Video: call for volunteers who like ponies at Horsted Keynes riding group for children with special needs

Court Meadow RDA (Riding for the Disabled) operates out of Tremaines Riding Stables and needs extra help after rapidly growing in popularity since January.

Sue Welch, who lives in Wivelsfield Green and is a trustee of the group, said it is great to be fully open again after a year and a half of Covid restrictions.

She described working with the group as ‘highly rewarding’ because of the obvious benefits special needs children get from riding.

In pictures – see our photo gallery of the riding group here

“They benefit from the therapy, from the movement of the horses and from the routine of coming in every week,” she said.

Children also get used to the team and the animals, she added, saying that the time they spend on ponies improves their balance and teaches them to follow instructions.

Lots of parents are delighted by the results too, she said.

Sue said most children in the group are somewhere on the autistic spectrum with many being at the more ‘high-functioning’ Asperger’s end.

“Most of the session is actually riding and learning how to steer, she said.

The children have volunteers walking either side at first but learn to steer the animals themselves as they improve.

“It’s a kind of independence for them where they’re in control of something else, which is a huge boost to their self-esteem,” said Sue.

Sue got involved with the group in 2007 after retiring from being joint head teacher at Wivelsfield Primary School.

The group began in 1977 specifically for children from Court Meadow School in Cuckfield. It then moved to Ditchling Common, before heading to Albourne, and finally Tremaines.

Sue said children now come from all over Sussex, including Woodlands Meed School in Burgess Hill, Step by Step School in Sharpthorne and Hill Park School in Portslade.

“We only use the horses from Tremaines stables and they’ve been brilliant,” she said.

“They have all their own horses and we hire them each week, the number we need, and have the whole use of the place for the morning.”

Sue said riders participate in many other activities, like learning about the ponies, and about grooming and horse management.

She said more people are discovering the group and trying to get their child signed up but the group’s time at the stables is limited so they have to carefully select pupils.

New volunteers do not need prior experience and tasks can include grooming and tacking up the ponies, leading the animals or ‘side walking’, helping pupils change into riding boots and hats, and helping to teach children about horses.

The sessions are on Thursday mornings (9.30am to 12.30pm) and the group’s last session before Easter is on April 7.

Call 03002010039 for details or visit www.courtmeadow-rda.org.uk.

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