APOLOGIES FOR PAGE FORMATTING - Neil
Creative Writing Competition - Three of the Berwickshire enrites are at the botton of this article.
The RDA Creative Writing Competition is now in its seventh year and as in previous years, we offered three classes for poem, letter or short story with the theme for each class is simply ‘RDA.’ We had a wide range of RESULTS
The RDA Creative Writing Competition is now in its seventh year and as in previous years, we offered three classes for poem, letter or short story with the theme for each class is simply ‘RDA.’ We had a wide range of RESULTS
Class 1 – A Poem about RDA
Place
Participant
Group
Title
1st
A Participant
Woodbridge & District
Now You See Me
2nd
Kirsten
Moray Group
It’s what you can do that counts
3rd
Cass
The Unicorn Centre Group
A poem to my Horse
4th
Gemma
Broadlands RDA
My Poem
5th
Sheena
Berwickshire Group
A Helping Hand
6th
Ann
Forth
Harry
7th
A Participant
Park Lane Stables RDA
Dream Rides
8th
Lauren
South Buckinghamshire Group
Wilma
9th
Lilia
Muirfield Riding Therapy
Baillie
10th
Flynn
South Buckinghamshire Group
I Love RDA
Class 2 – A Letter about RDA
Place
Participant
Group
Title
1st
A Participant
St Ives (Bingley) Group
The day of my RDA lesson as ‘scene’ through my eyes
2nd
Hannah
Erme Valley
Dear Madam
3rd
Barbara
Berwickshire Group
A Good Life
4th
A Participant
Berwickshire Group
My RDA Experience
5th
A Participant
Erme Valley
Thank You
6th
Heather
Moray Group
A letter of Thanks
7th
Clare
Lincolnshire Wolds Group
My Two Loves! Orbit & Joey
8th
Natalie
The Royal Forest of Dean Driving Group
One Big Thank You
9th
Thea
South Buckinghamshire Group
Dear Wilma
10th
A Participant
Park Lane Stables RDA
Dear Ellie
Class 3 – A Story about RDA
Place
Participant
Group
Title
1st
Tia
Saddleworth RDA
A 2nd Chance
2nd
Isabella
The Unicorn Centre Group
Horses, History & Hope
3rd
Hanfa
Saddleworth RDA
Magical Horses at RDA
4th
Neil
Berwickshire Group
Reflections on RDA
5th
Rosie
Berkeley Vale RDA
My Love of RDA
6th
Isla
Erme Valley
Horse Riding at Erme Valley
7th
Christiana
Cambridgeshire College Group
Boysie
8th
Olivia
Crosby Group
The Best Day Ever
9th
A Participant
White Rocks Farm Western Riding Group
The Story of Galaxy
10th
Claire
Cleethorpes and Grimsby Group
Claire Wilson
* Some Participants have opted not to be named
Sheena's entry - A Poen entitled From (aplogies for poor layot on thiscpage - Not sheena's doing)|
From every background, From near and far, From High School D of E award schemes, From horse lovers & top trainers, From people who have never been near a horse, From people whom horses scare them senseless. They come regardless of their situations, They come in spite of their situations, They come to help us in their numerous unique ways. Not just being your sidewalkers . Mentally, Physically, knowledgeability , friendship , humour , simple chats, intricate conversations. Lifting you up when you are down, calming you when you get too hyper. Not everything about a RDA helper can be taught, its way more than that. They are way more than that.
Barbara's Letter about RDA
This is my RDA health journey which you have asked me to write before, but I’ve never got around to doing until now. This letter is a thank you to you (and your team) for taking me from a terrified novice to a Hartpury rosette winner preparing for my RDA Bronze certificate.
When I first came to you, nearly 20 years ago, I wore a splint to try to stop me tripping over my none working right foot. Ten years of MS had resulted in muscle wastage and lack of feeing in much of my body. I was working a physically active job and regularly swimming lengths at the pool but my friend Alison encouraged me to join her with RDA riding.
You put me on Sherman, built like a solid little tank but terrifying for me. Led by Kathy Dwyer plus two side walkers my eyes were stuck on his neck and I think my hands gripped the saddle. I was straight into a hot bath as soon as I got home. Every muscle ached after my weekly riding sessions but gradually things changed. The time of aching muscles had been worth it.
My walking improved! The drop foot reduced and eventually I could lift my foot ‘normally’. After about a year my calf muscles came back and the splint went into the back of a cupboard. My weekly riding sessions with you kept me both mentally and physically mobile.
Then everything stopped with lockdown. No riding. I noticed muscle wastage returning in my calf. I am convinced that without RDA riding my right leg would now be useless and I would not be walking now.
Thank you Margaret for making me into a rider, but also for keeping me walking.
Gratefully
Neil's Story
Aa the years seem to start flying by, I seem to be spending more time looking back, than I do looking forwards.
Part of this is taken up with my thinking of my involvement with RDA.
To think, I was still at Primary school when I first sat on a horse with an RDA group in 1970.
The start of an experience which continues today, some 52 years later.
In 1970 I believe RDA was quite a new concept and I was invited to join the Etal group in Northumberland. I remember being driven there by volunteer drivers, picking up in Duns and Leitholm as well as myself in Burnmouth.
Although this was over 50 years ago, some things stick in my mind. Like the time my pony decided it would be good to have a roll, with the saddle and myself still in place. As part of the physio in those days ‘round the world’ (doing a 360 degree turn around whilst in the saddle) was part of the exercise routine.
I suppose the main thing in my memory was attending a camp organised by the group when we had a trip to Holy Island and rode on the sand.
When I started high school in 1972, it was deemed my education was more important than my RDA session and I was not allowed off to attend the Tuesday session.
However, I was fortunate the group organiser, a Mrs Pheobe Stewart, offered to take me on a Sunday morning. This was super and continued until one of the volunteers started a riding school near to where I lived and I started riding there.
In the 80s work seemed to then take over with me and I stopped riding, until 30 years later when I got back to riding with the Berwickshire Group RDA.
I really enjoyed my riding with this group. It wasn’t just re riding I enjoyed, but the challenges set each week by Mrs Margaret Morgan, the group chair and instructor.
I remember vividly driving to the weekly sessions wondering what challenges we would face in or out of the saddle.
A couple of years ago when I felt I was struggling to kick on a real horse, I asked if I could start riding ‘Sandy’ the mechanical horse. Looking back, I now realise this may have been a mistake on my part.
Whilst I have had many enjoyable rides on Sandy, I really miss the interaction with a ‘real’ horse and the sudden ‘poo breaks’ during the ride as well as the company of my fellow riders during the session.
As I am getting older and less mobile, I am spending more time looking back than I do thinking what the future holds. So much so, I have tried to enquire about my time that I rode with back in the early 70s. Sad perhaps?
Perhaps I ought to think about what I have achieved during my life and less of what I think that have failed with.
