We offer riding and driving for any registered disabled
person for whom it would benefit. There are a few
formalities before we can accept you; we have a simple
application form, and we need a signed letter form your GP
stating that joining us would be beneficial. Riding and
driving offers both mental and physical stimulation and over
the years we have helped a wide range of people with various
disabilities, so don’t rule yourself out before contacting
us, (see contacts page).
We have both children and adult sessions running through
school term times. Children’s sessions run on Mondays and
Wednesdays. Adults sessions are on Tuesdays and Thursdays,
with carriage driving on Fridays. Please bear in mind that
there is sometimes a waiting list.
A TYPICAL MONDAY AT COBBES
MEADOW
On Monday we begin our classes at 9.45. We try to have 16
helpers plus an
instructor, which means we can have 4 ponies, each pony
needing a leader and
2 sidewalkers, one helper who keeps written records of which
rider rides
which pony and who their helpers are, and another helper who
prepares the
children for riding and helps them mount. We are fortunate
to have a great
team of helpers but sometimes there are problems and our
numbers drop so we
are constantly on the look out for more volunteers!
Our riders on a Monday are all children with a wide variety
of disabilities.
We have 4 who come individually with a parent or carer and
we have riders
from two schools, St. Nicholas Canterbury, and Wyvern
Ashford. Both are
schools for children with special educational needs. We try
to help each
rider with their own individual goals which are indicated to
us by their
school teachers. These might include improving their
coordination by holding
coloured rings, bean bags and other apparatus, their speech
and social
interaction, balance and confidence. We play games such as
grandmother's
footsteps and "what's the time Mr. Wolf?" and other relay
team games,
matching up pictures, or posting things in the letter box.
The children
learn to steer their ponies, how to get their pony to stop
and walk on, and
bend in and out of the rows of coloured cones. Many of them
learn to rise at
the trot and very occasionally we have a rider who is ready
to try cantering.
This calls for a well schooled pony and very fast running
leaders and side
walkers! The children so obviously enjoy their riding and we
see them
become more confident asking to ride their favourite pony.
Some of them
overcome the fear of just getting on a pony, others gaining
strength to
sit up as the pony moves. Their smiles say it all!
Our session is over by 12.15 and we can get away after
clearing up etc by
about 12.30
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