Cobbes Meadow RDA - Latest News

We have had another busy year, with shows and competitions to attend. We organised the first RDA driven trec event, which was great fun and a huge success.Congratulations to Maria Conneely, Sue Stevens, Miranda Purves and Linda Peacock who all passed the British Driving Society Road Driving Competence Certificate. I was pleased to pass 3 certificates under the BDS Intermediate stage 2 and hope to complete stage 2 over the summer. We are utilising the large 4-wheel, wheelchair carriage every week, which enables Ben and Gemma to achieve without their usual carers help. Ben’s hand coordination is improving and Gemma’s progress has astounded us all. Loosing the perimeter track due to the progress on the surrounding hospital buildings has presented us with a challenge. We now have two people dedicated to organising different games and activities for our drivers each week, games designed to help each driver progress and meet their individual goals that we can happily do in the outdoor school and on the parish field.

We have had to do some careful juggling of people and ponies, as we now only have two ponies for driving and 9 drivers. This has meant that some of our more understanding and long term members have had to drive every other week. We are grateful to them for working with us on this as we continue to look out for someone who might be willing to join us with a new pony. As ever our grateful thanks go out to all of our dedicated volunteers, especially those who, amidst their busy schedules, bring their ponies for us to use every week. To Jacquie and Paul who come all the way from New Romney and to Sue who tows along some very narrow lanes through Selling to get to us. It is time to let you know I will be standing down from the position of organiser at the end of July. I am hoping to give my own Carriage Driving business a boost and take on more clients over the next few months. I have two growing daughters who need more of my time and I would like to support Emily’s village school more. I am also looking for a part time job and need to be more flexible. To be honest, I think I have just run out of steam and need some time out!

It doesn’t seem possible that I first came to Cobbes Meadow 9 years ago, bringing with me with Chloe as a three year old in a buggy and that I used to walk through the estate with baby Emily to help on Fridays. Chloe is now 12 and Emily is 6, time flies and I really have had a lot of fun. My passions now lay else where and it is time for someone else to take over. Sue Arthurs is going to take on the role of organiser and I hope she has as much fun as I have.

A farewell comment? Hmm.. Be safe, communicate, give and take, enjoy your riding and driving and last but by no means least, listen to your ponies.

Summer Fun Day: Anne Marie (the Monday instructor) has suggested that we hold a fun day for riders in the summer, possible date 14^th June. She is willing to organise this, but will need a small planning committee, and lots of helpers on the day. If you would like to get involved, please sign up.

Thursday evening: I can’t believe that it’s time to start thinking about our 5 to 7pm session. We could accommodate more riders this year, so if you know of anyone else who would like to ride with us, please ask them to contact me. We hope to start on April 24^th. I will be putting up a list for volunteers after half term.

Our show is much earlier: Our principal fund raiser, the horse show, will take place on Monday 26^th May this year. As usual help will be required. Spectators are welcome, for a small charge.

Dates for helpers: There will be a training day at Sands Farm on 10^th April, mainly for instructors, on preparing riders for a dressage test. I will forward details to someone from each day.

I also hope to arrange a visit to Hope in the Valley at Plumpton. Six of them visited a Monday session a while ago. They operate on a Wednesday afternoon, and only take children.

Well done! Our treasurer Colin compliments everyone on their parsimony, and is pleased with the fund raising that has gone on. Any donations should be sent to him, if from a taxpayer, with a completed form from the drawer in the Linnet Room.

On the 17th June, on a surprisingly sunny day (most of the time!) six turnouts braved the new Driven Trec Event, run by Keeley Taylor and the Cobbes Meadow Group. The event began with a check on the harness to make sure everything was tip-top and safe. Then they were off! Hazard 1 was a simple game of halting beside a tray of cups (empty!), picking one up and driving to another tray, halting and putting the cup down again, Everyone achieved maximum points on this one. The hazards were progressively tricky and were designed to test the skill and confidence of our disabled whips. There was a very tricky precision drive between two parallel lines, a drive past a line of washing (which was billowing furiously most of the day!) with coloured spots marking different lanes to drive past between, a 4-gate driving trials type obstacle and a 4-gate slalom to negotiate, to name but a few. Then it was off for the 'drive with challenges'. This was a 1 mile drive around the perimeter of two fields. At various stages around the fields there were challenges that you may come across on a road drive; a pile of black sacks with a cordoned off men at work-type scary corner, a right turn simulated road junction (Which turned out to be the most commented on hazard of the day. All of us, it seems, need to take more care!) There was a precision paces section and a halt and rein back. All the hazards on the drive were optional, but you clocked up more points if you tackled them. Everyone had a great day! All the comments we have had back have been positive and constructive. Next year we will host this event again, but we think we will move it to September to avoid clashing with shows and holidays! So, make a note in your diaries and look out for adverts in RDA literature, the Carriage Driving Magazine and this web site.

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Cobbes Meadow Group Fund training for Linda Peacock at the

Carriage Driving Sports Group weekend held in Stow on the Wold.

21^st-22^nd April 2007

Linda has been driving Sue Steven’s Jacko, trained by Keeley Taylor, since September 06. Linda is very keen on improving her skills at competition driving. ‘I just love it!’ says Linda ‘I get such a buzz from competing and I really want to do it well!’

CDSG gives disabled people the opportunity to train with some of Britain’s leading trainers. Kay Hooper had travelled up from Goodwood to instruct and Linda found her easy to understand and a great help.

Our first two sessions enabled the trainers to assess each turnout and suggest exercises which would be beneficial to suit each individual’s needs. Linda spent some time with Kay being encouraged to use voice and hands in such a way as to improve Jacko’s way of going. On Sunday morning we began to think about driving cones and obstacles.

A course of 15 gates was set up in the 100 x 80 meter driving arena and Kay gave Linda clear and encouraging tuition on how to tackle the course and get the best out of the pony. ‘It isn’t easy when you are trying to remember the course and keep the pony going forward, use just the right amount of voice and whip and somehow keep everything together’ Linda is pictured here with Kay as they walk the course together.

The Unicorn Trust Equestrian Centre is stunning! The holidaying facilities for your horse are fantastic and the food was excellent and ample for the helpers!

After lunch on Sunday Kay took Linda and Jacko through driving an obstacle. There were various routes through and Linda drove brilliantly, choosing a good flowing course. Kay was very pleased with their progress and gave us some hints for the future too.

‘It was lovely being able to get involved with everything; learning how to plait a mane and grooming, mucking out, harnessing-up and putting –to. There is so much more to carriage driving than just getting in the driving seat!’ and Linda’s final word? ‘I just love Jacko!’

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Back in December Cobbes Meadow received £5,000.00 from Awards For All (part of the Big Lottery funding) towards the purchase of a 4-wheel carriage to take wheelchairs.
Adding this to our ‘collecting bucket’ brought us to around £7,500.00. The target was £9,600! After several generous donations and a top-up from our own group funds we were finally in a position to order a Fenix Ralli Car for wheelchair users!

On the 16th March we met the maker of the carriage, Mark Broadbent, at his workshop near Tiverton in Devon. Mark showed us around his carriage collection and we met his team of big black hackney-cross horses. Mark’s horses are gentle giants, very placid and apparently easy to train.

Mark Broadbent’s carriage driving centre is set amidst rolling hills in beautiful countryside.
He trains his own team for Driving Trials and teaches private clients too.

We came across an ingenious ‘rein handling machine’ for practicing holding the reins with a single and a pair. It was a little more elaborate than our reins with horse shoes on the end at home!

Then the climax of our visit finally arrive as Mark rolled back the carriage house doors to reveal our brand new carriage for wheelchair users! It was a bit emotional actually! All this time we have been planning and funding and suddenly here it was! We handed over that big cheque and very carefully wheeled her up into the RDA lorry to bring her home.

MANY THANKS TO ALL THOSE WHO MADE IT POSSIBLE!!
Why not come and see us in action on Friday mornings?
Speak to Keeley on Tel 01227 709839 or email keeley.taylor@btinternet.com

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