Riding for Rehab

Due to the progression of some of our riders to RDA group rides, we now have spaces available on a Wednesday for hippotherapy sessions with our Physiotherapist. This would be for a block of 6 weekly sessions initially, starting on 20th September. These sessions would be suitable for children or light weight adults with physical disabilities that have specific rehabilitation/development goals. Please get in touch if you would like further information and share with anyone you know who may benefit. 🐎

Why is my child facing backwards!? 🤸

Changes of position are often utilised in hippotherapy, and you may wonder why clients are positioned in side-sitting, backwards or even kneeling on the horse.

This video provides a great visual of how equine movement influences the rider's posture and balance reactions, and how different positions can be used to achieve therapeutic change, whether that be working on balance, asymmetry or functional skills.

Hippotherapy Ride Along: Visualizing How Equine Movement Benefits Clients This video highlights how equine movement affects the rider with a visual demonstration of movement throughout the anatomy of both rider and horse. This educ...

We were so proud to collect this award for our special Bobby at the RDA National Championships. A brand new saddle and some well deserved carrots are in order (hopefully he will share his carrots with Arthur!) What a star he is! 🌟

Each year, one of our fabulous Groups receives an honour from the Saddlers Company & Saddlers Hall of a custom saddle for one of their ponies.

This year's winner of the Jubilee Saddle is Bobby from the York & District Group. Bobby moved around different places in his early life until he was purchased by Elizabeth Beckerlegge who trained him up for the Yorkshire Carriage Driving Centre. He took to this like a pony to a polo and here he never put a hoof wrong. Then the pandemic struck and still, Bobby did not tire. He added to his CV of therapy pony and despite his repertoire, Bobby has never had a proper saddle, and all his therapy work is done on a ba****ck pad.

Now a new horse to the York & District group, Bobby has taken to RDA life with such ease and his group hopes he will go onto serve RDA for many years to come and now with his brand-new custom saddle! 🐎

Lucy Atherton, the Prime Warden of the Worshipful Company of Saddlers, presented the Group with a ceremonial saddle at our National Championships last week.

We've moved!! The ponies have settled in very well to their new home and we are looking forward to working alongside the York District RDA Group at Sandfield Farm, Shipton by Beningbrough 🏡 Arthur did his first Hippotherapy session at the new venue today and is already proving popular in the group RDA rides.

⭐ We currently have one place available on a Wednesday afternoon with our physiotherapist. ⭐

Spaces available on Wednesdays and Saturdays for our next treatment block starting in March - please contact [email protected] for more information 🌟 🐎

🐎 Due to the progression of some of our clients, we now have a rare space available with our physiotherapists on a Saturday morning! 🌟

Beautiful testimony from the parent of one of our clients who has now moved on. As much as we miss them, helping our clients progress to the point where they can access riding and other activities in the community is so rewarding. Looking forward to seeing what the future has in store for this young lady!

We accept referrals from healthcare professionals and self-referrals. Please email [email protected] for more information.

The benefits of Equine Facilitated Therapy for people with speech, language and communication needs are seemingly endless – we keep discovering more!

The movement of the horse stimulates the sensory systems, resulting in the child or young person’s body being more organised. This enables clients to better access therapy.
Adapting to the horse’s movement also builds core strength which is necessary for speech production and supports head control and upper limb movement, both of which are required for the development of nonverbal communication skills such as eye gaze, nodding and pointing.

Additionally, it goes without saying that horses are fantastic motivators so many children and young people are inspired to communicate during sessions in the equine environment. Children who struggle to focus in a clinic room are suddenly able to follow instructions and complete therapy tasks when on a horse.

Molly Scott - Physiotherapist

Molly is a HCPC registered Physiotherapist with experience working in the specialisms of mental health, paediatrics and neurology. She currently works four days per week in the NHS treating adults with stroke and neurological conditions alongside undertaking clinics with Riding for Rehab on two days per week.

Molly has experience working with children and adults with disabilities in the NHS, private and charitable sectors. Molly has spent her life around horses and understands the powerful role horses can play in a person's life, improving their mental and physical health. Keen to combine her love of horses and the outdoors with Physiotherapy, she completed a masters level course in Hippotherapy, completing modules in equine movement and hippotherapy practice.

Molly is a member of the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Equine Activities (ACPEA). She is a national classifier for Para Dressage and is the regional physio advisor for Yorkshire and Cleveland RDA, alongside supporting her local RDA group.

Laura Norman - Speech and Language Therapist.

Laura is a HCPC registered Speech and Language Therapist with more than 8 years qualified experience working with children and young people. She specialises in neurodevelopmental conditions and Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). Currently working three days per week in an SEN school in Leeds, Laura works with children and young people aged 3-19 with a wide range of needs including profound, multiple, and complex conditions, autistic spectrum conditions and severe learning difficulties.

Laura has over 25 years riding experience and is founder of Equine Facilitated Speech and Language Therapy UK (EFSLT-UK). She is also a member of the European Equine Facilitated Therapy Network (EEFTN). Laura is currently part of a multidisciplinary team producing and delivering a new postgraduate course in Equine Facilitated Therapy for Allied Health Professionals and she continues to strive to achieve recognition of EFT in the UK as a Speech and Language Therapy tool.

Elizabeth Beckerlegge - Riding for Rehab Director and Chartered Physiotherapist.

Elizabeth first became involved with riders with a disability more than 40 years ago, initially as a voluntary helper. Once qualified as a physiotherapist, she worked with the Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) at group, county, regional and national level.

Elizabeth is one of the UK’s Hippotherapy pioneers - she was among the first physiotherapists in the country to gain the qualification and ran the first Hippotherapy practice in England at a time when this specialism was just developing.

Elizabeth has completed medico legal training, and is the UK’s only expert witness as a physiotherapist in Hippotherapy. She is also a national classifier for Paradressage.

Elizabeth is involved in a number of projects which aim to raise the profile of the use of the horse in the lives of people with a disability. She is chair of Association of Physiotherapists in Equine Activities (ACPEA), a founding member of the European Equine Facilitated Therapy network and a member of HETI, Horses in Education and Therapy International. She is heavily involved in planning and delivering post-graduate education in Equine Facilitated Therapy (EFT) for therapists both in the UK and in Europe.

At Riding for Rehab, we believe in the powerful benefits of using horses for rehabilitation and therapy. We provide specialist physiotherapy and speech and language therapy for children and adults with a range of disabilities, using evidence-based Hippotherapy and Equine Facilitated Therapy techniques.

We support clients to develop close relationships with horses and see lives improve as the work they do aids strength, communication and wellbeing. This work can help people to fulfil their aspirations and dreams.

Riding for Rehab updated their phone number.