Stratford Riding for the Disabled (RDA) gallops forward as it fully takes over Compton Verney stable yard and helps more people gain joy on horseback

FOR 56 years Riding for the Disabled (RDA) has been helping adults and children see the world with a new sense of freedom.

At the Stratford branch of the charity its mission is galloping forward as it has fully taken over the stable yard at its base, Home Farm, Compton Verney.

Chair Donna Jenkins tells the Herald: “Although we’ve been based at Compton Verney for 12 years, we fully took over the lease from the previous owner at Christmas. It means the charity now has full control of the yard management.

“It’s a very exciting time for us,” continues Donna. “We’ve already expanded and taken on three new riders and started Saturday morning sessions. We've got a lot to do in the yard, but we want to take on more.”

Stratford RDA currently has 29 riders of mixed ages on its books, offering them the chance to ride regularly, enjoy the outdoors and in some cases gain mobility.

“Our youngest rider is seven and the oldest is 65 – we have ten children and 19 adults currently,” explains Donna. “We’ve got three horses and two ponies at the moment. Our running costs are around £50,000 a year, which means we have to limit numbers and there is a waiting list.”

Speaking of what it gives the riders – who have a range of disabilities, including learning difficulties and physical issues – Donna says: “There’s the therapeutic side of it obviously. Being on horseback works every single muscle in the body and all the core is being exercised.

“We have a mounting lift, so we can get people from a wheelchair – those riders who maybe can’t even stand suddenly have got legs – they bond with the horse and we take them around the fields. We are in 240 acres of countryside. For some riders it’s the only time they get out of their residential home.

“They get fresh air on their faces and are given the freedom of going out and enjoying the countryside or gaining a new skill – they learn to ride rather than just walking around in circles. Riding is something they can achieve for themselves – and we have proficiency badges that help with that.

“It’s a beautiful thing being out in the Compton Verney countryside. Some of our riders have been coming for a long time – including Lisa who’s been coming for 25 years.”

Donna explains there is often an educational element to what they offer. “We head out on a sort of nature trail through the woods, and speak about all the animals we encounter – or just talk about colours and numbers.”

Being on horseback can also have a transformative effect.

“When somebody with cerebral palsy gets on one of our horses, you can see them visibly relax and their legs get longer as they get into it.”

With ever-mounting running costs, Donna says they are very appreciative of donations. Just recently that included £1,500 from the Stour Valley Lions, who put on fundraising events and have sponsored one rider, Isaac, 13, from Tysoe.

The team at RDA also have plans to bring new initiatives, for which extra funding is always appreciated.

“We used to have a walker in our indoor school, it was very old and decrepit, so we took it out and have ambitions to put in a proper indoor school surface. We also want an area where people can learn to work with horses, like grooming and tacking up. Carriage-driving is something else we’re keen to introduce.”

Another initiative includes Tea with a Pony, which welcomes residents from nursing homes and other establishments.

Donna explains: “We have elderly people, some of whom have dementia, visit for tea and a bit of cake and they spend some time with a pony – pat them or watch our riders. We found that it’s been incredibly rewarding – the response has been great. For some it triggers memories from their younger days, and carers tell us that residents start to tell them about how they rode as a child or grew up on a farm.”

The interaction between horse and human is often precious to behold, says Donna.

“One young man has developed a real bond with his horse. When he visits he always brings an apple core from his breakfast to feed to his horse. It gives him structure, it’s on his mind and he looks forward to coming – it’s amazing to see that empathy and how much he loves coming here.”

There are around 500 RDA groups around the country, including its HQ in Shrewley.

The Stratford branch was started in 1969 by Beryl Sainsbury, who died aged 99 in 2020 after decades of dedication to the charity.

That spirit is carried on by around 50 volunteers, who continue Beryl’s great work.

“The volunteers are amazing,” says Donna. “They offer a great support network to the riders and their families.”

Donna, who is 70, has herself dedicated 27 years to helping others enjoy riding after she lost a foot during a bad horseriding accident.

“I was 30, and my children were three and six. It was life-changing and I spent a long time in a wheelchair.

“I could no longer ride myself and so got involved with RDA up in Norfolk where I then lived. After I moved to Stratford, with the children grown up, I thought where else do you meet new people besides the school gates? So of course I joined the RDA here in Stratford.”

Many of RDA’s proteges have gone on to compete in the Paralympics. “At one point around 80 per cent of riders at the games had come through RDA,” says Donna.

“And that is quite incredible – it shows what’s possible.”