Frequently Asked Questions
Is my child eligible to ride in your Therapeutic riding programmes?
If your child has been diagnosed with any of the following medical conditions (but not limited to), they are eligible to ride.
- Physical - Amputation, Spinal Cord Injury, Spina Bifida, Stroke, Cerebral Palsy, Multiple Sclerosis, Muscular Dystrophy, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Traumatic Brain Injury
- Spectrum Disorders - Autism
- Educational - Significant difficulties in language, listening, reading, writing, reasoning or mathematical abilities, also problems with organisation and management skills, social perceptions and interpersonal interactions, ADAH, Development Delay
- Intellectual - Down Syndrome, IHC, chromosomal abnormalities
- Hearing & Visual - Impairments
- Medical - Cardiac diseases, Cancer, Cystic Fibrosis, ME (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome), Epilepsy
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Psychiatric and Psychological - Mental Illness, Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, Depression, Anxiety and Personality Disorders
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Socio/Emotional - Dysfunctional family life, at risk youth
Do we ride adults?
No, unfortunately, we do not cater for adults.
What age can my child start riding?
We ride children between the ages of 3-18 years old.
When do you ride?
Our riding sessions run during the first eight weeks of each school term. We ride from Monday to Friday, between 9.30am and 1.30pm.
How long are the ride sessions
It depends on the programme your child rides in:
- Therapy - 30 minutes
- Educational - 45 minutes
- Sport & Rec - 75 minutes
- Mini Life Skills - 45 minutes
- Life Skills - 2 hours
How do the ride sessions run?
All programmes, except our Therapy programme have a group of 4 children per session. A RDA coach facilitates the programme alongside trained volunteer horse leaders and side walkers.
Can I enrol my child each term?
No. We offer an initial 2 terms (16 week) ride programmes, then your child will go onto a waitlist where they will be offered 2 terms on and 2 terms off per year.
Do you have a weight limit?
Yes, 75kg.
How much does it cost?
The costs below are based on an 8-week programme.
- Education - $195
- Therapy - $220
- Sport & Rec - $230
- Mini Life Skills - $220
- Life Skills - $360
How do I enrol my child into a programme?
We require you to complete and return the 5 forms below. They can be returned by dropping off at our office or via email.
How do I know what riding programme is suitable for my child?
Once we receive the enrolment forms from you, our Therapist will be in touch to set-up an appointment for an assessment. This assessment will determine which programme is suitable for your child.
Can I choose what day and time I ride?
We try our best to accommodate to your schedule when planning our term programme, but due to the different programmes and requirements of our riders we need to ensure each rider is placed in the appropriate group based on their needs.
What are our funding options?
We don’t provide any funding but we can recommend ORS, Support Net, Enliven, CP or ACC if eligible.