Charitable association Riding for the Disabled in the Algarve (Associação de Equitação para Deficientes no Algarve) has decided to move its therapy sessions to the Albufeira Riding Centre in Vale Navio and Centro Hípico de Vilamoura, “to ensure it can offer the best riding environment to its participants”. The new riding year begins in October.
“At RDA, we aim to provide young adults with physical and mental disabilities with riding therapy and we have chosen the two riding centres as we think they will provide the horses and the instruction that each of our individual riders require,” said Sandie Skevington from RDA (AEDA).
Established in the Algarve since 1989, RDA (AEDA) describes itself as “the only officially recognised and registered charitable association in the Central Algarve for such activities”.
The benefits of the riding therapy sessions include improved concentration and coordination, posture and, importantly, self-esteem. “The movement of the horse is particularly valuable as the rider, to keep balance, has to use the almost identical muscles and joint movements used in walking,” said RDA. “The horse produces 1,000 movements in three dimensions in 10 minutes – this is far greater than any therapist could produce in the same time!”
If you would like to sponsor the young riders or go along to the sessions as a volunteer, call 919 060 604 or 964 027 677. “Experience with horses and fluency in Portuguese is not a prerequisite, and you will receive some training with both the horses and the riders,” said RDA (AEDA).
