Riding for the disabled for the heavier rider?

[catembi]

I am trying to help a family who would like a lady with severe learning difficulties to be able to ride. She did RDA as a child and loved it. She is now in her 30s and well over the 10.5 stone weight limit. At the moment, she is coming weekly to stroke and feed mine, but wants to ride. Is it likely that any RDAs might have a higher weight limit or do driving? Not really sure where to start! We are north Beds. All help appreciated!

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Yes! 10.5 stone really isn't very much to have as a weight limit, most RDA groups which have rider with LD expect them to be on the heavier side and have the appropriate horses. Sorry I can't tell you anything about Bedfordshire but most groups will have a web-site and the national organisation should have a regional list.

 

[rabatsa]

You are best finding local groups on the RDA website and contacting the group organisers. https://www.rda.org.uk/rda-groups/

Each group is run on its own lines, so what one does is not what the next one may do. Weight limits are set by the horses weight, this is also true for the carriage driving groups.

 

[J&S]

Our RDA group, which sadly would be too far away, certainly caters for heavier riders. We buy/loan horses suited for that particular job so that we can ride a wide range of people. As others have said, check in your area, you can find groups via the main website as well.

 

[catembi]

Thank you...their website doesn’t work very well on my phone so I shall have another go on my laptop.

 

[EventingMum]

Would agree with others, the group based at my yard has a heavyweight horse especially for bigger riders and has recently started carriage driving for clients that aren't able to ride, it's proving very popular.

 

[Keith_Beef]

10st 7lbs is 67kg... that is not heavy, it's a perfectly ordinary weight for an adult rider. Where I ride, we have several people (myself included) who are well beyond that. And there are a couple of adults with learning difficulties who have lessons each week, and ride the same horses as me (I'm around 90kg to 95kg).

 

[Leo Walker]

There are carriage driving groups that are part of the RDA. Is this one too far away? I'd be happy to personally recommend them.

Springbridge

 

[Melody Grey]

I work with adults and children with SEN in a different capacity who go riding (presumably at the local RDA) and would certainly be heavier than 10stone, so it must be possible although obviously will depend on the type of horses they have available.

 

[ester]

Also, don't know how you would find out but we used to have a variety of mostly groups from home set ups but not always come to ride at my RS during the week, I remember them saying it was mostly because at the time the local RDA had a pretty low limit. It is worth asking other places at least too if you get stuck.

 

[Ceifer]

10st 7lbs is 67kg... that is not heavy, it's a perfectly ordinary weight for an adult rider. Where I ride, we have several people (myself included) who are well beyond that. And there are a couple of adults with learning difficulties who have lessons each week, and ride the same horses as me (I'm around 90kg to 95kg).

It’s worth remembering that a disabled rider can ‘ride heavier’ as in they may not be able to balance or the suppleness of an able bodied rider.
I taught an RDA group for several years. We had regular teacher training and assessments and as a very broad rule of thumb would add a stone on to some riders weight depending on disability and balance.

Op - Doug Smith if he’s still involved is worth speaking to. I’m sure his details are on the RDA website somewhere. He’s incredibly passionate and a wealth of knowledge.

 

[Abi90]

10.5 stone is a normal female adult weight though. I’m 10 stone am slim and fit and a size 8/10 (although admittedly carry quite a bit of muscle so denser) my husband is verging on 11 stone and is a skinny racing snake! That weight limit sea very low unless they are just catering for children?

 

[Surbie]

The RDA I volunteer at has a weight limit of 12stone and only has 2 horses who can do that, which limits how many heavier riders we can support. A local riding stables that offers RDA sessions has a max of 16stone but they have much bigger horses than we do - if you look on th RDA National guidelines I think the recommended max height for horses is 15.2hh. Some RDAs have bigger horses than that but we don't currently. There is also an extra % to add for an unbalanced rider, which most of our riders are.
OP if you call round your local branches they should be able to tell you what their max riding weight is.

 

[rara007]

It does vary- our old 16hh cob retired from us to do about 4 years as the RDAs weight carrier- they specifically wanted something over 15.2 and a weight carrier. He was beautifully cared for and gave lots of people much pleasure from hacking to the national championships. Lots of RDA ‘customers’ have problems that predispose them to being larger, his groups weight limit was certainly well over 10.5 stone, not sure what but he was mainly ridden by average size men and chunkier ladies. I think it’s a case of hunting around the groups to see who has adult suitable horses. Most groups can’t have an unlimited supply of horses and these larger weight carriers are hard to come by and not usually cheap to keep.
That said the local colleges weight limit is just bonkers, but that’s another issue!

 

[Red-1]

We were going to loan Charlie Horse for a disabled rider to do the Special Olympics on, he was just shy of 17hh and they were happy that we said up to 17st (as it was for one rider to do something specific, and mostly at walk).

We ended up not doing so for unrelated reasons, but it shows that some groups will have other horses that they may be able to bring in. I would imagine a day on the phone would get some good results (better than email).

 

[Peter7917]

Seems absurd to me. Surely many of these riders do little more than get led around at a walk? How can they justify such a low weight limit? I'll assume all their horses aren't 13hh......

 

[catembi]

Thank you for all the suggestions. I spent a while on their website last night, but the interactive map is v hard to use! I did manage to find a local group but it said children only so perhaps that’s where the weight limit came from? A previous neighbour was a helper, so I will maybe try her. Thank you!

 

[Pippity]

Seems absurd to me. Surely many of these riders do little more than get led around at a walk? How can they justify such a low weight limit? I'll assume all their horses aren't 13hh......

From when I was volunteering at the RDA, a lot of the riders had learning/mental disabilities, rather than physical, and would struggle to understand that they had to sit fairly still. So the weight limit is for somebody moving around a lot, maybe exhibiting 'rocking' behaviour, and generally far more unbalanced than the average rider.

 

[Ceifer]

Thank you for all the suggestions. I spent a while on their website last night, but the interactive map is v hard to use! I did manage to find a local group but it said children only so perhaps that’s where the weight limit came from? A previous neighbour was a helper, so I will maybe try her. Thank you!

It’s really great you are trying to help this lady out 😊.
I found when teaching, depending on the group that doing the things on the floor like stroking and brushing really valuable too more than people realise.

 

[Ceifer]

From when I was volunteering at the RDA, a lot of the riders had learning/mental disabilities, rather than physical, and would struggle to understand that they had to sit fairly still. So the weight limit is for somebody moving around a lot, maybe exhibiting 'rocking' behaviour, and generally far more unbalanced than the average rider.

100% this.
Also speaking from experience, having to get a rider off quickly in an emergency who is heavy and a deadweight isn’t easy.

 

[blodwyn1]

The Shelley centre in hadleigh Suffolk have a riding simulator. They are excellent there but I don't know what their weight limit is for the horses.

 

[SassieSoz]

I am trying to help a family who would like a lady with severe learning difficulties to be able to ride. She did RDA as a child and loved it. She is now in her 30s and well over the 10.5 stone weight limit. At the moment, she is coming weekly to stroke and feed mine, but wants to ride. Is it likely that any RDAs might have a higher weight limit or do driving? Not really sure where to start! We are north Beds. All help appreciated!

Hi Catembi, my mum is a volunteer at the BDHRA in Willington, MK44 3PT. They predominantly cater for children (a lot of them are on the autistic spectrum) but would defintely be worth talking to.

They've had to go for more chunky types in recent years as the children can vary hugely in weight and height.

I know they have catered for one or two adults in the past. The other consideration is that quite a few of the volunteers may not be in the first flush of youth themselves (sorry mum!!).

Good luck with your search

 

[SpottyMare]

10.5 stone is a normal female adult weight though. I’m 10 stone am slim and fit and a size 8/10 (although admittedly carry quite a bit of muscle so denser) my husband is verging on 11 stone and is a skinny racing snake! That weight limit sea very low unless they are just catering for children?

I don't think so, given the average British woman is a size 16!

 

[Jill's Gym Karma]

Seems absurd to me. Surely many of these riders do little more than get led around at a walk? How can they justify such a low weight limit? I'll assume all their horses aren't 13hh......

I do RDA volunteering and there is always at least one of our horses on box rest with leg/back problems. Regular mounting/dismounting with a hesitant/unbalanced/deadweight rider can be a real strain unfortunately. Our group does up to 12 stone and riders are weighed each term.

 

[catembi]

Thank you for the suggestions and comments. I will try to find the Willington group! We are north Beds, near Keysoe.

 

[Abi90]

I don't think so, given the average British woman is a size 16!

Well that’s sort of what I mean. 10.5 stone isn’t very much at all if you want to cater for adults