Shortly after my youngest started school, a photo of a beautiful chestnut horse caught my eye on the cover of the local paper. The article was about RDA, and having always loved horses, I decided to volunteer. At that time, they were operating out of Woolly Bear Farm in Albany. My youngest is now 28!!

I grew up near the top of Rosedale Road, and as a child had riding lessons from Pam Martin, who was a founding member of North Shore RDA. In those days the area was mostly paddocks and orchards, with a large forest area where we would ride the horses for miles.

I feel so lucky to be able to get my horse fix every week while enjoying fresh air and exercise in such a lovely environment.

One of the most rewarding things has been to see individuals confined to a wheelchair, in some cases needing to be strapped in order to keep them sitting upright, be lifted onto a horse, and over the weeks, with the assistance of side walkers, gain enough core strength to hold themselves upright.

Another joy has been to see the sudden flash of a smile light up the face of someone ordinarily closed in on themselves and non-communicative.

The horses too, are very special. I recall Beau, who could be quite a naughty little fellow, but always sensed when he had a vulnerable child on his back, and would be on his best behaviour.

Thanks to an enormous amount of hard work by so many, (humans and horses), RDA at Aubrey Road is an amazing facility. It’s a magical place.