Posted: 21st September 2021 | Back to news feed

For some riders the closure of riding centres due to the pandemic had a profound affect. Riders that participate in Accessibility Mark sessions often gain more from the experience than just learning to ride. This could be a physical benefit as riding is a form of therapy or a mental benefit, through socialising with staff and other riders.

Throughout the various lockdowns we have had to endure since March 2020, Accessibility Mark centres up and down the country have gone above and beyond to try and support their riders remotely.

One centre that was particularly successful at maintaining a community feel is Barguse Riding Centre based in St Austell, Cornwall. Centre owner, Lisa Todd and her team set about coming up with interesting ways to engage with their regular riders.

The first thing they did was set up a private Facebook group for Barguse riders, which provided them with a platform to enable them to bring riders into the centre virtually through Facebook Live.

Every Sunday morning Lisa would do a live update with a walk around the yard, so everyone could see their favourite horse or pony. So that everyone could continue to participate together, Lisa also organised quizzes and workshops on topics such as tack cleaning and grooming. The workshops allowed everyone to still keep learning about practical skills and stable management, even though they were unable to actually get to the centre.

rory

Riders were encouraged to suggest anything they would like to see in the next live session or ask questions about how the horses and ponies were coping without their regular visitors. A particular highlight was the Easter competition, where Lisa placed a Peter Rabbit toy around the yard and everyone had to spot where Peter Rabbit featured in a special video.

Instructor, Vicky Rowe helped Lisa by sending special birthday wishes to riders from the centre’s horses and ponies.

Said Vicky: “We knew how much our riders were missing coming to the yard and a birthday shout out was our way of letting everyone know that we were still thinking about them.”

Jeanette Davies, whose son Rory rides at Barguse describes the support provided by Barguse as nothing short of phenomenal.

“They ran online live workshops, which were so much fun and chatted about their day with a cup of tea. We had games, competitions and quizzes. Vicky even arranged for Rory to be ‘Skyped’ by his favourite horse, Goose, on his birthday, live from the stables with a Happy Birthday banner, balloons and a candle!”

With lockdowns now hopefully a distant memory, Lisa, Vicky and all the team at Barguse Riding Centre are thrilled that they finally feel like some sort of normality has returned but they can all be extremely proud of how they supported their riders during a time that was incredibly difficult for everyone.

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 to riders of varying levels of disability.

There are currently 56 Accessibility Mark-approved centres across the country.

To find your nearest RDA Group or Accessibility Mark centre visit www.rda.org.uk   

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