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Tessa improves her stamina

From fear of falling to independently trotting - Tessa was able to see huge improvements! Tessa experienced a stroke. Here is her story about how she worked hard to gain back the functionality she had lost, and how therapeutic riding helped her to get there. Rider Tessa...

Tom Atchison Volunteer of the Year 2022

Vivienne began her journey with RDA as a volunteer for weekly sessions in 2017. She is the sort of volunteer that is like gold for RDA. She is an experienced horsewoman, who has a background in education. Nearly 4 years on, Vivienne still generously gifts...

Young Volunteer of the Year 2022

Emily started volunteering just over six months ago as a leader/side-walker on a Saturday, then started attending on Wednesday and Thursday. Emily's greatest strength is her empathy and insight into rider's needs. When a rider demonstrates challenging behaviour, her response is always to try and understand...

Happy Horses

At RDA, the welfare of our horses is at the forefront of our minds. The workload of each horse is assessed and RDA people are careful to ensure that the horses benefit from a balanced routine. Checklists and advice are available for every group to...

What are the benefits of riding?

Here are some testimonials from our riders’ whānau and from a coach. “My grandson can’t walk to school or play football, but he can ride a horse”. - From a rider’s whānau “Our child was referred to RDA by child disability services. The purpose of attending RDA...

Kate the Coach

Meet Kate. And meet Kate's riders. Kate says she became a coach because she saw it as a way to give back – to put time into a worthwhile activity - and to have fun working with the horses too! Kate the Coach with one of the...

Visit by NZRDA’s Patron HRH The Princess Royal

New Zealand Riding for the Disabled was delighted to host Princess Anne for a visit to Wellington RDA on 16 February 2023. New Zealand Riding for the Disabled liaised with the Palace and the NZ Defence Force to ensure a showcase occasion for Her Royal...

Katie’s Epic Journey!

Katie has completed a long adventure ride in the South Island with 4 horses! She rode from St Arnaud near Nelson to Lake Manapouri – that’s a distance of about 944 kilometres. Katie’s horses are called Moonlight, Moose, Yogi and Snoop. Katie started on 21 January 2023...