The Saddle Light Center For Therapeutic Horsemanship

08/04/2026

🐴💙 We couldn't resist sharing a little bit of Dutch's morning!

Here's Dutch enjoying some playtime and taking a nice long drink of fresh morning water. It's the simple moments like these that remind us just how special life at the barn can be.

We hope this little glimpse into Dutch's morning brings a smile to your day! ☀️

08/04/2026

☀️🐴 Good morning from The Saddle Light Center!

There's nothing quite like a peaceful morning at the paddocks. Fresh air, curious faces, and a whole lot of horsey charm. We hope these photos bring a smile to your day!

A special shout-out to Kailey, who was hard at work cleaning the paddocks while we snapped these morning photos. Thank you Kailey💙

08/03/2026

Meet the Two-Legged Herd: Anna

Today we're introducing Anna McIntyre !

Anna's love for horses began at just five years old while growing up on a small family farm. As a teenager, she dreamed of one day combining horses with helping people—long before she knew therapeutic riding programs even existed. That dream became a reality when she found The Saddle Light Center as a volunteer in 2022. After nearly two years of volunteering, learning from incredible mentors, and completing her certification, she became a PATH Intl. Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor and now also serves as Volunteer Coordinator.

Today, Anna teaches therapeutic riding lessons, helps train our therapy horses, and supports the volunteers who make our mission possible. She believes horses have an incredible ability to build trust, confidence, and connection, and her favorite moments are watching riders discover they can do more than they ever imagined.

🐴 Favorite Horses: Beau & Copper

📍 Favorite Barn Spot: The round pen

🎻 Fun Fact: Anna has played the violin since she was a little girl and enjoys incorporating music into her lessons whenever she can.

Anna hopes “every rider leaves with greater confidence, courage, and joy—and every volunteer leaves knowing they made a difference."

✨ Follow along each Monday as we introduce the members of our two-legged herd—the dedicated people who work alongside our four-legged herd to make The Saddle Light Center possible. 🐴💙

07/31/2026

🐴💙 Volunteer Training is Almost Here! 💙🐴

Have you been thinking about volunteering at The Saddle Light Center? We'd love to have you join our team!

Whether you're helping alongside a rider, leading a horse, or lending a hand around the barn, every volunteer makes a difference.

📅 Volunteer Training
Saturday, August 15, 2026
🕙 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM

No horse experience? No problem! We'll provide the training—you bring your willingness to learn and a heart for helping.

📧 To sign up, please contact our Volunteer Coordinator at:
[email protected]

Come for the horses. Stay for the smiles. 💙

07/31/2026

Silly Friday 🐴 Caption This! 😂

Looks like Schooner is trying out a new disguise... but we're pretty sure we'd recognize that nose anywhere! 🤭

What do YOU think he's thinking in this moment?

Drop your funniest caption in the comments below! ⬇️

(Bonus points if it makes us laugh out loud!) 💙

07/30/2026

🐴☀️ End-of-Summer Break Reminder ☀️🐴

As our summer session comes to a close, we'd like to remind our riders, families, and caregivers that The Saddle Light Center will be on our End-of-Summer Break from:

📅 August 3 – August 14, 2026
During this time, there will be no rider lessons.

🍂 Our Fall Session begins Monday, August 17, 2026, and runs through November 20, 2026.

We hope our riders, families, and caregivers enjoy a safe, relaxing, and fun break. Our horses will be ready and waiting, and we can't wait to welcome everyone back to the barn for another wonderful season of learning, growth, and smiles.
See you soon! 💙🐴

07/30/2026

🐴 One Hour Can Change a Life 💙

For our riders, a volunteer isn't just someone helping during a lesson.

You're a cheerleader. 📣

You're a teammate.

You're a familiar face they look forward to seeing each week.

Join us and be part of something bigger than yourself.

📧 Contact our Volunteer Coordinator at:

[email protected]

07/27/2026

👣💙 Meet the Two-Legged Herd Monday: Volunteer Spotlight – Lesley Rodriguez 💙👣

Our Meet the Two-Legged Herd Monday series is all about recognizing the incredible people who help make The Saddle Light Center so special. This week, we're excited to highlight one of our amazing volunteers, Lesley Rodriguez, who completed her doctoral Occupational Therapy capstone at The Saddle Light Center in May.

During her capstone experience, Lesley developed a bilingual caregiver education program to help families better understand equine-assisted therapy and support their child's progress. Through collaboration with families and staff, the program encourages carryover of therapeutic strategies into daily routines and enhances outcomes for riders.

Her work helps bridge the gap between therapy sessions and home life by providing meaningful tools and resources that will continue to support families for years to come.

The photos highlight Lesley's caregiver education pamphlets in both English and Spanish, her presenting her capstone project, and sharing these valuable resources with parents and caregivers at the barn.

💙 Here's what Lesley hopes her time at The Saddle Light Center meant to the riders and families she served:

"I hope to have made a meaningful impact on the riders and their parents/caregivers. I am incredibly grateful for this experience and for the opportunity to learn alongside such amazing people and horses at SLC!" 🤍
— Lesley Rodriguez

Lesley, thank you for your dedication, compassion, and the lasting impact you've made on our riders, families, and The Saddle Light Center.

🎉 Please join us in congratulating Lesley on earning her Doctorate in Occupational Therapy! We are so proud of all she has accomplished and can't wait to see the many lives she will continue to impact throughout her career.

Congratulations, Dr. Lesley Rodriguez! 💙🐴

07/24/2026

🎭 **Friendly Reminder!**

Don't miss the final performances of **Fiesta Noche del Rio**!

Support those who support our community—and enjoy a wonderful San Antonio tradition. 💙

Longest Running Show on the Riverwalk!

07/24/2026

🐴😂 SILLY FRIDAY: Barn Weather Meeting! 🌩️☀️

The horses called an emergency Barn Weather Meeting to discuss the last two weeks of Texas weather.

Heat wave. Thunderstorms. Mud. Sunshine. Repeat.

Even our horses are confused! 🤷‍♀️
After much discussion, here are a few of the official meeting minutes... 😂

🐴 Schooner:
"Can somebody tell me if I need my raincoat or my fly mask today?" 🙄

🐴 Nike:
"I was promised snacks... not thunderstorms followed by an oven!" 😤

🐴 Magoo:
"I had a mud spa scheduled, then a sunbathing appointment... now I'm just confused!" 😂

Other comments overheard during the meeting...

🐴 Trooper:
"Yesterday I needed floaties... today I need sunscreen!" 🌊☀️

🐴 Beau:
"I don't care what the weather is... just keep the flies away and the snacks coming!" 🥕😂

🐴 Dutch:
"I'm still new here... is Texas weather always this dramatic?" 🤨

🐴 Tanzi:
"I spent all that time getting my mane done, and the humidity ruined everything!" 💇‍♀️😂

🐴 Coco:
"Can somebody just tell me if today is an inside day or an outside day?" 🤷‍♀️

🐴 Star:
"I've given up checking the forecast. I just wait for the humans to panic." 😂

🐴 Bunny:
"I vote for 72 degrees with unlimited snacks every day!" 🥕☀️

We sure hope Mother Nature settles on one weather pattern soon... because we're all getting a little weather whiplash! 🌩️☀️😂

💬 Which horse is speaking for you? And what do you think the rest of the herd had to say during the meeting? Drop your best horse quote in the comments! 👇🐴