Riding for people with disability

BMJ 1994;309:340-341 (30 July)

Letters

Riding for people with disability

EDITOR, - J C Chawla mentions the growing interest in sportingactivity for disabled people and the support provided by themedical profession.¹ I endorse all the benefits claimed forpeople with physical disabilities and those with learning disabilities,but I take issue with the comment that riding is not advisablefor people who have difficulties in communication or behaviouraldisorders.

The Riding for the Disabled Association, now in its 25th yearand a worldwide organisation, has wide experience of riderswith learning difficulties. Indeed, in our census analysis of1993 they accounted for about half of our 25 000 riders andcarriage drivers (table). We find that riding is enormouslybeneficial to people with learning difficulties, whose confidence,coordination, and communication skills are greatly improved.In several cases the first verbal communication of people withautism has been with their horse. Improvement may be slow, butthe relationships built . . . [Full text of this article]