RDA volunteering - anyone do it?

EllieBeast

EllieBeast

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Hey, i am currently at uni and have had to leave my horsey life behind. I am missing being around horses like crazy, and have found an RDA centre relatively close to where i am based. I was wondering whether anyone else helps out at these places and what kind of work you get to do? To be honest i would be more than happy just hanging around doing the dirty jobs, i am that desperate! I have had my own horses for 8 years, but have no equine qualifications. Would i be considered useful as a volunteer?
Thanks.
 
Yes, I am sure you would! RDA centres work independently so it's hard to say what they would want but any spare pair of hands are usually snapped up, especially if you have previous experience!

At the one I went to, help was most needed during the week. Groups come for a riding session and they need people to tack up, help mount, and then either lead or walk along as a side-helper.

Due to health and safety, you will have to be trained, which means someone shows you how to do things the correct way for RDA - ie ponies wear headcollars with bridle over the top, noseband off, and you lead the pony by the rope on headcollar, not dragging it along by its mouth! And other common sense stuff, like not wearing big dangly earrings, as children with special needs might take a fancy to them and grab hold.

Each session has its own helpers, so you might want to try different times to find the group that suits you best. You might prefer helping with children more than adults for example.

Some dedicated RDA centres have minders for the ponies, where you are expected to do the work in return for riding at weekends. These usually need people 7 days a week, and might have helpers doing all sorts of odd jobs around the place, like fencing, or painting jumps.

Others are normal riding schools that allow their ponies to be used one or two days a week for RDA use so would only need help for the riding sessions.

So look up your local centres on the website and volunteer. It is a lovely way to meet some local horsey people too!
 
I taught lessons for the disabled....some twenty years ago(God I'm giving my age away
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)....TBH their grateful for any help,just leading as some disabilties might need two to three helpers per horse......I also used to help out on their stand at HOYS so got in free and made alot of money while on their stand for RDA......it's one organization I wish I could do more,that I had more free time to help! Go for it,also just the pleasure on some of the riders faces makes it all so worth while!
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I volunteered with my local RDA when I was doing my A-Levels through the OUTSET scheme. Tasks we did were mainly walking either side of the rider with your arm over their leg to ensure they are secure or one lady had a belt that had loops that you held on to. Either that or you are leading the horse/pony.

There was a lady who was blind who used to have a session before the group session with bleepers at different points in the school. Then the group session was a special school with kids who had autism, cerebal palsey or had had accidents which had left them with physical or mental disabilities etc. One girl had involuntary arm movements especially with loud noises and they put her on a pony that kept overreaching and my friend got a fat lip so watch out for that! (I didn't laugh at my mate much honest!)

We also did a few sessions with a lady who had MS. She had previously ridden dressage and side saddle, but we had to hold her on the horse. I found that very emotionally hard but she was a lovely lady and seemed very appreciative of our help. She was so switched on, it must have been so frustrating for her.

I'd say go for it, its a wonderful thing to do and your help is really appreciated. I'm not sure if they are all run the same but the 'horsey' content for the volunteer was low where I was. The RS tacked up and looked after the ponies and it is more about the riders, rightly so, so all you need to be able to do is tell the horse to 'walk on' and 'woah'. If you want to get a horsey 'fix' you'll probably need to help out at the RS rather then during the RDA sessions.

Go for it, it is a great thing to do and they really need volunteers!
 
I'm going there for a uni placement next week and am looking forward to helping out there, but the people don't seem very nice at all but I'm just going to try my best to ignore them and concentrate on looking after the horses and the riders. I don't think they like the fact I have my own horse to look after as well as help them, but to be honest I'm not going to be there long and will be working for them so they can be grateful for the time I'm there I think!
 
i did it for 5 years from when i was 9 and it ment that i learnt everything and only left because it was easier to have my own horse as the price of lessons were going up.

however i must say it was aload of us kids getting bossed around whilst the staff stayed up in the office all day crawling out when it was their turn to teach but other than that it was fab
 
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