A CHARITY that offers horse riding for the disabled is hoping people will make volunteering their New Year resolution.
Catterick and Richmond Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) has a waiting list for its twice weekly sessions and needs more people help out.
The group’s publicity officer Jacquie Warner, from Barnard Castle, said people do not need experience with horses to help out.
She said: “Being a volunteer and working with the riders, provides an opportunity for me to learn disability-awareness.
“As well as this I find being a volunteer is personally satisfying and fulfilling. Knowing the therapeutic benefits of horse riding for people with disabilities, I see how much our riders gain from the sessions on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
“One girl, when she started, wouldn’t talk to anyone. Now she is tacking up and actually competing in dressage.
“They love it – for some of them it is the highlight of their week.”
The charity celebrated its 50th anniversary last year and organisers are hoping that with more support they can grow the service to accommodate the six people on its waiting list.
Ms Warner said: “There are several boys and girls studying for their Duke of Edinburgh awards who volunteer.
“Often without any horse knowledge, they undertake a variety of tasks, such as putting out bending poles in the indoor school, and are now learning to lead and side walk – in fact one girl that is studying for her gold award side-walks with one of our riders who needs extra help.”
The centre uses nine horses with, ideally, two volunteers per horse meaning they need at least 18 people for the Saturday session which runs for an hour from 1.30pm.
Ms Warner, who also volunteers for Barnard Castle Christmas Lights and the Storehouse food bank, added: “The Saturday session is for all ages with varying disabilities.
“There is a girl – Kelsey is her name – who has to be lifted on, but she is always jolly and always smiling. She is just brilliant.
“You see a real difference and there is real improvement for them. It is very therapeutic.”
Sessions take place indoors with games like a countryside challenge which sees the horse-riders weaving around putting letters in post-boxes. Other events see the riders negotiating their horse around a series of poles.
When the weather is good, they sometimes go on a hack in the nearby woods.
Wednesday sessions are dedicated to school children and run from 9.30am to 11.30am.
For more information on becoming a volunteer, contact Ms Warner on 07774 274026.
