Healing Happens on Horseback at Banbury Cross Tec
Jessica Moore, Director of Banbury Cross Therapeutic Equestrian Center, together with her certified staff, leads a program that has been serving Oxford for an incredible 35 years. Banbury provides equine assisted activities for individuals of all ages and abilities, offering year round classes six days a week. With a heated indoor arena, students can ride comfortably through every season.
To join the program, families schedule a free evaluation where one of Banbury’s staff members identify the goals and challenges of each new rider. There is currently a short wait list, but the personalized attention ensures each student is matched with the right horse, equipment, and volunteer support.
Banbury works tirelessly to keep services affordable. While each session costs the organization approximately seventy five dollars per rider, families are asked to pay forty. Jessica, her staff and volunteer Board of Directors work tirelessly in the areas of fundraising and grant writing to cover the difference. She said, “It is our mission that we never deny services to any student due to an inability to pay.”
Volunteers play a vital role in the program. About eighty volunteers serve each week, ranging in age from teens to retirees. Some assist riders inside the arena. Others prepare horses, greet families, or help with events. “They are the backbone of our program. We honestly could not run it without them,” Jessica shared. Anyone interested can begin by attending a volunteer orientation, which is offered several times a year.
Banbury’s largest fundraiser, Derby Day, takes place every first Saturday in May on the same day as the Kentucky Derby. The indoor arena transforms into a banquet hall with dinner, an open bar, live and silent auctions, and a giant screen showing the race. Guests often arrive in full derby attire complete with fancy hats. The event provides more than half of Banbury’s annual operating budget and includes opportunities for guests to meet the program horses and learn more in depth about the services Banbury offers.
Banbury is also deeply connected to Oxford Schools. For over ten years, the center has partnered with the Special Education Department, bringing students out for multi week riding sessions. With expected growth in the ASD program, Jessica and her staff are already working on ways to expand services for even more students.
The facility is home to twelve program horses, each carefully selected for temperament, patience, and their ability to form a meaningful bond with the riders they serve.
Jessica welcomes anyone who is curious to come visit. “We love to show off the program and our horses. If anyone wants to stop in, watch classes, or learn more about what we do, our doors are always open.”
Learn more or get involved at: https://www.banburycrossriding.org/.