About Us
Where horses help enhance people's lives
Riding for the Disabled (RDA) is a national charity where horses benefit the lives of over 25,000 disabled children and adults. With fun activities such as riding and carriage driving, it provides therapy, fitness and development opportunities for achievement. This is supported by over 13,000 volunteers, 1,500 qualified coaches and 2,700 horses and more thant 400 RDA groups across the UK.
As an independent charity, Mid Sussex RDA is one of those groups. Founded in 1969 by Ann Holden, who had a vision that regular riding could benefit children with a range of disabilities. So, she set up riding sessions with the help of a group of friends, and formed the West End Farm Group. In 1976 the group moved to Brendon Riding School in Pyecombe and adult riders were included.
Fifty five years on, our group continues to provide therapy through horses. You will now find us at Chestnuts Yard on the A23 where we run on a Tuesday morning. We currently have two of our own horses Tilly and William, who are joined regularly by a team of other horses and ponies to provide a wonderful team of safe and willing equines.
Mid Sussex RDA is a charity solely relying on the help of volunteers and charitable donations and is only able to function through a variety of donations, , legacies and fundraising activities.
What We Do
The riding sessions take place on a Tuesday morning at Chestnuts Yard in Pyecombe, just outside Brighton.
It is well recognised that riding can have many benefits, physical, mental and even spiritual, for a disabled child or adult. Apart from an increase in body and core muscle strength, balance, coordination and posture can also be improved.
A rider can respond to the warmth and nearness of a horse by relaxing and showing a decrease in muscle spasm. Also walking can often be improved by feeling and following the three dimensional movement of the horse, said to be similar to that of the walking pattern of a human.
Working with an RDA group can be immensely rewarding. To see the sense of achievement on an adult`s face as they ride solo for the first time or manage a rising trot after many weeks of struggling, is heart warming. Or to see the smile of a severely disabled child when they cuddle their pony makes it all worth while.
Our sessions take place on Tuesday mornings from 10am typically during school term time. There are four sessions each morning, lasting 30 minutes each. Our participants have a range of disabilities that include multiple sclerosis, stroke, hearing and sight difficulties, post traffic-accident trauma, and many others.
