Volunteering for the RDA

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Hatcs001

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Hi guys!

I'm starting to volunteer at my local Riding for the Disabled centre tomorrow and I'm a bit nervous. It's meant to be hot, like 23 degrees hot, and I haven't been around a horse in about 4 years so I'm kinda worried...

I've been told to wear wellies or riding boots and that I'm required for two hours. Other than that, I know nothing!

Has anyone else volunteered with the RDA? I don't know what to expect. Will I be okay to rock up in shorts and wellies and an old shirt?

And what do you think I'll be doing? If you've had experience of working in a yard or volunteering of any sort, could you tell me what you did on your first day?

Loads and loads of thanks!!!
S x
 
I wouldn't wear shorts without checking first that they would be suitable - but other than that i always try to look reasonably smart ie no holes or paint stains! Every group I have been involved with have been incredibly friendly, if they are busy you may need to either watch and just see what needs doing (if everyone starts grooming then join in etc) or actively ask for a job if no-one gives you one, but usually they are very grateful for help especially if you are confident around horses.
The only other thing to add in case you are not used to being around people with disabilities is to remember they are all just people like everyone else - they appreciate a smile, a welcome, an introduction, a joke while waiting for their ride, regardless of whether they talk back or not. Talk TO them not at or over them, and remember to have fun!! Good luck :-)
 
I don't think shorts will be ok. Wellies will be too hot, riding boots/yard boots or walking boots would be better. Don't worry, when I went there were people who had never touched a horse. You will be told what to do and if you don't know how or understand just ask, they really won't mind.

You will probably be side walking or leading (less yard jobs at mine, just do some water and a bit of (un)tacking, if you know how), they will give you the easiest ponies to start with and will explain everything, don't forget they have always had new volunteers so know automatically to tell you, someone more experienced will probably stay with you the first few times.

They like things done in a certain way, so will explain even if you think you know how to do it, and they won't mind about endless questions or you getting things wrong as you are doing it for free and they couldn't run without volunteers.

Just relax and have fun!
 
Ive been volunteering for the RDA for 3 years now and I love it.
Dont worry about not being around horses for a long time, there are many people that come along that start from scratch and they will train you in the areas you need it.

Probably your first day will just be getting shown around and joining in with basic tasks etc. (my first few days I was the arena poo picker :D)
If you havent done so already you will probably have some paperwork to fill out ie emergency contact and any health problems they need to know about, you may also be required to have a reference.
Because you are working with children and vulnerable adults you will need to complete some sort of disclosure, in Scotland it is a PVG, I do not know what is called in other countries.

You will probably be given guidance about what to wear when you are there but you are not allowed to wear shorts at the Rda i volunteer for. Most of us buy the tshirts etc with our logo on but its not compulsory and you might want to wait until you are sure you like it before doing this.

Usually there are rules about no jewellery for health and safety reasons and also modest clothing ie not low cut tight vest tops etc as we are often dealing with teenage boys and indeed adults who have boundary issues. Although we are volunteers we should look professional if that makes sense.

If they don't have an indoor arena then take sunscreen and fly/insect repellent, horseflies are still vicious :D

The Rda deals with many people that turn up once and never return so it may be you go along a few times before they ask you to do paperwork etc.

The one thing I would say that was a shock to my system after being around horses all my life was that some of the ways they do things would appear to be extra cautious and very rule orientated, however they have multiple volunteers who have various degrees of experience and it has to be that way to keep everybody safe.

I hope you enjoy yourself, its certainly made a difference in my life seeing the difference it makes to the kids lives and I would recommend it to anyone. If you read this before you go, take some cakes/nice biccies along - the staff will love you :D
 
I agree with all previous posts -v good advice. Do not be put off by rule thing- there are very strict rules about all sorts of things mainly because we are dealing with vulnerable children/adults and ponies, who at the best of times can be unpredictable, and we live in a litigious age.

Also do not be put off if for the first few times you find yourself hanging about doing not a lot; take your time to observe what is happening. We do sometimes find we have more volunteers than we need on a given day but that is always preferable to not enough. Enjoy.
 
So, how about if I wear (pink) jodhpurs and an old shirt? I had riding boots but I think they've been thrown away so wellies might have to do :(

Thanks for all the advice! I've taken it all in and it's been an eye opener.
 
I just sent the leader an email and told her my situation and experience with horses and people. She said she'd love to have me and sent some paperwork and now I'm going to turn up (and I'm extremely nervous!!)

Does anyone have a kinda 'day in the life of a volunteer'? I know every day will be different, but that's partly what I'm worried about 😁
 
HI, our RDA group speciallises in working with with people with Learning Difficulties. You will find it is a very friendly atmosphere, with some social stuff thrown in. I wouldn't wear either Jods or shorts, jeans or cords are better. I would also wear a cotton shirt, bare arms can be a problem round the horses (we used to have one that was brilliant with the riders but walked about with a bit of the leaders wrist in his mouth if he could get away with it! Much better if it grabs your sleeve) I would also suggest that you think about what reaction your clothing might provoke in an adolescent who doesn't have solid boundaries and communicates through touch!
Sis and I began volunteering about 30 years ago and we ended up with our parents getting involved with fund raising for our group and Mum used to provide coffee an tea and biscuits for the parents and carers who attended but didn't have much to do with the riding. it made it a social occasion for everyone. Take your cues on how to deal with the riders from the other more experienced helpers and the carers who will undoubtably accompany the riders. With those with communication problems, deafness etc. then check out with others the best way to communicate with the rider.
What ever happens, keep calm and be prepared to tell riders not to do certain things, we had one young woman who would dismount when she felt like it, even in trot, so you need to keep your wits about you.
When you get there, make sure you introduce yourself to whoever appears to be in charge and ask them what they want you to do, they will be more than happy to let you know how they do things.
Have fun and enjoy :)
 
Rexie said:
How did you get a position? It's something I'd love to do.
Click to expand...

Visit the Rda website and find your local group

http://www.rda.org.uk/

http://www.rda.org.uk/rda-groups/

Once you have the contact details give them a ring or an email and ask about becoming a volunteer. Most groups have a webpage and a facebook page also.

If no-one gets back to you "quickly" please don't give up, we are staffed entirely by volunteers and there usually isnt enough of us to do all the jobs required so please be patient and get in touch again if you think you have been forgotten.
 
Hatcs001 said:
I just sent the leader an email and told her my situation and experience with horses and people. She said she'd love to have me and sent some paperwork and now I'm going to turn up (and I'm extremely nervous!!)

Does anyone have a kinda 'day in the life of a volunteer'? I know every day will be different, but that's partly what I'm worried about 😁
Click to expand...

It depends on what your local Rda group is made up of, and by that I mean, some of the groups are independent and have their own yards and other groups work out of pre existing Riding Schools and use their ponies. So if your Rda is independent then there will be alot more work involved on a day to day basis ie yard maintenence and pony care, worming, poo picking the fields etc.

I volunteer at an Rda that has its own yard, fields and indoor arena. We have different teams of volunteers, some work with the ponies and riders, some have no interest in the ponies but come and do our diy jobs and secretarial type jobs for us, some come and do gardening around the borders of the yard, some purely do fundraising. All the jobs are valuable.

We have a range of different riders/clients that attend. Some are very disabled, cannot walk, cannot talk, need fed through tubes, some are fully mobile with learning disabilities, some are autistic and do not want to ride but they come and groom the ponies. We also do hippotherapy at our yard with a physiotherapist which is physio on horseback using the gait of the horse.

A typical morning is turning up at the yard at the set time, checking the diary and communications book to see what needs done.
The instructor tells us how she would like the arena set up (different lessons require different set ups, ie we often have cones out for the ponies to weave in an out or toys set up on barrels that the children can reach for to improve their balance etc )

The instructor will have chosen the appropriate pony for each rider. So we know which ponies to bring in. Once the ponies are in they are groomed and tacked up ready for the first ride.

One persons role is to set up the tack ready to go on, each rider has an information sheet stating if they require any extra bits of specialist tack attached and also what stirrups and stirrup leather length to use. It also states what size of riding hat they require.

Different riders require different levels of support, some need to be led, some require one side walker, some require two side walkers. The instructor knows each child they are teaching and will let you know what they require.

We have an electronic mounting ramp that if the child is in a wheelchair/zimmer they can take it into it and be assisted onto the horse.

While the ride is going on, there is usually a "runner" available who isnt involved in leading or side walking but is ready to assist with anything the instructor requires ie if they need anything during the lesson. Usually this person will also pick up any poo during the lesson as well. (Children are fascinated by poo and if its not picked up it gets very distracting for them each time they pass it :D)

Whilst the lesson is going on there may be other jobs need doing, ie setting up tack for the next lesson, making up feeds/supplements. Checking over the ponies that arent being used. Tack cleaning, hoovering the office, basically all the things that would happen normally.

Once the rides are finished, the tack is put away, the arena equipment is cleared away. The ponies are taken back up to the field.

Often we are very short of volunteers so we try to have one day a week when there are no rides to get on top of all the task that need doing, we also spend time with each pony working with them to improve them as an rda pony, ie desentising them to loud noises and bangs (some of the children shout out or clap their hands unexpectedly) Because we work with soft toys and throwing things for the children to catch we will do this with the ponies to get them used to it.

You will receive training and require to be witnessed and deemed competent and signed off by an instructor on things like side walking and leading and bringing ponies in from the field etc this is to fulfill insurance requirements so it might seem frustrating at first that you dont get to do things that seem fairly simple however its to protect both you, the clients and the rda should anything go wrong.

I cannot recommend getting involved with the Rda highly enough. The joy on a childs face who has been in a wheelchair all their life and then being on a horse and being free of the constraints of their wheelchair or zimmer is amazing. We have seen autistic children who were non verbal begin to say some words. The parents often find a support network among each other when they are watching the lesson. We have had elderly clients who have had strokes and confined to wheelchair getting on a horse and crying with happiness. If anyone reading this has a few hours to spare in their week your local RDA would love to have you as a volunteer.
 
My son attends RDA and I cannot thank you all enough for being volunteers, I will be volunteering my time myself once eldest son starts secondary school :)
 
I did it for several years. Please wear sensible flat footwear that covers your feet and won't slip off, if you can bear it long trousers although you will probably not encounter anything to hurt your legs, and a t-shirt.
 
A jumper , pair of leggings and wellies will be ok. Or a t-shirt.
Wearing shorts will not be acceptable and you may find you give off the wrong impression. Health and safety is a big thing where the RDA is concerned.

Remember you are there to help, just try and enjoy yourself. They will be super happy to see you wanting to volunteer :)
 
Probably too late for any clothing advice but don't forget gloves - you may be asked to lead a pony. Some groups are very strict about having them.

Also another point to mention on here is that a lot of groups depend on people (like me) bringing their own ponies/ horses along to be used. If you have a suitable pony and the some spare time......
 
I was inspired by this and contacted my local RDA, I responded to the reply, and haven't heard back - that was last Tuesday..
 
I think they might take time to respond as it depends on when they have time due to being reliant on volunteers.
 
Also - this weekend is the National Championships! So they may just be bogged down preparing for that. I know that the group I help with has gone into overdrive at the moment.
 
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