Research for a friend - wants to learn to ride but has very little use in her right leg. She walks by using the rest of her body to swing it round, and can stand on it but the muscles don't work much at all and she can't get up if she falls over. Thing is, she's 59. I think the idea of group lessons might freak her out a little, and she'd feel really embarrased in front of kids, but she really wants to learn. It's not progressive or anything, been like this since she was about 8 yrs old due to an accident. Can you get private lessons after the first few? Do riding schools that do RDA let you book your own lessons privately or do you have to ride in a group lesson? Or would it be possible to find an instructor experienced in teaching disabled people to come and teach her? My boy is very well behaved and bombproof and is the sort who's a saint for unbalanced/unsure people so if that was the only way for her to learn out of a group I think she'd rather that. After all, I could lead him and finding others to 'spot' her on each side would be easy.
How do RDA groups work?
- Thread starter Teazle
- Start date
I know i'm from a different country but I do believe that we're all basically the same in this regard (at least I hope so).
At an acredited RDA centre, the steps she'll want to take are as follows:
- Contact the RDA centre of choice, explain your wishes & request an interview with centre's therapist or head instructor (if they don't have a therapist)
- She'll get assessed & given forms for physician to fill out if she's a good candidate for that centre.
- Once accepted, depending on the availability of horses, volunteers, time slot, she may be put on a waiting list until something suitable comes up.
Yes she can request a private session. If it's not fesable, she should be put with people as close to her age group & disability/ability.
It's quite nice of you to offer the use of your horse BUT unless you are trained for this, the shape & way of moving of your horse may be harmfull for your friend.
I hope this was helpful.
At an acredited RDA centre, the steps she'll want to take are as follows:
- Contact the RDA centre of choice, explain your wishes & request an interview with centre's therapist or head instructor (if they don't have a therapist)
- She'll get assessed & given forms for physician to fill out if she's a good candidate for that centre.
- Once accepted, depending on the availability of horses, volunteers, time slot, she may be put on a waiting list until something suitable comes up.
Yes she can request a private session. If it's not fesable, she should be put with people as close to her age group & disability/ability.
It's quite nice of you to offer the use of your horse BUT unless you are trained for this, the shape & way of moving of your horse may be harmfull for your friend.
I hope this was helpful.
P
Pink's lady
Guest
She'll find it hard to get a private lesson unless she goes to one of the bigger centres. The majority of smaller centres have a long waiting list and you get slotted in to the lesson that suits you the best.
Has she considered getting lessons at a normal riding school? They will do private lessons and they should have suitable horses. Once she's on a horse her disability won't be too much of a hinderance, it would just be the mounting that she finds hard.
Has she considered getting lessons at a normal riding school? They will do private lessons and they should have suitable horses. Once she's on a horse her disability won't be too much of a hinderance, it would just be the mounting that she finds hard.
To be honest you might be better finding an instructor who has experience with disabled riders to come and teach her on your horse. Neither my RDA group, nor the group I worked with at uni would be able to offer private lessons unless there was no-one else wanting to ride at that particular time. Because we work on quite a tight budget, group lessons are more financially viable for us (obv are a charity but we need funds to be able to run) so we try to have up to 3 people in each lesson (never anymore), we also have an extremely large waiting list so don't feel it's fair to prevent someone from riding just to give another rider a private lesson. There probably will be groups that will offer private lessons, you just might have to search around, and might end up travelling a fair distance for them. I can completely understand the not wanting to ride with a group of children, we tend to keep adults separate from children in our group, and it does sound like your friend would benefit from private lessons.
I suggest she contacts her local RDA group and explains her situation, and that ideally she would want private lessons eventually. If the group can't meet her needs then they may be able to suggest someone who will do freelance instructing, or another group that might be better able to meet her needs.
I suggest she contacts her local RDA group and explains her situation, and that ideally she would want private lessons eventually. If the group can't meet her needs then they may be able to suggest someone who will do freelance instructing, or another group that might be better able to meet her needs.
Mmmm only as hard as if you were looking for your perfect horse.
Once she's been there for quite some time and is comfortable and capable of handling a horse, only then would it be ok for her to start looking.
Sometimes therapeutic horses are in need of new homes, or sometimes a candidate crosses all the check marks but just can't settle in the program but would be wonderful at a private yard.
Speaking for my own stable (where I work), we view many horses every year and maybe one will make the cut. But maybe half the horse viewed would be fine for a private owner.
Get her to accumulate as much experience as she can at the RDA centre for as long as she can before she goes on her own, they can be a wealth of information!
Once she's been there for quite some time and is comfortable and capable of handling a horse, only then would it be ok for her to start looking.
Sometimes therapeutic horses are in need of new homes, or sometimes a candidate crosses all the check marks but just can't settle in the program but would be wonderful at a private yard.
Speaking for my own stable (where I work), we view many horses every year and maybe one will make the cut. But maybe half the horse viewed would be fine for a private owner.
Get her to accumulate as much experience as she can at the RDA centre for as long as she can before she goes on her own, they can be a wealth of information!
You don't really have to have a horse that moves in a specific way or be a specific shape tbh. Our RDA horses are all different shapes and sizes and the riders get on fine with them. Generally the only thing that might affect the shape of the horse is that if you have a rider with say cerebral palsy, they won't be as able to ride a very wide horse due to tightness through their hips.
I don't see why your friend looking for a horse would be any different to you or me looking for a horse. She would have to have one which suited her, and she might well find specific shapes of horses comfortable for her - for example a cobby type might be more comfortable than a TB type. The temprement would be the main thing that would come into it I would have thought, as she'd want something nice and calm that wouldn't be bothered by a slightly unbalanced rider and that wouldn't spook suddenly and put her off balance!
It depends which area she's in. Our local (as in Yorkshire local not London local) RS is quite small but is predominantly an RDA yard and ALL she does is private sessions. She's a senior RDA instructor and is very experienced, she tailors the lesson to the needs of the rider whether they be physically or mentally disabled or have psychological problems. Unfortunately they haven't cloned her yet so she's one of very few who do this type of thing.
I can pass her contact details onto you if you wanted to have a chat with her, she may be able to put you in touch with someone in your area.
I can pass her contact details onto you if you wanted to have a chat with her, she may be able to put you in touch with someone in your area.
Sorry if I sounded too strict on requirements, but 8 legs: your answer contradicts itself. Look at your first sentence then look at your second paragraph. (or maybe I'm perceiving it wrong & I appologize)
So all in all, yes she will need a horse of a certain shape: regular to narrow as compared to a wide based horse to accommodate the impaired hip.
As for gait, because of her age and hip, I would put her on a smoother gaited horse rather than one with big or jarring movement (way of moving).
But we haven't met or assessed this person and her hip & own "conformation" may be that she can ride the wider based horses.
The reason why I'm hesitant at saying: wow wonderful your horse sounds perfect is that, I don't know the rider, I don't know the horse and I've seen what can go wrong when people who have access to horses just go ahead & have a person with a disability start riding when there hasn't been a proper assessement and consideration. It can go well or it can, in the long run, cause harm.
But again, not all centres are alike as well as there may be a difference from country to country.
(or maybe I'm perceiving it wrong & I appologize)So all in all, yes she will need a horse of a certain shape: regular to narrow as compared to a wide based horse to accommodate the impaired hip.
As for gait, because of her age and hip, I would put her on a smoother gaited horse rather than one with big or jarring movement (way of moving).
But we haven't met or assessed this person and her hip & own "conformation" may be that she can ride the wider based horses.
The reason why I'm hesitant at saying: wow wonderful your horse sounds perfect is that, I don't know the rider, I don't know the horse and I've seen what can go wrong when people who have access to horses just go ahead & have a person with a disability start riding when there hasn't been a proper assessement and consideration. It can go well or it can, in the long run, cause harm.
But again, not all centres are alike as well as there may be a difference from country to country.
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Sorry if I sounded too strict on requirements, but 8 legs: your answer contradicts itself. Look at your first sentence then look at your second paragraph.
So all in all, yes she will need a horse of a certain shape: regular to narrow as compared to a wide based horse to accommodate the impaired hip.
As for gait, because of her age and hip, I would put her on a smoother gaited horse rather than one with big or jarring movement (way of moving).
But we haven't met or assessed this person and her hip & own "conformation" may be that she can ride the wider based horses.
The reason why I'm hesitant at saying: wow wonderful your horse sounds perfect is that, I don't know the rider, I don't know the horse and I've seen what can go wrong when people who have access to horses just go ahead & have a person with a disability start riding when there hasn't been a proper assessement and consideration. It can go well or it can, in the long run, cause harm.
But again, not all centres are alike as well as there may be a difference from country to country.
I can see why my first and second paragraph could be seen as contradicting each other, but all I meant by the second paragraph was that just like able-bodied riders she might find one type of horse better than another, but that wouldn't mean she'd have to spend months searching for a particular shaped horse that moved a particular way.
I see where you're coming from with you regards to the people with access to a horse having disabled riders start riding when there hasn't been assessment and consideration, however it was suggested by the OP that she find an instructor experienced in teaching disabled riders to teach her friend on her horse. If I was giving private lessons on a horse I didn't know I would first assess the horse for suitability - i.e. that it could cope with any involuntary movements, could cope with a slightly unbalanced rider, and was completely safe before mounting the rider. I'm sure therefore that any instructor Teazle's friend found would do this before starting lessons.
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