Pony riding school brings fun for disabled people

Sep 29 2011 by Kieran Westbrook, West Lothian Courier

Pony riding school brings fun for disabled people

AT it's purest, sport can show itself to be a true power for good.

Nowhere is that more apparent than when watching the first group of disabled pony riders return from their Saturday morning outing.

Wide smiles and giggles wash away the hardship many will have endured throughout life as they enjoy the simple pleasures aboard the powerful and patient animals.

The session marks the end of the season for the West Lothian Riding for the Disabled (RDA) as taking the group around in the winter weather isn't fun. The occasion is marked with each member being handed a rosette as a reward for their efforts.

The season won't have a title-run in or champion – it's all about the individuals progress and enjoyment.

Some wheelchair users have taken up to a year to gain the confidence to mount a horse while others are at the stage where they take the animal around the course unaided.

Whatever the level each of the riders are at, each beams with pride as they are handed their accolades.

The club’s chairman Rhona Jennings watches from the side with equal pleasure - she has seen this ceremony many times having been with the club since the 1970s.

Rhona has witnessed the group's transformation from a band of helpers who visit stables and borrow horses to one that now rents its land and buys its own animals through donations.

The group's fundraising efforts are there for all to see with a clubhouse and horse stable paid for through donations and grants. Despite the drive forward, they do not charge the families who use their service.

And the volunteers don't make any money out of the sessions either.

Rhona said: “Most of the volunteers are people who love horses and wanted to find a way to stay involved with them in some way. What keeps them here is how much enjoyment they get from working with the riders. It's incredibly rewarding.”

Sessions run throughout the week between April and September with the only obstacle being transport to the site which is along a single track road near Hopetoun Garden Home.

The group is always looking for new volunteers and eager for any financial assistance to continue their work with the disabled.