Jailbreak for Follifoot Park Disabled Riders Group

Our aim was to provide enough money (£1650) to cover 2 riding sessions a week for a year. This allowed 15 disabled children under 5, often with a short life expectancy, to gain a positively rewarding experience. That is 540 rides in the year.

Our aim is to provide opportunities for people with a wide range of disabilities to enjoy the unique benefits of horse riding and carriage driving.

Follifoot Park Disabled Riders Group see disability as a starting point from which everyone can achieve something and horse riding is a unique therapy. The horse’s movement enables the riders to move in the same way as if they were walking normally and most disabilities are helped by this movement. Back and leg muscles are strengthened, head control and general balance improved. Good exercises and games that aid mobility are fun and boost self confidence. The benefits to the riders, physically and mentally, are evident, especially to the children.

We provide riding opportunities to disabled people of all ages. Some of the younger children are referred to us by the Child Development Centre at Harrogate District Hospital. In total we help over 100 disabled people and there are 16 regular rides each week plus carriage driving on 4 days per week.

We hire our horses from Follifoot Riding Centre and the cost of this and of our carriage-driving is considerable. We also have additional expenses such as the many items of both ‘regular’ and special equipment we require – hard hats, special saddles and reins and a hoist which enables the more disabled to get onto a horse.

As an independent charity we have to raise all our own funds and this means we rely entirely on donations and sponsorship which come from the generosity of the local community; from private benefactors, local businesses and organisations.