Nairnshire horse riding charity branch joins first Scottish Disability Sport Week
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A charity providing therapeutic horseriding sessions for children in Nairnshire and Moray is set to celebrate the inaugural Scottish Disability Sport Week from Monday.
Forres, Nairn & District Riding for the Disabled, which has been operating in the area for almost 40 years, will mark the campaign aimed at highlighting the impact physical activity can have on those with disabilities.
Emma Gregg, incoming chair of Forres, Nairn & District Riding for the Disabled, commented: “We are very pleased to be involved with this inaugural campaign to highlight the benefits of physical activity for those with disabilities.
"It is a well proven fact that safe and managed contact with animals, in our case well-trained ponies, brings real benefits to children with a range of issues – physical, medical, sensory, learning and autism.
"The physical benefits include improved movement, core strength, balance, flexibility and suppleness. Riders with learning disabilities, developmental delays, and conditions such as Down’s Syndrome, show increased confidence, communication skills, self-esteem and a general sense of well-being. Children with autism-related conditions become calmer and less anxious.”
The campaign is designed to highlight the opportunities available across the country.
Forres, Nairn & District Riding for the Disabled provides free, weekly therapeutic riding sessions and ground-based horse care for 32 children with disabilities, identified by specialist staff in their schools as likely to benefit from contact with specially trained ponies with coaching from qualified, experienced RDA UK instructors - and supported by well-trained, enthusiastic volunteers.
Ms Gregg continued: “It is not necessarily – despite the sport inference – that the children end up taking up the sport competitively, although that is always a bonus. In recent years, local girl Kyla Mantilla Ross excelled in dressage during 2022 – winning every RDA championship in the UK for her grade – and has since gone on to compete as a senior. She is a shining example of what is possible.”
