Every Thursday and Friday morning from September to May children and young adults with physical and mental disabilities enjoy riding therapy through the Associação de Equitação para Deficientes no Algarve (Riding for the Disabled in the Algarve). However, volunteers are needed to provide help and support for many of them while riding.
The benefits of the 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 come and help us provide these young riders with this much needed therapy and do something meaningful while meeting new friends and getting a little more exercise, please do give us a call:
Michael on 913 202 105 | Kaija on 961 679 300 | Janette on 911 003 947
Experience with horses and fluency in Portuguese is not a prerequisite, and you will receive some training with both the horses and the riders, with instructions in both English and Portuguese.
The sessions are held at Pinetrees Riding Centre, Almancil (on the road between Quinta do Lago and Vale do Lobo) from 09.45am to midday and will begin on Thursday 28 September, with a training session for new volunteers on Thursday 21 September.
So if you have even just an hour or two to spare, do come and join us ....it is fun and so rewarding and, at the end of each session, you will enjoy a cup of coffee with your new friends.
