Hi, my name is Gay and I’m fundraising for Highland Group Riding for the Disabled. I became Chair of Trustees for the group earlier this year after the sad death of my predecessor whose dream it was to see this facility flourish.

We are based just outside Inverness in the Highlands and operate in a limited capacity in an outdoor school. All this summer we have received emails and phone calls from parents and carers wanting to access our facilities for both young children and adults. Our riders’ range from the youngest at 5 years old to an 85 year old on our list! Not all are physically disabled, many suffer with mental health issues and being with horses is known to be beneficial for health and wellbeing. I have been volunteering for many years and seen the benefits; people who are almost mute at home will chatter away to their horse; furthermore, core strength, stamina and stability are improved for the physically disabled.  Here are some impact statements from parents/carers.

S has spinabifida and hydrocephalus, pierre robbins sequence, moderate learning difficulty and her overarching diagnosis thought to have cause the rest is foetal alcohol syndrome. 

 H as yet doesn’t have a diagnosis as yet other than foetal abstinence syndrome (he was born addicted to heroin due to maternal drug misuse) but he’s significantly developmentally delayed and also ‘clearly’ neurodiverse and displays traits of ADHD and possibly tourettes. 

 Both S and H are in foster care and as such have complex trauma dating right back to when they were in the womb and exposed to drugs and alcohol along with being removed from birth families etc. S needed a breathing tube for the first year of her life and spent almost 8 months in hospital and has so far had around a dozen operations with at least two more major surgeries on the horizon. Riding helps her as unbeknown to her it corrects her posture and protects her spine and hips while it strengthens her muscles. More than that it gives her a sense of achievement and she is just ‘as able’ as everyone else on the back of a horse. 

 H’s difficulties mean he needs to be physically active all of the time and he struggles with boundaries and his impulse control, he couldn’t just ride anywhere as he needs the specialist support and input of the staff and volunteers from RDA to keep him (and those around him) safe. In the flip side of that he gets an enormous amount of sensory input and emotional support from riding and he adores the horses, especially B. He certainly feels the responsibility of controlling such a large and powerful animal and it helps him understand life just that bit better than he would otherwise. It’s also very calming for him, especially at the end of a session when her can nurture B by brushing her and giving her a treat ot some hay. 

 A has Autism and selective mutism as well as a moderate learning disability. She is physically very able and a wonderful gymnast but riding really supports her mental health. RDA’s gentle, calm and almost serene atmosphere coupled with the warm sentient creature that she can bond with and enjoy without needing words. I think it helps her to feel calm and grounded. She gets a huge sense of achievement especially now she is riding without side walkers and the pace gives her lots of confidence. As you can tell, RDA is such an important part of our lives and each of my children take something different away from it but they all adore the horses and all the staff very much

In order to raise funds for our group I have volunteered to carry out a sponsored parachute jump. The thought of a parachute jump, even attached to a professional, fills me with fear but I am prepared to face that fear to help them continue their journey.

Top of our wish list is an indoor arena to enable year round activities and allow us to increase revenue to cover our running costs. We need funds for so many things: feeding the ponies over winter, paying our 2 dedicated horse carers (thank goodness for our wonderful team of volunteers who help). An indoor arena would keep riders protected from the weather and enable us to invite care home residents to have ‘Tea with a Pony’ which evokes many childhood memories. There are a number of nearby care homes interested in visiting but cannot do so in our unpredictable weather.

Please consider donating; any amount large or small will benefit Highland Group RDA