People of all ages and abilities come along to our sessions, and for many of them it is something that they greatly enjoy and really look forward to.
Volunteering
Gareloch RDA relies on volunteers who give some time each week to help with the running of the group. Without volunteers, the group would simply not function.
Volunteers must be at least 14 years old and don’t need to have any experience with horses to be able to join in.
You could help by grooming and preparing horses for sessions, leading horses during classes, assisting riders and drivers in various ways, cycling alongside carriages, setting up and putting away poles etc., cleaning and maintaining equipment, and fundraising.
Now that our riding ponies are at Ardencaple, which is a DIY livery yard, we would also be very grateful to anyone who would like to help with taking care of them, such as mucking out their stables, bringing them in and out of fields, preparing feeds and haynets, etc. Please get in touch if you would like to be involved with that side of things.
People volunteer for many different reasons, but often find that they get more out of volunteering than they put in. From learning new skills and meeting new people to improved self-confidence and a sense of community, the benefits are diverse and can have a profound effect on a volunteer’s quality of life.
Riding
Riding helps to improve muscle relaxation, posture and balance. But as well as the physical benefits, we often find that riders’ self-confidence and communication skills improve as they spend time doing something they really enjoy.
All levels of ability are catered for. There is always one person who is leading the pony and two people walking either side of the rider to provide support. This will continue at every session indefinitely if required.
Some riders, as they gain more experience and confidence, may even want to start taking a more active role, learning to ride more and more independently, encouraged and tutored by our experienced and qualified coaches.
Our riders can take part in various RDA competitions and some have been known to come home with a clutch of rosettes!
Carriage Driving
Carriage driving started at Gareloch RDA in 2019 as a welcome extension to group activities.
Driving provides excellent mental and physical therapy for all participants regardless of ability. It allows those who can no longer ride or do not wish to ride the chance to fully participate in an RDA activity, encouraging new skills, challenges and the pleasure of being with our ponies out and about. There’s nothing quite like trotting along, feeling the air and hearing the clip clop of hooves and the jingling of harness.
Sponsorship from so many generous companies and individuals gained us a refurbished arena at Colgrain E.C. Participants can drive just for fun or be competitive, as dressage and obstacle events are held annually.
Equine Facilitated Learning (EFL)
Horses have been used therapeutically from the time of the Ancient Greeks. Equine facilitated learning describes the process of self-learning that can be achieved through guided horse-human interaction. Being with a horse can open lines of communication and create feelings of connection and trust. EFL can help reduce anxiety and build confidence, improve understanding of social interactions, aid learning about boundaries, help teach self-regulation of mood and behaviour, and assist with sensory integration. Using ground-based non-riding interactions between a horse and participants, these attributes can be harnessed to help build skills that can become transferable to the participants’ life more generally.
We offer a series of sessions either alone or in small groups. Each session typically comprises several exercises designed to address particular concerns and is led by a trained facilitator.
Tea With A Pony
RDA created Tea With A Pony in response to the growing number of people living with dementia for whom horse riding may not be suitable but who might be helped by some other form of animal-assisted activity involving horses.
Tea With A Pony is a simple yet very effective session. Care-home residents and those living in their own homes are invited to come and enjoy a cup of tea and some cake whilst revisiting memories from years gone by. It is also becoming clear that these sessions also impact carers and family members in a positive way. One lady got so much from her session that her daughter said: “It seems to have helped her memory, I’m not sure how, but it has, and, more than anything, it’s been like a light has turned back on again. It’s the warmth of an animal, an animal that trusts you – the present fades away and it takes her back to just warm.”