The EARTH Centre welcomes new volunteers
At the centre, horses are more than just companions, and the volunteers ensure that children can ride safely while gaining both physical and emotional benefits.
The EARTH Centre recently welcomed new volunteers who will assist with the centre’s programme, which offers free therapeutic horse-riding lessons to underprivileged children living with disabilities.
Volunteer training sessions were held on January 19 and 20, as part of its preparation for the upcoming therapeutic horse-riding term.
Speaking during the training, Adale Brown, a therapeutic riding instructor, explained that the EARTH Centre works with children who have physical, intellectual and other disabilities, using horse riding specifically as a therapeutic intervention.
According to Adale, the therapy is largely driven by the motion of the horse, which plays an important role in physical and neurological development.
“You can imagine a child who has been in a wheelchair their whole life,” she said. “We have ramps, we place them on horseback, and suddenly they have this tool instead of being in a wheelchair all the time.”
She added that riding allows children to move beyond the confines of classrooms and paved spaces.
“When they are here, they’re out in the countryside. They’re going through bushes and to places you can’t access with a wheelchair,” she explained.
From a therapeutic standpoint, Adale explained that horse riding helps children increase muscle tone, improve balance and concentration, and stimulate the vestibular system.
The centre will begin its first lessons in February, and volunteer training is held before each new term to ensure safety and consistency in the programme.
“These are our new volunteers who are going to start with us,” Adale said.
“A horse can get a fright and suddenly move across the arena, and then you have a child on the other side, who is in danger.” She stressed that volunteers must prioritise safety at all times.
“Even if a child protests or gives you a hard time, you must hang on – it’s for everybody’s safety,” she said. “It doesn’t need to be a physical disability. That’s why proper training is so important.”
The EARTH Centre relies on trained volunteers to continue providing its services free of charge, making the January training sessions a vital part of its ongoing work in the community.
