FELLING LIKE A SUPERHERO: Freddy Petherbridge, 3, enjoys riding at Taupo RDA.
FELLING LIKE A SUPERHERO: Freddy Petherbridge, 3, enjoys riding at Taupo RDA.
Enjoy the fresh air and stay fit, a knowledge of horses not required.
"If you want to work in a happy place then we have the job for you," says Taupō Riding for the Disabled (RDA) administrator Georgie Fairest.
She says the service for disabled children is in desperate needof volunteers. Currently RDA offers sessions three days a week from 9am to midday, but Georgie says it is her goal to offer sessions all day, five days a week.
"We have more demand than we can meet because we don't have enough volunteers," says Georgie, pointing to the empty session spaces on the whiteboard.
Georgie says they have children with disabilities who want to ride but can't because there aren't enough volunteer helpers to run the sessions. Each rider needs a volunteer to lead the horse and a volunteer to walk beside the rider.
"The volunteers get the reflected joy from each child's achievement," says Georgie.
Children with a wide range of disabilities come to Taupō RDA, including children with anxiety issues. Georgie says horses are highly therapeutic for those with a disability.
"Subconsciously the kids match the horse's breathing and this slows down their [the child's] breathing. They ride with just a blanket and the warmth from the horse relaxes the child's muscles. The horse is led around the arena and it is a good workout for the child, as a horse's natural gait is similar to human walking speed," says Georgie.
More volunteers would allow the service to be opened up to adults with disabilities, with benefits for adults with multiple sclerosis, anxiety issues and other afflictions. Georgie says her grandfather used to say 'if you want someone to feel useless, then give them nothing to do' and says the benefits from riding at RDA continue on well after a session.
"After a riding session, the kids feel mentally stronger, and their physical strength has improved. They walk out of here feeling like Superwoman or Superman.
"I would love to be able to extend the same service to adults."
SPONSOR A HORSE: Sponsor Robyn Duncan Cox with Minty.
The volunteer work varies from working with the horse and child, to horse-orientated jobs like grooming, feeding and riding the horses so they are calm for the children to ride.
"We need volunteers to pick up the poo, mow the lawns, maintain the tractor, look after the tack, move the fences and keep the beautiful new facility clean and tidy."
Georgie says volunteering for a three-hour session is more than enough and anyone over 14 is welcome to apply, including people with a disability.
"As long as it is safe for a disabled person to work here, then we would welcome them to apply," says Georgie.
Getting Georgie out of the paddock picking up horse poo will free her up to work in the office applying for more funding, attracting sponsors, advertising the venue for weekend hire or weddings in the sensory garden.
* Email Georgie Fairest to volunteer at Taupō RDA tauporda@gmail.com
