Volunteers and riders at the Gareloch Riding for the Disabled group offer an exclusive insight into the charity's work with Helensburgh locals.
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A unique mixture of calmness and excitement fills the air at the Gareloch Riding for the Disabled group’s Ardencaple Farm base.
Smiles beam on children’s faces as they ride around a course comprised of bright cones and tubes during a session led by volunteers – the backbone of the group.
Parents and carers look on from the sidelines, watching proudly as their children confidently take on the activity.
One parent, Erica, attends with her son Matthew who has autism. “I like everything! It makes me feel good and happy - it’s enjoyable,” Matthew said after the session is over.
A young teen, his face lights up as he talks of his passion for horse riding and the group.
But the benefits go beyond just the users of the group’s facilities, as Eria adds that she gains just as much as Matthew does.
“Apart for the fact that I get to have some socialising time with the adults, watching Matthew on the horse is just great,” she shares.
“The rush he gets brushes off on me, so he goes home happy and I go home happy too.
“Everybody’s just so helpful and friendly and its beneficial physically for him and mentally for both of us.”
As the session ends and the parents and children leave, we move indoors where despite the windy and cold weather, volunteers are happily taking care of horses and enjoying a blether with each other.
For many, including 75-year-old volunteer Caroline, this is an opportunity to improve their lives both physically and mentally.
As a lover of horses but someone who never had the chance to have much experience with the creatures, Caroline has picked up skills just from watching others and has managed to improve her health by doing so.
She said: “I love the contact with the horses. It has to be good for your blood pressure - it’s so calming.
“It’s a therapy for me – this is good for my mental health.
“I’m just so glad to be able to come down and groom the horses because physically it helps me.”
Caroline first joined the group shortly before the first covid-19 lockdown in 2020 after her daughter recommended she get involved.
She has seen first-hand – through her grandson who uses the group and through her volunteering – just how much the group can benefit the local disabled community.
She adds: “When horses work with people with a disability they are just so understanding.”
Despite the majority of her duties being over, coach Michelle - who conducts the group sessions - hangs back to help out.
The former primary teacher always had a love of horses and horse riding and seized the opportunity to volunteer after she stopped working full time.
“I like being around horses and I don’t have a horse of my own so it’s nice,” she said.
With a knack for working with children of all abilities, Michelle uses her knowledge to help provide a safe and supportive environment for the facility’s users.
She explains: “I enjoy working with children. I was a primary teacher and I worked mainstream primary and then special needs primary, so this role is continuing the skills that I had in that job.
“It’s great just to see the children and the adults improving and making progress – however slow that might be.”
The help the horses provide to the facility’s disabled users and to the volunteers of all abilities is evident from just a few hours spent at Ardencaple farm.
Caroline lovingly called the horses “magical creatures” and its clear to see why to many, this is no exaggeration.
Both riders and volunteers can maintain and improve their physical fitness and mental wellbeing which can be truly lifechanging for some.
The group has something to offer to everyone – no matter their ability level – and has created an understanding and positive community that they want to open to others in the Lomond area.
To find out more about how to get involved and to sign up to use the facilities, visit the Gareloch RDA’s website: www.garelochrda.org.
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