Carriage Driving For Disabled Adults In Dorset

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Two Swallows

Breakfast over... ready waiting for first drive of the day.

Last week saw the arrival of the first two swallows. I know two swallows don't make a summer, but recently it has certainly felt very much like summer!!
The weather has been exceptionally warm for April and several more pairs of swallows are already busy refurbishing their nests in the horses' stables. There should be no shortage of insects to feed on after their long journey up from Africa..... for we were being eaten alive by midges while we did the pooh picking at 8.15am last week!!

A date has been set for our AB Whip tests that will be conducted by two RDA examiners on Wednesday 2nd May, so Denise and I are feverishly trying to get in as much driving practice whenever the horses have a spare slot! One or two cancellations this week have been welcomed for once, because we can jump in with extra driving ourselves.

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Another Busy Day

Jenny enjoying the magic of a woodland drive.
A happy Becky returning through the fields.

We managed to fit in 7 drives yesterday. A lot of pleasure and hard work was shared by all involved, especially the disabled people who came for the driving.

We used three of our 4 horses. As Wally, our group organiser, is the only one qualified by the RDA we can only use one horse at a time.

Monday, April 09, 2007

Cone Driving

Marmite, ably driven by Wally, at the start of the course...
...at a steady trot...
...round the top...
.....and down through the slalom to the Finish!

What fantastic weather we've been having!!

After a busy week of driving for some of our disabled drivers we somehow found time to set out in a field we use, a dressage arena for driving, a course for cones driving and a show-ring, all of which adds a lot more interest, challenge of skill and fun for both the horses and the drivers. Maggie, for one, gets extremely excited when she sees the cones in the field!

The dressage arena for carriage driving is twice the size of an arena for riding (80m x 40m). This is an excellent schooling facility for both horse and driver, as is the cones course.

Sunday, April 01, 2007

A Lovely Poem

Wally received this lovely poem recently. We thought it well worth posting here......

I Saw A Child

I saw a child who couldn’t walk
Sit on a horse and laugh and talk,
Then ride it through a field of daisies,
And yet he could not walk unaided.

I saw a child with no legs below
Sit on a horse and make it go
Through woods of green and places that he had never been
To sit and stare, except from a chair.

I saw a child who could only crawl
Mount a horse and sit up tall,
Then put it through degrees of paces
And laugh at wonder on our faces.

I saw a child born into strife,
Take up and hold the reins of life,
And that child was heard to say
‘Thank God for showing me the way.’


John Anthony Davies