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10 iNarrabri Magazine
June 10th - June 23rd
The Craic
with Craig
Interview by Craig Jollow
RDA was established in 1964 by Peter & June McIntyre at Kenmore in Queensland. The organisation has
spread throughout the country with RDA established in NSW in 1973 and in a number of other north
western centres including Gunnedah, Coonabarabran, Tamworth and Armidale in later years. RDA –NSW
is a volunteer organisation that provides equine assisted activities for people with disabilities to develop
and enhance abilities. Recently I joined one of the Monday classes where students were enjoying their
activities and spoke to Rosemary Kahl about the organisation and how it functions.
When was the Narrabri RDA formed and who is involved?
I believe the local branch of the RDA was started about 1994 with John
Carter (President), Wendy White (Secretary), Heather Gleeson (Treasurer)
and Jo Cain (Instructor Coach). We have over 20 volunteers from all
walks of life who assist running the activities.
How long have you been personally involved and in what capacity?
I have been involved with the RDA for the past 4 years as a volunteer. I
bring my pony in (as she is the last of my kid’s ponies and has the per-
fect temperament and height for RDA) and lead her for the riders.
What was your initial motivation in becoming involved?
After my children had left school I had some more time and wanted to
become involved again. I have a background in special education and
I had volunteered at RDA in Bathurst as a teenager. I had a pony in the
paddock so the time just seemed to be right.
What is the purpose of the RDA and when / where is it held?
RDA enables people with disabilities to participate in an activity that has
physical, psychological and social benefits. The warmth and movement
of the horse can help our riders with physical disabilities relax and be-
come more supple, improve balance and posture. It can help our riders
attain a sense of achievement, independence and confidence. We also
have the carriage which allows for participation if someone is unable
to sit on a horse. Horses are non judgemental and intuitive and being
around them can be very calming for some. The social aspect is also im-
portant and allows for friendships outside our usual lives. RDA-Narrabri
is held at the showground fortnightly from April – September taking into
account school holidays and bad weather.
Have you noticed a growing need for this type of activity in our
community?
I think there is an increasing awareness that alternative therapies / expe-
riences are beneficial for people with disabilities and so more people are
taking advantage of services offered.
Obviously a disabled student can be involved for many years. What
have you noticed about their relationship with the horses & how do
you provide different activities for a wide range of disabled riders?
The riders develop close bonds with the horses they ride and as our
horses are also volunteers there can be changes from time to time. All
the horses have to go through a test for suitability so it doesn’t take
long for the rider to move comfortably to a different horse after the rid-
ers and horses are paired according to best fit. We change the activities
that we do each ride so that the riders are challenged to use differing
skills i.e moving flags from one pole to the next , riding through a set
of poles so that they develop steering skills, performing exercises while
sitting on the horse or going for a trail ride. We try to make activities
challenging but fun.
Who are the people involved when an RDA event is being held?
RDA is only possible because of volunteers. These are people who are
horsemen / women, people with skills dealing with disability, people that
take on roles in administration and people who just want to be there to
help out in way they can. We are a group from varied backgrounds who
work really well to do the best we can to make sure our riders have a
safe and happy time.
What do you believe are the highlights for the participants and
those providing their time?
I think the highlights are many and varied for both participants and vol-
unteers. It can be just getting a child to touch a horse after many weeks
of clinging to mum or a rider being more independent in their riding or
a smile from someone who has trouble engaging with others. Most of
our highlights seem pretty small in the big world but for us any achieve-
ment is significant.
If someone was interested in assisting what type of skills do they
need and how can they get involved?
To be involved in RDA you don’t have to have a knowledge of horses.
All that is required is the desire to help others. If you’d like to see if it is
for you just come on down on the Mondays that we hold RDA... contact
Trish Leitch on 0429 382 924 for the next available date.
Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) - Rosemary Kahl
photo: john burgess