Horse Riding with A.K.S.
It is hoped that during their time in the junior phase of the school each pupil will have the opportunity to go horse riding for an afternoon a week. It is held at Eldersfield Marsh a 25 minute scenic drive away from Tewkesbury and run by a group of dedicated experienced members of The Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA).Everything is provided for the children in a friendly and safe environment. They learn about all aspects of horse riding, including grooming, which brush to use, how to ‘tack up’, how to lead a pony correctly, sit correctly, walk and trot and hold the reins correctly.
Each week a trophy is awarded to one or two children that have been assessed as being the best at listening and following instructions for that lesson. They are able to take the trophy home and return it the following week when other children in the group will have the opportunity to win the trophy. At the end of the year the children are usually experienced enough to take a small practical test which encapsulates all they have learned throughout the year.
The children also have the opportunity to go on a “Riding Activity Week”, usually held in May of each year. Again this is run by the same dedicated team from the RDA together with staff from Alderman Knight School and is run over three days. The day usually consists of cross country horse riding in the mornings and trips to a pottery painting centre, local parks and picnics in the afternoons. At the end of the camp the children are rewarded for their efforts with framed photos and prizes to take home. After a delicious barbecue where adults and children get together to share experiences and huge thanks are made by everyone concerned for the tremendous effort from so many volunteers.
The children gain a lot from this experience - independence, social interaction and caring for animals - but most importantly the children have a really great time.