for taking all the horses and giving them a new
home!
We gave Premier to April’s grand daughter, Alexis, for her first horse. All the horses had not been ridden in many years. But
Premier proved to remember everything and has made a great horse for Alexis. Star was trained and about a year ago we homed
her with another young girl. Mickey is still with us, and we have been doing limited training with him and plan to put him with a
trainer to see if he will work out for our youth program.
So in three short years we have gotten back into the horses, seven in all, a new barn that Shannon built and another barn yet to
erect. In the mean time my oldest daughter and family, five grand kids, moved to Texas. Christy is still in Modesto with her four
children, and they come to ride about once a week. But just not enough attention is given to all the horses.
Now, with half my grand kids living out of state, I didn’t need all these great kid horses. But how do I chose who is to go and who
to stay? I kept turning it over and over in my mind, they will eat us out of house and home!
Shannon and I spent many hours working with the horses, getting them “bomb” proof for the grand kids, little did we know that it
would not be for just our kids......
My mother had been asking me to read this book she bought, Hope Rising, written by Kim Meader. Kim and her husband founded
the Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch in Bend Oregon. There they rescue abused or neglected horses, and match them up with
children. As I read the stories about the children and horses, it hit me! This is what it is all about, us getting back into horses,
sharing them with other children! The statement my daughter Christy made “mom, I can’t imagine my kids not growing up with
horses” came back to me like a blast of fresh air! I can’t imagine ANY child not having a horse in their life! I got my first horse when
I was 12 years old, he was my best friend, my comfort and my shelter through my teens. I decided that I wanted to do what Kim
Meader was doing, making a difference in a child's life, giving them the gift of a horse.
When I told Shannon about my “revelation” he was 100% supportive and as enthusiastic as I was about it. Everyone we shared
our idea of a youth horsemanship program with was also a 100% behind us! It was meant to be......
And so in April of 2008 we began our research on getting this program off and running, and off and running it went! Faster than
we were getting all the details organized! At one point one day while on the internet researching the applications for non profit,
incorporating, tax filing etc. it became so overwhelming and frustrating for me, I up got up from my office chair, and while thinking
“this is too hard, I can’t figure it out! All I want to do is teach children to ride! I don’t want to deal with this legal stuff!” I went to the
living room window to gaze out to try to gather my thoughts. As I looked out the window into the yard, there sat a white dove! I
blinked my eyes a couple of times and thought, we don’t have white wild doves. Just as I was thinking that, another dove a light
gray ring necked dove landed beside the white dove in my yard, they were drinking water from the dog bowl. All at once they both
looked at me at the window! All of a sudden, it was clear, whatever it would take, I was going to make our youth program a reality!
Those two doves, messenger from above, were my reassurance that God was leading the way. That this idea for a youth
horsemanship program was not my idea, rather His idea, and it WAS going to work!
Those two doves have been around our ranch ever since that day. And you know what, I won’t see them for days, then all of a
sudden, usually while thinking, “Oh this is too hard” and all the “what ifs”, those two doves will appear. They will land on a nearby
fence, or fly over my head while calling their “whoooo whooo who.....” questioning call, and I’ll answer back “me that’s who! I can
do this!”
I share this story so you will know how our idea and our vision began, to know that we do not go into this lightly, that we are
committed to this purpose - to have a place where hooves and hearts take flight!
God works in mysterious ways!
Gayle Oxford
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| 209.329.7034 13749 E. Kettleman Ln., Lodi, CA 95240 |
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