TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES

At the beginning of each term we have a practical training session where we practice the important aspects of: mounting, leading, side walking and dismounting.

Our training for our volunteers has three purposes:

1. Ensuring our volunteers feel confident about what they are doing so that they can enjoy it as much as possible
   
   
2. Ensuring that our practice is as good as it can be so that our riders get all the  benefits of riding in the safest possible environment.
   
   
3. Ensuring that all we do is compliant with the regulations and requirements laid down by the Riding for Disabled Association and relevant legislation.
   
   

Before volunteers can begin to work with the children and ponies they have a short basic training programme which covers the essentials for the safety of helpers, riders and ponies. When this training is completed their training record card is sent to RDA National where the volunteer is logged on the register and receives a Volunteer Certificate and number.  During this period DBS (criminal records) checks are made as part of the Child Protection process.

At the beginning of each term we have a volunteer training session which includes:

• information about the riders for the term and their disabilities and how we can support  them;
  
  
• either practical and/or theoretical training which can include aspects of manual handling, safeguarding vulnerable people, leading ponies, side-walking,  pony welfare, mounting and dismounting, hat fitting and anything else identified as a training need.
  
  

In addition to the training outlined above volunteers have the opportunity to undertake further training in First Aid and can, if they wish, train to be Coaches (Instructors)

Our training sessions,covered all the basics of a riding session – all the way from correctly fitting our special pony tack to dismounting the riders and returning them safely from the arena.