Having thought long and hard about its future as a charitable Association, Riding for the Disabled in the Algarve (Associação de Equitação para Deficientes no Algarve) has decided to move its therapy sessions in order to ensure it can offer the best riding environment to its participants.
Therefore, when the new riding year begins in October, RDA (AEDA) riding therapy will be held at Albufeira Riding Centre in Vale Navio and Centro Hipico Vilamoura.
“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 a spokesperson for RDA (AEDA). “Whilst we understand that Pinetrees Riding Centre will continue to offer therapy, we would point out that RDA (AEDA), the only officially recognised and registered charitable association in the Central Algarve for such activities, has chosen to support only the above mentioned centres in Albufeira and Vilamoura.” RDA (AEDA) has been established in the Algarve since 1989.
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. The horse produces 1000 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 our young riders or come and help us provide them with this much needed therapy, doing something meaningful while meeting new friends as well as getting a little more exercise, please do give us a call on 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.
