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Phew! What a winter! Snow, ice, rain, more snow and cold too, hope we don’t have another like that for a few years; my circuits are at melting point, or that’s how it feels. The Hairy Hoof parts of the Herd have had it fairly easy in their warm stables munching hay and carrots or in the fields in their warm coats while BABS and I have been worked off of our Stands so to speak (The Herd are saying that whilst they enjoyed their enforced holiday after a while they got bored; there’s only so much watching the Helpers/Carers coming and going that you can do and they have been glad to get back to normality). Well, first the Arena was too icy, then too wet and so forth so we two have had to look after many more Riders which has kept us both very busy. My ears are burning; do I hear comments along the lines “About time you did a full days work for a change”. Oh, so that’s the way its going to be is it? Well, for your information, apart from my regular Riders I have a lot of other things to do, so let me explain. In past Blogs I’ve told you that some of our Riders have moved onto new challenges, which leads to new Riders joining us to take the vacant places as well as additional people looking to come to us for help. We don’t just put new people on a horse and walk them around the Arena, there is more to it than that and this is where I come in. For example, we have had three new Riders starting under the supervision of Marion, one of our qualified Instructors, as well as changes within the young people who regularly attend the Centre from Belstead and Hillside special Schools. However, in each case they must first be assessed by both Fiona and Margaret using me to establish how they will fare with regard to balance, working at height (Bit of a dramatic change from being in a wheelchair near ground level), confidence, agility and strength. They will already have been taken around the Centre and introduced to our horses and ponies where we can judge whether they will be happy to move onto a real horse to commence their therapy or, as sometimes happens, they will continue to ride with me in a more controlled environment until they have built up the confidence and strengths necessary to ride with a real horse. Those new Riders who we assess to be OK to ride a horse will then be allocated to one that is suitable for their size and capability and will probably first ride using a Sheepskin Saddle so that they benefit from the warmth and motion of the horse and be able to feel its movement exercising their muscles. Eventually, they will move onto using a proper Saddle and be challenged via various riding manoeuvres together with the use of toys and games to exercise them to the full; they will lean new skills, whether physical such as balance and coordination or life skills such as language, maths, decision making and the ability to form new relationships whether with other Riders or the horses and ponies at the Centre. In terms of their welfare, each Rider is accompanied by no less than three Helpers until it is judged that they can work with fewer Helpers as they progress. Not as simple as it first appears is it? I hope I have again been able to offer you more insight into the work that goes on daily at the Centre. Moving on, the Whatfield Players have recently performed three one act plays at the Whatfield Village Hall and have kindly donated the nett proceeds, amounting to £250, to the Centre; thank you Players, we know that these performances do not just happen and that a lot of hard work goes into the production. Hang on…… someone is shouting at me through the door asking that before I sign off to remind you that your gardens like horse manure and we have plenty so come and get a few bags or why not share a trailer load! Also, our 60’s Dinner Dance at the Elizabeth Hotel, Copdock on 24th April. Get your tickets from the Centre, only £30 each for a great evening……I’m exhausted, must go to shutdown before I seize up, Bye for now!
Further editions of my blog will be uploaded shortly - make sure you come back soon! Meanwhile, if you want to catch up, ‘back-issues’ can be viewed by clicking HERE.
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Ebony
