IT is hard to believe that just a short time ago, Riding for the Disabled (RDA) Swan Hill was in danger of having to cease its program due to lack of volunteers.
The not-for-profit organisation has been inundated with helpers and held a volunteer induction day last week to get them all up to speed so the program can restart.
The RDA Swan Hill volunteers were joined by Riding for the Disabled Victoria (RDAV) operations manager Kathryn Holden and president of the RDAV board Tanya Twaits.
They explained the RDAV rules and responsibilities of a volunteer, demonstrated safe practices around horses, and showed the inductees the different roles of side walker and rider lead when working with the riders.
“It’s so rewarding to see the outcome of the state office and the RDA Swan Hill committee working together to recruit volunteers,” Ms Twaits said.
“A number of people worked tirelessly to set up the centre from scratch 25 years ago, and it is somewhat of a relief for all involved to see new faces, feel a sense of renewed energy and for the infrastructure to be utilised once again.”
RDA gives people living with a disability the opportunity to work with horses to be able to experience the therapeutic benefits associated with riding, including improvements in communication, balance, social connections, physical exercise and self-confidence.
“For some people living with a disability, opportunities to take part in different experiences can sometimes be difficult and out of reach,” Ms Twaits said.
“This is often compounded when living in rural areas, as they aren’t exposed to the same services that are offered to people living in cities.
“RDA is a unique service that is provided to rural areas as well as high density ones.”
Ms Twaits believes that the sort of independence that horse riding provides is a rather unique experience, particularly for disabled people.
“You can have a child that may come to the centre highly anxious and then when you put them on a horse, they just relax – the look on their faces, and their smiles, it’s just magic,” Ms Twaits said.
While RDA Swan Hill now has enough volunteers to get their program back up and running, they still need ongoing support to make sure they can continue moving forward into the future.
“To maintain the centre we need the support of the community,” Ms Twaits said.
“Please consider donating to or volunteering at Swan Hill. It’s a way to meet new people, develop new skills and feel connected to your local community.”
