July 2026 Newsletter

July kept the barn full of activity, from summer camp and community events to welcoming new riders and a new staff member! We've put together a few highlights from the past month and a look at what's been happening around Strides.

Welcome to Our Team, Bri!

If you've stopped by the office recently, you've probably already met Bri!

Bri recently joined the Strides team as our Front Desk Receptionist, where she's been helping welcome families, answer questions, and keep things running smoothly behind the scenes. She's already become a familiar face around the barn, and we're so happy to have her on the team.

Originally from Virginia, Bri moved to New York City for college before making Sonoma County her home five years ago. Outside of Strides, she enjoys creating art, riding horses, and spending time with her husband and their two cats, Cosmo and Nyx.

Be sure to say hi the next time you're at Strides, we're excited for everyone to get to know her!

Strides × Orangetheory Fitness

This month, we teamed up with Orangetheory Fitness for a fun community event that brought together horses, fitness, and families.

The kids had a great time enjoying pony rides, while parents and guests joined the Orangetheory Signature Workout led by Coach Malcolm. It was a great opportunity to meet new families, share what Strides is all about, and spend the day together.

A big thank you to everyone who came out and helped make the event such a success!

Summer Camp Season Wrap-Up

We're officially wrapped up with Summer Camp for this year!

It has been an incredible season watching campers build confidence, learn new skills, and make new friends along the way. From grooming and horsemanship to riding lessons and barn activities, every week was filled with learning, laughter, and plenty of smiles.

From the perspective of one of our counselors:

"Summer Camp 2026 was such a memorable year with so many amazing campers! From horsemanship to riding, I got to see each camper transform into a new version of themselves, full of knowledge and confidence by the end of the week. My favorite part of each session was designing an obstacle course for my campers to work toward throughout the week, then watching them showcase everything they learned for their friends and family during our Friday horse show. I'm so grateful for another amazing camp season and already looking forward to next summer!" - Bella

Thank you to all of our camp families for trusting us with your children this summer. It was a privilege to be part of their journey, and we're grateful for the memories we created together. We can't wait to do it all again next year!

Aloha at the Barn

Our Aloha Party was a big splash! The big kahunas around the barn enjoyed some summer fun by painting horseshoes, decorating cupcakes, and playing luau games. The July sun was blazing that day, transporting us all to a little slice of tropical paradise in our very own party barn.

It was wonderful to see our riders and families spending time together, making memories, and enjoying the festive atmosphere. Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make the celebration so special. We always love finding new ways to bring our barn community together.

Welcome, New Riders!

A warm welcome to all of the new riders who joined Strides this month!

We're excited to have you as a part of our riding family and we can't wait to watch what you achieve!

August Birthdays

Happy Birthday to our riders celebrating in August!

Until Next Month

Thanks for following along and being part of everything happening around the barn. We hope you've enjoyed the summer as much as we have, and we're excited for continued fun, friendships, horses, learning and new programs and adventures on the horizon!

We'll see you at your next lesson!