Riding for the Disabled Association (NSW) Illawarra Centre
Past and Present Rider Stories
Mecenzi was born four weeks early and suffers from the most severe form of cerebral palsy. She was given a very guarded prognosis: she would never walk or talk and would always suffer from tremors & convulsions and struggle to eat. Mecenzi is unable to take part in sports and activities that her classmates enjoy, such as netball, hockey, dancing or even a simple game of tag. RDA offers a sport and therapeutic activity that not only can Mecenzi take part in, but one that many people without a disability find challenging. Mecenzi had dislocated hips, and the Doctors wanted to operate. This would have meant Mecenzi would never walk. After two years of horse riding, Mecenzies hips were normal. Mecenzi is your everyday kid, and that’s all she wants to be. But when we think back to her diagnosis, she is one little miracle! Every time someone said she would “never” do something, she did it in one way or another. With her determination, I believe there is a good chance that one day she will walk with minimal support.
Toni, Mecenzi’s mother.
Tim has ADHD, Intellectual disability, & also shows signs of Autistic Spectrum Disorder.
Tim came to RDA Illawarra initially through his schools riding program. Tim loved it so much, he soon started riding on Saturdays as well.
Initially Tim was quite a handful, but because he loved being there, he soon started following the rules and before long he was riding very well, and independently.
Tim learnt not only to ride but also to love & appreciate what comes from RDA. He loved the horses and he also learnt horse husbandry as well. As he got older, Tim also started to work as a volunteer on Saturdays for the other classes.
Giving Tim the independence that he got at RDA was a great confidence builder for him not only at RDA but also for all the other challenges Tim faces, and anybody who knows Tim knows he is quite a confident boy and a good organizer.
One of the best things we noticed from Tim’s years at RDA was his behavior changing. His Mum said that RDA was the only place on earth where Tim was settled and wanted to learn, and behaved himself. We have had teachers from his school who couldn’t believe the change in him in that couple of hours at horse riding, and that was a big step forward.
LAURA At approximately twelve months Laura was diagnosed with cerebral palsy.
Before she started school she had some form of therapy on a weekly basis - physio, occupational or speech. When she was seven she had her first lot of botox injections in her calves to help stretch her muscles. These were done approximately every six-nine months depending on her growth spurt. When she was eleven she had her first major operation on her right leg. She had an Achilles tendon transfer, a muscle split and an osteotamy of her heel bone. This involved being in a wheelchair for ten weeks and a harrowing four-five months of intense physio. About eight months later she went through pretty much the same procedure on her left leg. She had to do heaps of stretches and exercises to build up her strength & endurance to improve her walking.
Laura started riding at RDA in 2005 and it was great for not only Laura but also the entire family. It was good for her to be on the back of a horse as it stretched & exercised her leg muscles, exactly what her parents had struggled with getting her to do, and she loved it! Socially, it was good for her to be involved with other children with disabilities as at school she often felt isolated and down in the dumps about not being able to do the same things as the other kids in regards to sports & dancing. As a family they formed friendships with other families and the volunteers that they wouldn't have had the opportunity to do so otherwise. It was great that Chloe, Laura’s younger sister, got to learn to ride as well because as she has been growing up she often missed out on things due to Laura’s specialist & hospital visits.
Anthea is my 8 year old daughter. She has had the wonderful opportunity to ride with RDA for the past year. This has been a major highlight for her, and she counts down the days until her next ride! RDA has been such a beautiful experience for Anthea. She enjoys the contact with the horses, and the peacefulness of the RDA site, as well as the fun and the challenge of the sessions. It has been great for Anthea to have an activity/sport that is her special interest, and in which she has been able to improve and achieve (like her siblings in other areas). The volunteers are fabulous coaches and friends to Anthea and we feel blessed to have regular contact with such positive and encouraging people. It has been such a win:win experience for us all to see her getting so much enjoyment from something that is such great outdoor physical therapy.
Kirsty, Anthea's Mum.
