Times: Thursday 9am to 3.30 pm during school term times. Start after the first weekend in March.
Location: Logan Park, Warragul
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Warragul RDAV currently has 14 very experienced volunteers who greatly assist 3 coaches with 6 to 8 in attendance each day.
We work in an 18m x 23 m tin shed and on fine days trail ride around the oval and into a grass arena.
Eight riders from Warragul and District Special School arrive at 10 am; we ride 4 riders at a time. Rider ability varies from leading with side walkers to off the lead but closely supervised. Walking and trotting by all.
11am to 12 md sees another 6 riders from 7 years to over 40 years. Again a variety of skills taught.
After lunch the four adults arrive for their lesson with Anne Skinner, our Para Olympic rider and coach extraordinaire. Some of these riders have been attending Warragul RDA for over twenty years and Ted Langdon is a classified rider who competed in the recent National RDA Championships in Sydney.
Then at 2pm we have three irrepressible young adults riding. Finishing at 2.30 pm, then clean up and return the horses to their paddock over the oval.
We have seven horses in the program with three others resting, or fattening over winter. These horses are usually sourced from contacts from the volunteers. Some we have been given, others are on long loans. We have purchased a 10 year old QH who is working out very well.
Our horses are all active and most of the rides are riding lessons and skill improvement sessions with a few pony rides as required for the riders wellbeing.
We have a range of long term riders and short, one semester, term riders.
Decisions on riders are made within the volunteer team in consultation with riders, carers, teachers and others. We do have a waiting list and lack of heavy weight bearing horses is a negative.
If more volunteers and coaches were available RDA Warragul could operate seven days a week rather than one.
Wish List:
More volunteers and a co coordinator
Heavy weight bearing horse 14 to 15hh
Large GP or Jumping saddles
Stirrup leathers
Rugs, 6′ to 6’6″, winter, light or heavy, combo or not.
Ideas for new games
