The horses have a lot more room to stretch their legs at Motueka’s Riding for the Disabled arena, after a significant expansion was celebrated last week.
The area has been extended from 800m2 to 1400m2, expanding into one of the organisation’s paddocks. It is topped with compacted crusher dust, and the extra space means that the volunteers will be able to move a lot more freely, according to president Carolin Lerbs.
She reckons that, with up to four horses moving around the arena during the sessions, and each with two or three volunteers assisting the rider, the expansion allows each group to focus on what they are doing rather than being “crammed together”.
“The space is really good, because we can actually do a lot more,” she says.
It has opened up opportunities for private riding lessons, which started these holidays. The RDA committee is also developing several other programmes – one will involve working with preschools, and another will be in conjunction with Women’s Support Motueka.
RDA’s national website states that its core purpose is to “provide interaction with horses to improve health and wellbeing outcomes for people experiencing disability, or who have specific challenges or needs”.
Motueka’s 35-year-old RDA branch provides equine therapy for about 50 local people, the vast majority of whom are children.
“Everybody needs horses in their lives,” Carolin summarises.
She lists anxiety, self-confidence, social skills and independence as some of the things that the therapy can help with, as well as physical and intellectual challenges.
“The horses are the teachers,” she explains.
Motueka RDA is looking for both committee members and volunteers, and Carolin says these are not just roles for people with high proficiency with horses.
“You could be a gardener on the sensory trail, or just work with the children.”
The arena expansion was the biggest project that the organisation has taken on in several years, and the committee is not looking a gift horse in the mouth.
At last Tuesday’s opening ceremony, grants officer Sarah Thompson thanked Motueka Contracting, Think Water Tasman Bay, and Fulton Hogan for their generous input and excellent consultation to make the project possible.
