Scooniehill RDA News 2011

New Group Instructors On 15th September Alison, Natasha and Faith were assessed by Karen Glasgow from the Drum RDA and are now all Group Instructors. Many congratulations! Along with Fran, Linda, Jo and Karen they make up a pool of 7 instructors for our Group. Many thanks to all the riders, helpers and horses that worked to make the day a success, and to Fran and Linda and the girls for all their hard work and training. Thank you to Karen Glasgow for giving up her time to do the assessment. _________________________________
Vaulting Trip On Sunday 4th September 2011 the Group had a trip to Greenlaw in the Borders to visit the vaulting centre where Equibuddy are based. We travelled by bus from Leven and enjoyed a day of glorious sunshine. When we arrived we had a picnic and then met the horses - Mr Softie and Jaffa. A group of vaulters arrived and we were relieved to learn that we were not expected to wear leotards, but they looked very smart and were amazingly agile. Vaulting is gymnastics on horseback - often on the back of a cantering horse - and vaulters take part in national and international competitions. However it is also very beneficial for disabled riders. The horse provides a secure, comfortable platform and it is easy for a helper to sit on the horse with the rider to assist and steady them. Benefits include increased mobility and agility, gain in muscle tone and a big gain in self confidence. We were all very impressed with what our disabled riders achieved in a very short time on the horses. Mr Softie and Jaffa are trained to a very high standard and looked after us all very well. They are even trained to let the rider dismount over the tail! After our riders had had a go nearly all the carers, volunteer helpers and family members vaulted - some took to it more easily than others (!!) but you can see photos of our achievements here. We have now added vaulting to our wish list of things to do at Scooniehill RDA! We rounded off the day with cups of tea, soft drinks and cakes at Carfraemill on the way home. The trip was financed by our Holiday Fund supported largely by a donation from the Alexander Moncur Trust. _________________________________
Jane Scooniehill RDA has recently been given a grant to purchase a horse suitable for our larger riders. We have purchased a mare called Jane. Jane will be used exclusively by RDA riders. Some of Jane's running costs will be offset by the saving we will make on hiring a horse from the stables, but we have already had some offers of sponsorship for shoes and winter hay. If you or your business would like to help sponsor Jane then please get in touch. A full list of sponsors will be displayed at the stables. Click here to see some photos from our "meet Jane" afternoon _________________________________
Some photos of our Sunday group here _________________________________