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At the 1952 Olympics, the silver medal for dressage was won by Madame Liz Hartel, a Danish Polio victim. Such was the inspiration she created, a group of British enthusiast founded the first R.D.A. Group.
R.D.A. is now a world wide organization and in Britain alone there are several hundred groups together with organizations in America, Europe and Australia. Successful and growing groups in South East Asia comprise the Philippines, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia … and of course, Malaysia.
How riding helps the Disabled …
For the physically handicapped, personal mobility is generally dependant upon assistance, either personal or mechanical. To learn to control and be independent on the safe, solid back of a horse or pony, whose four strong legs provide a pattern of movement, is no less than a "magical" experience for the disabled.
The horse's gait is more similar to that of human walk than any other apparatus or physio-therapeutic method found so far and, therefore, moves the pelvic in a way whereby it is nearer to the walk at any other time.
R.D.A.
combines therapy and fun on a horse. The therapy is called Hippotherapy-
Hippo means horse in Greek The term "therapy" denotes curative treatment
in a medical sense. Hippotherapy, therefore, indicates "treatment with the
help of a horse". As a result we are always looking for physiotherapist,
speech therapist and any medical assistance that can help us with our riders.
A horse's blood temperature is 1% higher than that of a human and therefore, it's warmth and continual movement helps to relax the rider, strengthen the muscles and improve the circulation. The experience improves concentration, co-ordination (these are the motor skills), confidence, relaxation, speech and self-asteem.
Most important, riding brings to the disabled a new feeling of being able to participate on equal term with the able-bodied.
To sit on a horse and look down on someone is an exhilarating experience for a person who has been confined to wheelchair. Horses can take their rider where a wheelchair cannot.
What we are doing …
R.D.A.
in Malaysia is under the Royal patronage of YAM raja Dato' Seri Azureen
Ibni Sultan Azlan Shah. There are branches in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor,
Pulau Pinang, Perak and Johor.
The Selangor Polo Club branch was started in 1988 by a dedicated
band of enthusiast. There are four sessions which run, Tuesday to Friday
from 10am-11.45pm. The children who attend the riding classes on Tuesday
are from the Tas Putra day care centre for handicapped children. This
class is considerably and variably handicapped. On a Wednesday, we have
children from the National Autistic Centre. On Thursdays, the children
come from the P.J. Spastic Centre and on Fridays, the children are from
the Future Minds Centre and are mostly special needs children with a range
of learning difficulties.
We have the use of the Riding School ponies with the kind permission
of the Selangor Polo and Riding Club, we have our children from the above
mentioned schools, what we need most are volunteers. Without you, R.D.A.
cannot exist.
How can you help?
You can help by volunteering one morning each week. With your help, this
enables a child to enjoy an hour of fun combined with therapy. We have
plenty of riders and plenty of horses but what we do not have is plenty
of volunteers. We are always looking for replacements because of the transient
nature of life in Malaysia.
We are seeking people who are looking for something different and
challenging to do in the mornings. R.D.A. is recreational, educational,
therapeutic, but above all else, FUN.
Much of the success of R.D.A. is achieved when the children get
to know and trust the volunteers that they see and talk to every week.
Your satisfaction as a volunteer will be gained over a period of time
as you get to know the children and see their progress.
If you are interested in finding out more about the R.D.A., please
click on the Contact tab.
There are many other ways in which you can help to expand this programme.
Contributions are always needed to buy and maintain ponies, horses and
equipment. We urge companies to sponsor our ponies, thereby offering the
promise of future security for the handicapped who wish to ride.
