At the end of May, Pinetrees Riding Centre was full of fun and festivities as Riding for the Disabled in the Algarve (RDA) held its annual gymkhana for disabled riders from Faro and Almancil.
Each week, from September until the following June, up to 40 children and young adults come from the Associação Portuguesa de Paralisia Cerebral (APPC), the Associação Algarvia de Pais e Amigos de Crianças Diminuidas Mentais (AAPACDM) and the Autistic Class from the Almancil school.
Through RDA, these young people receive either riding therapy in a group or hippotherapy in an individual session with a trained therapist. The association has trained these therapists in riding therapy and has sent four Portuguese therapists to England to attend specialised courses. In addition, it holds seminars in riding therapy for therapists and riding instructors from other centres in Portugal.
During the morning, the riders enjoyed demonstrating how they have improved during the year and show off their skills to family and friends. Many of the RDA riders have limited experience of movement and riding often is the only opportunity they have for movement.
The movement of the horse is particularly valuable as the rider, to keep his/her balance, must use almost the identical muscles and joint movement used in walking.
With the horse providing a mobile four-legged platform, the rider can improve sitting balance and head control and, when arms and legs are no longer needed to help with balance, they can develop new skills needed to use the reins. This has a major spin off into other activities.
Lunch and ice creams were served and everyone had a great day.
