RDA volunteers

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horseygal90

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Aug 27, 2004
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I'm looking at volunteering for a local RDA group to not only plump up my personal statement a bit, but to also get a bit of my confidence back with just being around horses and get me out of the house a bit!

I've been on the RDA website and it didn't say much about how people find it volunteering, so if anyone here does it, I'd be grateful for what you think of it etc. Also, I don't know how to find one that's near me - I looked on the 'find us' part of the website but all of them are too far away, even though they're (some only technically) in Bucks. Is it worth ringing the riding schools that I can get to and asking them if they do it?

I saw one that was a reasonable distance away but was adults only (in the evenings, so better for that as well, though I need to check with other commitments) - what's an adult only group like? :eek: I had an imagine of them not really needing as many helpers as a childrens group, purely because of balance and stuff; I hope I haven't just made a mass generalisation :eek:
 
Hi! I started volunteering at my RDA group when I was 16, about a year in to it the group instructor suggested that me and my friend trained as instructors, so by the time we were 17 we were teaching some of the sessions :D I absolutely loved it, I met loads of amazing people (both other volunteers, riders and parents) and made lots of friends. It also taught me leadership skills, teamwork skills, built my confidence up massively and has also I believe made me much better at dealing with stressful or potentially hazardous situations. I also ended up becoming a trustee of the group and therefore having some say in the running of the group. I unfortunately had to stop teaching to go away to university, but came home and helped out with the group every holiday.

As a volunteer your duties may include grooming & tacking up horses/ponies, helping to set up the arena i.e. put cones out, poles etc., leading horses/ponies, and side walking. You get all the training you need at the session - you have to fill out what's known as a "green card" which you sign off as your training progresses.

Adults only groups can need just as many helpers as a children only groups as there may be adults with balance problems. The adult groups I've had experience of have mainly been adults with learning disabilities and disabilities such as Downs Syndrome, but that was because the adults came riding from a specific care home. Many other groups do sessions for adults with physical disabilities such as Multiple Sclerosis and Cerebral Palsy.

If there's anything else you need to know feel free to ask!
 
horseygal90,
its possible there are some mainstream/non disabled riding schools near by that do disabled sessions-may not be part of RDA,so that may be worth checking up on.

also,there is no good judge on whether children or adults will be the most in need of support,as it can depend on the disabilities they have,but they do take all details down on what each of us has got/needs etc on RDA forms,so that would help to know before it happens.

eg,am adult,have a private lesson,and need RI at lead rein,a helper on one side,and one of own support staff on other side [due to own disabilities,as well as them being unpredictible],and the teenager have seen go on before self sometimes [private lesson] doesnt have any helpers.

am know some profoundly disabled adult riders who will scream,kick and hit the helpers,but have also got the quieter adult riders as well.
 
My mum used to volunteer for the RDA when it was at Snowball (not sure if they still do it)
She used to love it-getting out & about & getting some experience with different horses & meeting different people.
There is a South Bucks RDA group, if you google that Im sure they will point you in the right direction :)
 
Hello

I found it very rewarding when I did it was was on the brink of being assessed to teach RDA.

To give you an idea, one of our adults required a leader for the horse plus one helper at either side so in some sessions with 6 horses we required a minimum of 8 helps.

It was so different to anything I had done before and I loved it. I met different people as well as finding out more about what was going on in the community.

As said above some of the profoundly disabled adult riders can be more disruptve but the ponies are quiet and the way we worked it was that those who volunteered and were quieter / not as confidents got the easier horses/quiter riders until their confidence grew.

If I had time I would go back onto a yard and volunteer. (Hopefully in future).

Good luck x
 
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