STAFF

We have 9 NARHA certified instructors and 5 therapists on staff all working together with our 24 horses to make Ride On happen! Here are bio's from some of our wonderful staff.

Bryan McQueeney - Executive Director

Bryan is the co-founder of Ride On and volunteered for seven years before being hired as Executive Director. With over 20 years experience in therapeutic riding, he has lectured, written and consulted nationally on a wide variety of program development, grant writing, finance, board performance and human resource issues. He is a past Region 11 representative for the national organization, NARHA, and past President of the state networking association, CALNET, and has also served on the NARHA Administrative Committee and remains active in an advisory role with other centers. Bryan is an active horseman who enjoys trail riding and horse camping. He is a former ETI Corral President and spent four years working to preserve equestrian trail access and open space in the San Fernando Valley. He has a degree in economics and political science from Occidental College.

Gloria Hamblin - Program Director and NARHA Advanced Instructor

Gloria is the co-founder and Program Director of Ride On. She has a degree in Recreational Therapy and has worked with physically disabled, geriatric, developmentally disabled and emotionally disturbed children and adults for 30 years. A graduate of Cheff Center she taught disabled riders, coached several international dressage teams for the USA as well as the 1996 USA Paralympic Equestrian Team in Atlanta. Gloria is also a NARHA Associate Evaluator for On-Site certifications and workshops. Since 1994 she has taught riders and worked to make Ride On the best place it can be.

Sara joined Ride On as a volunteer in 1996 after moving to California from England. She has ridden her whole life and became a NARHA Advanced instructor in 1997. Sara is also a NARHA Associate Evaluator for On-Site Certifications and Workshops. As well as teaching the Ride On students she also assists with marketing and special events. She has a degree in Marketing and Business Studies. Sara lives in Moorpark with her husband and her 8 and 7 year old daughters.

Linda Eviston - Development Director

Linda Eviston was appointed Director of Development at Ride On in January 2008. From 1992 until 2006 she served as the Director of Advancement at Rolling Hills Prep School, then located in Palos Verdes Estates, CA. During her tenure at the school her department grew the enrollment by 165%, built annual fundraising to exceed $350,000 and partnered with parents to raise $8.5 million for a new campus. Linda and her husband live in Thousand Oaks and have three adult children and seven grandchildren.

Joann Benjamin - Director of Therapy Services/Hippotherapy

Joann is a physical therapist who has been involved in equine assisted activities since 1983. She incorporates hippotherapy into her clinical practice at Ride On and is Board certified as a Hippotherapy Clinical Specialist. She has taught about the use of hippotherapy in the US and abroad and is a faculty coordinator with the American Hippotherapy Association (AHA, Inc), active in reviewing and developing curriculum. She served on the Board for the AHA, Inc, and on the Health and Education Committee for NARHA, the National accrediting organization. She enjoys serving as an International classifier for FEI ParaEquestrian and is working with the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) to foster competition for riders with disabilities nationwide.

Roxanne Raksnys - Instructor and Caretaker Thousand Oaks

Roxanne is a Redondo Beach native and strated riding at age 10. She was an active member of the the Portuguese Bend Pony Club until 2003. She competed in 3-day eventing, jumpers and dressage and has trained under Olympic and Grand Prix riders - Kathleen Raine, Mark Watring, Jill Walton and Edgar Pagan. Now a U.S.P.C. graduate, Roxanne is a part of the Camino Real Regional Staff as a certified instructor, examiner and advisor. Roxanne's family has a ranch in Leona Valley where she boards and trains her horses alongside her sister Haleigh. Apart from horses, Roxanne was an all-league, all-conference water polo player and coached the Redondo High varsity girls water polo team for 3 years. She completed the fire science technology and E.M.T. courses along with the fire academy through Camino College.

Trudy Epstein - Occupational Therapist

Trudy is an occupational therapist and has her Level II Therapist designation with the American Hippotherapy Association/NARHA and is certified as a Hippotherapy Clinical Specialist. With over 30 years clinical experience in occupational therapy she has worked in physical rehabilitation, pediatrics, and early intervention. Riding hunter/jumpers since childhood, Trudy discovered the smooth gait of Tennessee Walking Horses which she has enjoyed both riding and showing over the last five years.

Pat UpdeGraff - Office Manager Chatsworth/Human Resource Administrator

Pat joined Ride On in 2002 as Office Manager/Human Resource Administrator. She has seven years of human resource experience and Ride On has now grown to the point where there was a need for a person with front office and human resource skills. Pat also has an unending love of horses so it is a perfect match. Pat has been involved with therapeutic riding for the past 25 years. Her daughter, Jennifer, started riding with Gloria in 1978 and is currently a client at the Chatsworth Ride On location. Jennifer is learning to drive Blaze. Pat has her own two horses, Windy and Fancy, and enjoys spending as much time as she can with them.

Brooke Hampton - Physical Therapist

Brooke Hampton is a physical therapist specializing in sensory integration and autism spectrum disorder. She has been part of the hippotherapy team at Ride On since 2004. Brooke grew up riding hunters and jumpers at Foxfield Riding Academy. Brooke lives in Newbury Park with her husband and 8-year-old son.

Melinda Mark - Physical Therapist

Melinda Mark has been a licensed physical therapist since 2001. She graduated from Western University of Health Sciences in May of 2001. Melinda has a background in adult acute care and transitioned to pediatrics in 2006. She currently works full-time at the Child Development Center in Simi Valley and enjoys her Friday morning Hippotherapy sessions. Melinda is our latest staff member to complete the Level I Hippotherapy Instructor course in May 2007. She lives in Moorpark with her husband, Jeff.

Tio Ayala - Facilities Maintenance

Tio has worked for Ride On since 2001 and is responsible for many of the improvements that you will see if you visit either of our ranches. He brings a wide array of facility experience to Ride On.

Lynn Leonard, Dee Dee Patton and Megan McQueeney - NARHA Registered Instructors

Antonia Jaeckel, Brie Wilson- Instructors

Ruth Stern - PT, Patty Taylor - PT, Barbara Levine - LMFT