RDA stands for Riding for the Disabled Association. In the Special Education world (or world of the the disabled as well) This Association is well known. Over the summer you all know I worked, but only for three weeks. There were plans in the making of getting the kids involved in riding at the RDA in Purcellville VA. I wasn't there long enough to see the full experiance but I am sure the kids loved it and I have hopes that the program is still being used at our school.
When I got here I had some friends who volunteered at RDA for the day (some compinies require a day where the workers go and volunteer instead of working that day- I think that is wonderful and should be implemented back in the states). My friends, Meghan and Clint, introduced me to Sophie and told me that Sophie volunteered at the RDA once a week. I looked up the RDA and emailed them to let them know that I was interested in working there. For a month I had not heard them back. With encouragement from our friend Rich and with Sophie offering to introduce me, I planned on just going. The funny thing is, I have yet to hear back from the emails I sent, and today was my first day volunteering.
The word Disabled can scare a lot of people off or itmidate them. I know that before I worked in the speical education department at home I was a little hesitant when it came to disabled people. I worked for three years at H high school in the Special Education Department and over the years I have become more and more comfortable and really found that special education is my passion. (the funny thing is that when I was first there I didn't want to teach Special Education, and now thats all I want to do). Once I found out that I could volunteer at RDA I was truly excited and rightly so, the students are wonderful and reminded me of how much I miss my students back at home.
When I first got to RDA Sophie showed me around and I met a lot of nice women. This facility backs right up to the Singapore Polo Club, and if people are not busy, after the morning session they would go there for lunch. The Polo Club has also donated some of their horses to the RDA. The ring was covered so I didn't have to worry about sunbun and we didn't have to worry about rain. After I was shown the ropes I had to fill out appropriate forms and of course, I bought a shirt.
Around 930 the children came. I was not sure what to expect age wise but I did know that our first student was Autistic, but Sophie said that he was a sweet boy (9 I believe) and very talkative. The age groups varied more so in the second group than the first. The first boy, we will call him 1, came up to me and said hello. I introduced myself and he said "Hello Lauren" and went to shake my hand but put it on my stomach so I took his hand and shook it. Once his horse was ready and he had his helmate on we were to enter the ring. He grabbed my and Sophies hand and was very excited to get on the horse. (there are side walkers, sophie and myself were side walkers today and then a leader who would be leading the horse more or less depending on the student's ability)
The activities in the ring were varied. There was a mirror, where the students can go over and see themselves, posture and practice how to sit on the horse and how to raise up and back down on the horse. There are different polls where the child would take christmas ordiments (christmas trees that were wood) one of the side walkers would (Sophie and myself) would take the pool and rise it high so the student would have to strech and maybe stand in the sturups to reach and then put it down low so the student would lean over to grab it. This was to take up time because there was an obstical course in the middle of the arina
The students would have to pick up a candy cane hold it and steer the horse over polls laying on the ground to the bucket where one of the side walkers would pick up and the child would place it there (all the while saying walk on, woah, trot on, all the commands) Then the child would steer the horse though blocks, weaving left and right to the end where then he or she would get three soft toy balls and thow them though a hoop, once done they would trot the horse back to the start. The students were also being timed (thankfully I have a stop watch on my watch).
Student 1 was very active on the horse and loved racing the obstical course. The student was very loud with commands and focused when in the obsitcal course. When trotting back Sophie and I had to hold his ankles because he'd put his feet out instead of putting them against the horse and down. Other wise the student was very good. When he went to the mirror the student did all of the different exersises but the student really wanted to do the race again and beat the previous time. Such a ball of energy, it was hard to see that the student was Autistic. I had the biggest smile on my face at the end and so did the student.
Student 2 was also Autisitc. I read the info on this student and apparently very shy and not talkitive at all. Student 2 was just that, but that was not a problem. Student 2 was a great rider. When asked questions student 2 answered but we also had to remind the student what to say (walk on, woah, trot on) and we had to remind the student to tug back on the rains to get the horse to truly stop. The posture and form was great with this student, we didn't even have to hold the students ankles when it was time to trot. I believe the student didn't really mind doing the obstical course or activites but I think the student really loved to just ride. By the end of the session I still had a huge smile on my face and so did student 2.
After the students left we all sat down and filled out the progress reports on our students and then after that there was a breifing session, everyone had a turn to talk about the horses and how they acted and how each student acted as well. I will say our hourse was great on the first round but the end he was getting onrey and that continued though out the second session, not going where he was suppose to and trying to head to the gate. He reminded me of a particular horse that I have ridden before becuase this horse was also afraid of trucks or different things, the horse that it reminded me of my Ikabod (yes Emily Lewis' horse). Both students did great when the horse was acting up. They didn't freek out at all!
Over all it was the best volunteer day to date! I am so thankful that I was introduced to this association. The volunteers that I worked with today were all expats, and one was even from Chevy Chase MD, another from Texas. I had such a great day and am planning on going back. The unfortunate thing is their last session for the year is either Monday or nedt wednesday. If it is next wednesday I will get to go and then it's holiday break. I will be continuing to work there because it just warmed my heart. It will also be great to see the students go from day one to 'graduation'. (8 week course).
A big thanks to Sophie and everyone else. I loved it and had such a great time, can not wait for the new year!
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