The event takes place on Monday, July 27, from 2-4.30pm at Colgrain Equestrian Centre, near Cardross, and will feature a range of activities including a dressage demonstration from the riders, a mechanical horse, a barbecue, and family games.

In the morning there will be proficiency tests for riders – which is not open to the public – while the afternoon will see a visit from Horse Scotland Performance Squad member Robyn Smith, who was recently selected onto the British Young Rider Dressage team for this year’s European championships at Vidauban, France.

The Gareloch branch of the RDA was formed in 1976 and currently has more than 50 riders with a wide range of disabilities such as physical and learning disabilities.

Organiser Greta Scott-Larsen said she is excited about the event, which will also mark her last foray with the group.

The instructor told the Advertiser: “We are going to have question and answer sessions, a barbecue, the mechanical horse and games like Hook The Duck.

“I’m really gutted to be leaving Gareloch RDA at Colgrain. I have loved working with horses again and realised they are something I want to continue having as part of my life.” She added: “I have loved the role I’ve had as an instructor organising sessions and coming up with new games to play and exercises to try with riders.” Ms Scott-Larsen has been an instructor at the Gareloch RDA for a year but is leaving to start a postgraduate diploma in education at the University of Aberdeen later this summer.

Since taking up the post she has worked with riders with a wide range of disabilities including those with physical disabilities as well as riders with mental conditions, such as autism.

Ms Scott-Larsen said she would miss working with the instructors and riders at the Gareloch RDA.

She added: “I have loved working with all the different people: the riders, their carers and parents, and all the volunteers we have here. They are a friendly, welcoming, generous team who give so much.” The RDA group currently has around 50 members and the group runs eight sessions a week at various times during the day and also has a volunteer team of more than 100.

Elise Nash, secretary of the Gareloch RDA, said the sessions were important for the riders, many of whom spend most of their time in a wheelchair.

She said: “Really the main thing for us is to encourage the mental physical and emotional developments of the riders as much as possible.

“Many of them spend all day in a wheelchair and sitting on a horse is the only time they get that kind of opportunity.

“Also, horses are very sensitive to the emotional needs of humans and that’s what makes them excellent animals to work with.”