Posted: 22nd January 2018 | Back to news feed
Empowering Success with Accessibility Mark
Seventeen-year-old Angel Dancy-Brock has seen her confidence blossom thanks to an Accessibility Mark riding school.
Angel has a visual impairment that means she only has approximately 25 percent vision in her left eye with no vision at all in her right eye. This causes Angel to feel unsettled and anxious in unfamiliar surroundings.
In addition to her visual impairment Angel also has a multitude of hormone deficiencies, which requires lots of medication, as well as Autistic Spectrum Disorder, meaning she needs constant supervision.
As a result of her complex conditions, Angel struggles with social interaction and can find it difficult to interpret people’s body language or feelings.
Having done a little bit of horse riding in the past with an RDA group, Angel’s mum, Corrisanne wanted to try and find an option that would be better suited to Angel’s needs.
Corrisanne then discovered Radway Riding School based in Warwick, which is an Accessibility Mark accredited centre, and she instantly knew it was a fantastic facility for Angel.
Accessibility Mark status is awarded to a riding centre that has been approved by the RDA following training and assessment. The close link with the RDA means that it can offer continuous support to the establishment to ensure it provides a first-class experience that aims to be hugely beneficial.
Angel now enjoys a weekly 45 minute private riding lesson that has seen her riding ability improve tremendously; this has also been matched with an increase in confidence that has enabled her to try other things that she would have previously shied away from.
Angel said: “I love riding and my instructor is brilliant, really explaining everything so that I understand what she needs me to do. I usually have my lesson on a Monday and I am already starting to get excited on Sunday!”
Riding her favourite horse, Jojo, Angel hopes to improve her riding skills further and would even like to try her hand at stable management.
Corrisanne praised the bond that the staff at Radway Riding School has developed with Angel: “The staff are really good with Angel, they are friendly and inviting and have a good understanding of how to communicate with her. This is a skill that not everyone has so I have been really pleased and encouraged by this.”
The aim of Accessibility Mark is to work in synergy with RDA groups to provide the most productive strategy for every rider. For Angel, riding at an Accessibility Mark centre offered a more significant level of independence, having never previously ridden off the lead rein.
“Since Angel started riding at Radway, they have instilled a new found confidence in her and she trusts her instructor and the horses. Angel is being empowered to succeed, this is all down to the commitment and hard work put in by her instructor for which I am truly grateful,” added Corrisanne.
There are currently 42 Accessibility Mark approved centres across the country.
To find your nearest RDA Group or Accessibility Mark centre visit www.rda.org.uk
The Equestrian Index newsfeed is compiled from articles submitted by advertising members and expresses the opinions of those members. Watsons Directories Ltd shall not be held liable for any inaccuracies or mis-statements therein.