By Val Sweeney

Copyright inverness-courier

There is almost a sense of the transcendental as a riding lesson in a field near Kirkhill draws to a close for three teenagers.

Having enjoyed the excitement of their ride, they dismount and a sense of quietness and calm descends as all three gently cuddle the horses which stand motionless as if instinctively understanding the needs of these first-time riders.

To the small group of onlookers, it is a mesmerizing and powerful moment while for the trio it is the culmination of a five-week course run by the Highland Riding for the Disabled Association (HRDA) which is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

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The organisation’s mission is to bring about meaningful and positive changes in the health and well-being of people with physical or mental disabilities or health issues through activities with its horses and ponies.

This year, it has introduced learning with horses/sensory sessions which have been successful with pupils with special or additional needs.

Following their lesson, the three Dingwall Academy pupils – Harris (13), Eliza (14) and Euan (15) – are buzzing from the experience and sense of achievement.

In the previous sessions, they had got to know the horses, how to care for them and lead them around the obstacles.

Each week, ASN teacher Kirsten Macleod has seen their confidence grow – along with another participating pupil, Ellen – thanks to the therapeutic benefits of being around the animals.

“When they told they were getting on the horses today, their jaws just dropped,” she said.

Their lessons were sponsored by Alasdair Dowling – stalwart of the family business, Cairngorm Windows – who first came across HRDA many years ago.

Watching the youngsters, he was impressed with their progress.

“You can see how confident they are,” he said.

HRDA participants can range from people with physical disabilities to those with deep mental health issues, from students at Cantraybridge College near Croy for adults with learning disabilities or additional needs to people referred via the mental health charity, Mikeysline.

BHS-accredited coach and stable manager Bridget Ogle, who leads the sessions, believes passionately in the therapeutic powers of bringing people together with horses and tailors her sessions to suit individual needs.

“My speciality is people who for any reason need extra one to one-to-one tuition and teaching them to open them up to that magic of horse riding,” she says.

“Often, we don’t have to do much.

“There is often some rapport between the horses and the participant.”

Bridget also feels that the horses can often sense trauma within a person and respond accordingly.

“The horses seem to know what is needed,” she says.

The lessons are not only about movement and riding but also teach life skills, she continues.

“Being put in charge of a 600 kilo animal is quite a thing!” she says.

“People learn about safety around horses.

“It teaches them about self awareness, about relationships, trust and problem solving.

“We do breathing work which is proven to bring down anxiety levels.

“Quite often, the horses synchronise their breathing with the participants.”

A regular rider is wheelchair user Samantha Slaven (14) who was born with a range of complex needs including spina bifida and hydrocephalus (an accumulation of fluid within the brain) which typically cause visual impairment, poor balance and mental impairment.

Her parents were told she would never be able to walk and would have significant learning difficulties.

She started going to HRDA on the recommendation of her physiotherapist and within a few weeks was able to walk – although she is in her wheelchair just now as a result of the coronavirus pandemic – and in addition to horse riding now plays wheelchair basketball with Inverness Lions.

“I have been coming since I was three years old,” says Samantha, a pupil at Millburn Academy in Inverness.

“It is really good physiotherapy and I really enjoy the horses.”

Samantha’s mum, Elizabeth, says: “Samantha has a lot of challenges medically and emotionally.

“Horse riding provides her with a good way to keep her muscles strong.

“When she is in her wheelchair, she uses her arms a lot. Here, she uses her legs.

“It makes a world of difference.

”Horse riding is fundamental to keeping her strength up.”

Her son, Harry (6) who has ADHD also rides.

“He struggles with life in general and emotionally,” Elizabeth says.

“After a horse ride, it calms him down.

“I think horses have a good amount of empathy and can respond to the moods of the rider.”

It is not only children who benefit from being around horses.

Louise MacInally (43), who has gained a grade three in horse care, and her support worker, Mabel Mackenzie, have been visiting the centre for two years.

“It’s so relaxing and makes me happy,” says Louise who particularly likes Harley, a 15-year-old horse.

When HDRA was first set up in 1975, it was based at Drumnadrochit and later moved to Fortrose.

Having moved to its present location near Kirkhill in 2019, it has just enjoyed its most successful season in terms of the numbers of participants and sessions at its new base.

And as it celebrates its landmark anniversary, there is a sense of optimism it marks the start of a new chapter following a tough time and a stalled project to develop fit-for-purpose facilities for participants, volunteers and ponies.

Gay McKeown, chairperson of the HRDA trustees, says its newly-introduced Learning with Horses/Sensory sessions have been attended by pupils from St Clements School in Dingwall and Dingwall Academy while other schools are interested but struggling to get finance.

“I would love to get the word out there and see if local companies would sponsor a school,” she says.

As well relying on donations, grants and fundraising activities to keep the charity going, HRDA also depends on its “fantastic” volunteers who help with the lessons.

Recounting various anecdotes, Gay says the benefits of the sessions are far-reaching from improving people’s core strength to building up confidence.

She recalls on occasion a group of children were reluctant to get out of the bus while another screamed and threw themselves on the ground.

“Bridget is so fantastic,” she reflects.

“She took them for a walk around the field so they could see where the horses lived.

“One of our horses, Wispa, looked up and went over to where they were and the children were able to stroke him.

“It is making a huge difference to people’s lives.”

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