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	<title>disability &#8211; Equestrian from Crete</title>
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		<title>Guest post: How Horseback Riding Can Help Disabled Kids</title>
		<link>http://www.equestrianfromcrete.com/guest-post-how-horseback-riding-can-help-disabled-kids/</link>
					<comments>http://www.equestrianfromcrete.com/guest-post-how-horseback-riding-can-help-disabled-kids/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[chriszygakis]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 10 Jul 2018 22:08:20 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Guest posts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[disability]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[equestrian]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[equine therapy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[horse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[riding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[therapy]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.equestrianfromcrete.com/?p=3176</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[by Mike Shortridge Horseback riding has long been associated as a beneficial therapy for disabled children, helping them physically, emotionally and socially, not to mention providing them with a really enjoyable pastime to take part in with their friends and family. We had a chat with Russ over at www.horseseller.com.au who helped us with the following info. Enjoy&#8230; Horse riding boosts children’s confidence Studies have shown that 90% of these riders experience an improvement in their confidence while 80% see improvement in their physical fitness and ability within around 12 weeks of starting horse riding therapy. Riding therapy can even be prescribed now by doctors and physiotherapists due to the recognised wide-ranging benefits which it has brought to thousands of disabled children over the years. The only problem can be finding a suitably qualified centre to offer the therapy as it’s not that common place. So why is riding therapy so good? The key reason it makes such a difference is down to the way the horse moves. Riding a horse provides a connection with the horse’s rhythm, warmth and movement, all of which help children to relax and enjoy the experience, while benefiting from the exercise at the same time. Horse riding provides a really enjoyable and fun workout. Some of the benefits include strengthened core muscles, improved strength and better posture. All these physical improvements can really help disabled children to cope better with their conditions and improve their overall fitness. Other improvements which have been seen include better co-ordination skills and improved balance from working the muscles to stay on the horse. For children with mobility and motor problems, these skills can make a huge difference. Is it just physical exercise which the children benefit from? Research into riding as therapy has also demonstrated that the children improve their own communication skills, confidence levels and really grow as they learn and take on board how to enjoy horse riding and improve their riding skills. The children grow by experiencing new things, and meeting new people – they can develop new relationships with the animals, the instructors and other children who might be riding with them. This leads to better social interaction and confidence levels. What about children with sensory issues? The shape of a horse and the way it moves provides an amazing sensory experience for the disabled child as well. As the animal walks the rider can feel the movement through their pelvis, spine and legs, which helps to stretch the joints and improve circulation. Sitting on a moving animal also requires the children to be constantly using their muscles to remain balanced and stay on the horse, without even realising it, meaning their core is strengthening and their muscles are being used in ways which are only possible through horse riding. What kind of conditions does riding therapy help with? Riding therapy is of course not suitable for everyone but it can be really helpful to those with cerebral palsy, developmental problems, disorders such as autism and Down’s syndrome. It can also help children who have suffered injuries. One of the benefits is children with similar conditions can meet each other and realise they are not alone in dealing with their particular difficulties and challenges. It can also put parents in contact with other parents going through the same thing, creating a bonding opportunity for the whole family. How else does riding help disabled children? Horse riding takes the children out of their comfort zone and gives them new challenges. Riding outside means they can experience different environments which they might have never seen before, such as riding through the woods, or in the countryside. For children who are physically challenged, horse riding can be incredibly freeing, giving them an experience of movement, height and sensory stimulation which they couldn’t get with any other type of exercise. Being on a horse allows them to explore new adventures and worlds, which might not be possible in their everyday life, giving them a completely different vantage point from which to see everything around them. Horse riding is an incredibly fun, enjoyable experience for all riders but for disabled children in particular it can bring unexpected physical and emotional benefits. From improving muscle strength, to assisting with balance and posture issues, riding horses can provide a great deal of positive physical improvements for youngsters. From an emotional point of view, forming a relationship with a horse can help socially challenged children to make a new friend, boosting their confidence and helping to improve confidence and communication skills. If you think your child would benefit from this type of horse riding therapy then make sure you do your research and find an appropriately qualified horse riding centre which has specialist instructors experienced with working with disabled children. Mike Shortridge is a freelance writer who contributes regularly for&#160;http://www.horseseller.com.au/blog. During his spare time, he likes to binge watch on his latest TV obsession and go hunting for obscure vinyl toys.]]></description>
		
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">3176</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>On Channel 4 News with UoN Equestrian</title>
		<link>http://www.equestrianfromcrete.com/on-channel-4-news-with-uon-equestrian/</link>
					<comments>http://www.equestrianfromcrete.com/on-channel-4-news-with-uon-equestrian/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[chriszygakis]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 19 Oct 2016 21:07:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Equestrianism on the screen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[My adventures]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[campus]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[channel 4]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[disability]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[equestrian]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mental health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[university]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.equestrianfromcrete.com/?p=2641</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[I have been saving this post for the time that the footage was out. So, last May, we were asked to participate in a short film on mental health on campus. The film was broadcasted on Channel 4 News on 11 October for the No Go Britain  part of the programme. Those who decided to participate, would get a lesson at Scropton Riding &#38; Driving Centre and then sit down to have a nice conversation about the issues they face on campus because of their mental disorders and how equine therapy helps them. Not a good lesson for me, by the way, since I had forgotten that 20 Celsius degrees in Nottingham feel like 35 in Crete. And, knowing that we would train in the outside arena, I thought it would be wise to wear 4 layers of clothes: a sweater, an equestrian polo, a show shirt and a black isothermic top (and a thick sports jacket was waiting in the coffee area)! I was riding Babs again, who suffered from my lack of common sense regarding clothes; my thoughts were focused mostly on when I would have the chance to get rid of all this excessive clothing! After the class, I managed to take off everything except for my polo shirt (what a relief!) and joined the conversation. It was a quite nice one; I found it comforting to hear about others&#8217; experiences with mental health issues and this was also my chance to realize that mental-health stigma does not only exist in small societies like the Greek islands. Since the broadcast time was too short for all the issues to be highlighted, I would like to expose some here. First of all, we do consider that, from the aspect of welfare, the university has a long way to go before we can claim that we get help in time and as much of it as we need. Instead, most counselling services work on long waiting lists. Now, this is serious especially in chronic depression issues; for example, what if the student with suicidal thoughts (don&#8217;t laugh, it&#8217;s very common) kills themselves before their turn for counselling comes? Who will be blamed for the loss? Who will compensate the family? And here let&#8217;s add that one with mental health issues needs to have the persuasion skills of an attorney to convince their GP that the worrying symptoms that they have suffered lately are not a product of their rich fantasy and that they in fact need to see a specialist. I don&#8217;t know, but I have reached the conclusion that GPs think that a student with a mental disease has nothing better to do than wait for ever in the clinic waiting room, while their classmates are catching deadlines (yes, the same deadlines that I have to catch). I don&#8217;t know, do they think we are there because we love the hospital smell or because we are in love with them, maybe? I don&#8217;t understand, but refusal to give us help and send us to a specialist when we desperately ask for it can actually result in severe deterioration of our condition. It&#8217;s not just the odyssey that I personally went through in the first year of my MA; I found that many home students faced the same problem as me. And do you know what the ultimate result is? More state spending on medication and surgeries. So yeah, when a chronically ill person persistently asks for your medical help, it&#8217;s not because they like your workplace or they fancy you; it&#8217;s because they need your help. Now. And think about it; when we say we are &#8220;fine&#8221;, we mean as fine as our condition permits; when we say we &#8220;don&#8217;t feel well&#8221;, we are in urgent need of medical help. It&#8217;s all about the difference of the word &#8220;fine&#8221; between the case of a person suffering from a chronic disease and the case of a healthy person. And we have learned how to distinguish between these two. Academically, things are easier, from the aspect of the variety of arrangements that we can have with our faculties. The student services and the academic support staff of each school help with that. But, beyond the evidence that you bring, how do you persuade somebody that you work as hard as you can? A person suffering from a mental disease might need at two or more times longer to accomplish an intellectual task than a healthy classmate. This doesn&#8217;t mean they are stupid or lazy. It means they have to approach their work in a different way. During my time as a resident tutor in one of the halls, I met bright students who suffered from mental disabilities but had found a way to do very well at their studies. Each of them had a different approach and a different method and I could see that in the arrangement of their desks and the space around them. But how can you help your academic support officer understand that? So, here&#8217;s another challenge. Socially, I didn&#8217;t see anyone bothering with the stigma too much. Most of us have the same mechanism with dealing with people who step on our issues offend us. We ask them to leave our life and we keep them as far from us as possible. We don&#8217;t want to be around persons who don&#8217;t value us, because we believe we have at least as much value as everyone else. We would be happy to ignore and exclude somebody from our social circle, even if they had been our best friends before our problem came to the surface. Everyone has problems anyway, some of us just happen to have mental health problems. Here is the video from the broadcast. I hope you find it enlightening. Many bravos to our member Maz, whose story shows the impact that mental disease has on our sense of safety! PS: For those who follow the blog, I plan to write a post about the value of equine therapy for our combat-mental-disease arsenal. Stay tuned!]]></description>
		
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">2641</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>My last Inclusive Riding Session at Scropton</title>
		<link>http://www.equestrianfromcrete.com/my-last-inclusive-riding-session-at-scropton/</link>
					<comments>http://www.equestrianfromcrete.com/my-last-inclusive-riding-session-at-scropton/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[chriszygakis]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 23 Jun 2016 03:39:09 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[My adventures]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[disability]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[equestrian]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[equestrianism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[horse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[horseback]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lesson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nottinghamshire]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[riding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Scorpton]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sports]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[training]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://equestrianfromcrete.com/?p=2127</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Hello! So, I have entered the last semester of my course, which means it&#8217;s MA Dissertation time! Many things end with the end of the spring semester at university and one of them was the equine therapy sessions organized by our Equestrian society. I&#8217;d like to share it with you not only because it&#8217;s the last one, but also it&#8217;s quite episodic! So, here we go, my phone screen read &#8220;9 June 2016, 09:00&#8221;. We set off to Scropton stables with our bus driver Mr. Paul and reached the stables soon enough for our usual biscuit splash. It was such fun to compare the time you&#8217;ve spent at Cripps Health Centre to the time your comrades have spent there too, haha! We were split into 2 groups and found out that the lessons would be carried out in the outdoor school. I was in the second one, so, I was taking some photos and videos while I was waiting. I wasn&#8217;t sure whether I would ever be able to join the sessions again, so I wanted to return home with a camera full of memories! OK, I might have taken photos of the arrangements on the indoor arena to give Yannis some ideas for his riding lessons! In time, it was my turn to get my lesson and was given a cute four-legged newbie -which looked like a friesian- Juice. It&#8217;s the first time I had ridden at Scorpton&#160;a horse other than Babs. But Babs was also being ridden, and,&#160;actually, she would be ridden by Helen, the lady who usually rides Juice. Juice showed from the first second that we would get on very well. Though a bit bouncy, he was immensely willing and responsive during the warm up on the arena, and soon I decided to give up my schooling whip. And so the lesson began. I could not believe how energetic&#160;Juice was. His trot was amazing and I could not believe it he was actually so good and fast! He was also very willing with my efforts to canter, giving a well-needed boost to my confidence. But in one of those efforts, I lost my left stirrup and I found myself hanging on Juice&#8217;s left side, unable to save myself from falling, as I couldn&#8217;t put my stirrup back on and, despite my desperate efforts, I could not stop the fall and stabilise myself on the horse&#8217;s back using my right leg. Absolutely hating the fact that I was having my first-ever fall from horseback, I pulled the reigns a little to slow Juice down, used my left thigh to brace the fall and, finally, applied the &#8220;emergency release&#8221; technique which Yannis has taught us (I can say I was proud of and thankful to my home instructor). And so my bum touched the ground first, followed by my feet, head and spine completing a &#8220;posh&#8221; fall, as the instructor said! And, as I was waiting like an elderly lady to be picked up by someone, I admired Juice&#8217;s sweet face from the ground up, as he was standing absolutely still and chewing calmly his bit. Basically, the only impacts of the incident was a hurt ego, a big laugh and a set of bruises. Within two minutes I was back in the saddle and the fun continued! The last part of the lesson was jumping, which, as always made me feel nervous. I don&#8217;t know what&#8217;s wrong with me when I do jumping, but it makes me feel under-confident. I still encounter balance issues, so this might be a reason. When the instructor asked whether I had any experience with jumping and whether I would like to do it, I was like &#8220;er, I could try with a small jump&#8221;. So, she set up a small jump and when it was my turn, she led me to the jump. Alas, Juice had felt my nervousness and would not move from his place! Finally, we made it and Juice gave me a lovely, lovely jump! And he got the pats and kisses he so well deserved! So, this is all I remember, since I&#8217;m writing this post two weeks after the lesson and it&#8217;s 5:00am! But anyways, even if the fall made me walk weirdly for a week, I enjoyed the session and finally found out that there&#8217;s nothing wrong with falling provided you know how to fall. Here are some photos from the sessions. Sorry, guys, the video will come with some delay! &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160;]]></description>
		
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">2127</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>We are in the magazines!</title>
		<link>http://www.equestrianfromcrete.com/we-are-in-the-magazines/</link>
					<comments>http://www.equestrianfromcrete.com/we-are-in-the-magazines/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[chriszygakis]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 28 May 2016 01:25:56 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Equestrian clubs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Equestrian topics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[My adventures]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[disability]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[equestrian]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[magazine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sports]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[therapy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[University of Nottingham]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://equestrianfromcrete.com/?p=2048</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Hi again! While battling with my last readings and deadlines, our ladies from the University of Nottingham Equestrian were putting hard work to promote the inclusive sessions for disabled students that they have been organising his year -making the disabled students happy and grateful. The article, featuring on two British magazines on activities for the disabled PosAbility and ONTRACK has the title &#8220;Inclusive Riding Sessions: Engaging Mind and Body&#8221;, highlights the positive impact of our equine therapy sessions on students&#8217; long-term physical and mental conditions in higher education. And if you like my face, you&#8217;ll see it on one of the featured pictures -haha. But even if you don&#8217;t like my face my face, I still encourage you to read the article! So yes, having accepted the fact that I have a disability and receive this kind of help, I&#8217;d like to thank the people who made Riding Inclusive Sessions happen and let them know for once more that I feel proud to attend them. They actually make a difference and I hope that they run next academic year as well.  For more on what the UoN Equestrian does for the disabled, you can navigate on the website of the society, looking specifically at the pages VOLUNTEERING and INCLUSIVITY.]]></description>
		
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">2048</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>UoN RDA reach their minimum goal on Jumpstart!</title>
		<link>http://www.equestrianfromcrete.com/uon-rda-reach-their-minimum-goal-on-jumpstart/</link>
					<comments>http://www.equestrianfromcrete.com/uon-rda-reach-their-minimum-goal-on-jumpstart/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[chriszygakis]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 19 Apr 2016 23:26:09 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Equestrian clubs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[My adventures]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[disability]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[equestrian]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fundraising]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nottinghamshire]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[RDA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[society]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sports]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[student]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[University of Nottingham]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[volunteer]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://equestrianfromcrete.com/?p=1905</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[On our way back from Scropton yard, we learn terrific news! The University of Nottingham RDA group have reached their minimum target amount on Jumpstart, the university&#8217;s first crowdfunding platform. This means that they will be granted all the money they have raised at the end of the campaign, and this is exciting! As a Jumpstart Co-ordinator, I feel particularly proud of them, because their project is actually our first-ever one! I would like to thank everyone who donated or spread the word. Let&#8217;s give the team a final push to their main target, 1,000 British pounds, of which they have secured 30%. Let&#8217;s get as many cute volunteers as possible to RDA yards across Nottinghamshire! Here&#8217;s the link: https://jumpstart.hubbub.net/p/nottsunirda Again, thanks a lot!]]></description>
		
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">1905</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Urgent pledge for the University of Nottingham RDA group</title>
		<link>http://www.equestrianfromcrete.com/urgent-pledge-for-the-university-of-nottingham-rda-group/</link>
					<comments>http://www.equestrianfromcrete.com/urgent-pledge-for-the-university-of-nottingham-rda-group/#comments</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[chriszygakis]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 10 Apr 2016 20:52:11 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Equestrian clubs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Events]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[My adventures]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[charity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[disability]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dukeries]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[equestrian]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[horse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jumpstart]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lings Lane]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nottinghamshire]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Riding for the Disabled]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Scorpton]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[University of Nottingham]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[volunteer]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://equestrianfromcrete.com/?p=1874</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Hi! It is my honor to have been chosen to coordinate Jumpstart, the first platform that raises awareness about the student-run projects of the University of Nottingham, which are at the core of our University&#8217;s engagement in the local communities in all three countries where UoN has campuses (United Kingdom, Malaysia, China). It was to my excitement to be informed that our first-ever campaign belongs to the University&#8217;s RDA group, of which I am a member! Our group is part of the University of Nottingham Equestrian Club and is amongst the most active volunteering groups of the University at the moment. RDA stands for Riding for the Disabled Association, a British charity associated with a big number of yards. Five days a week we volunteer with RDA yards across Nottinghamshire, namely Dukeries, Scorpton and Lings Lane, providing assistance with stable management and lessons. We have invested thousands of hours already in this activity and we are bonded with the staff, riders and horses. Amongst us are students with disabilities who don&#8217;t want their health issues to be an obstacle to their engagement in the society and they too want to contribute; this is a way of healing for them as well, no matter the extent to which they realise it. More and more students join us on this journey, which is a proof that our effort is visible and appreciated. But things are not always very easy, due to the long distance we have to drive to reach the yards. The road trips last between 30 and 45 minutes by car, hence our transportation costs are quite high. With our funding significantly reduced by the University, we cannot send as many volunteers as we would like to the yards that need them. As a result, many students get disappointed with the small number of slots available for this valuable work. We would like to increase these slots significantly, enabling the yards to do more for the people with disabilities who receive their help. And, of course, this way more young people will realise the ability of a horse to heal a human. With Jumpstart, we hope to receive the funding we need for our transportation to the yards. We aim to raise 1,000 pounds to keep us going and until now we have reached 27% of our target. Through Jumpstart, people can sponsor or promote our project on social media, so one doesn&#8217;t need to actually donate money, although we would love everyone to. Will you contribute to the transport of more volunteers to RDA yards? If you&#8217;d love to, here&#8217;s how you can do it: Realise how awesome you are! Create an account on Jumpstart, for free. You can create a great profile and interact with other supporters as well! Don&#8217;t worry about your personal details with Jumpstart; our staff are properly trained in Data Protection and will never, ever, ever, share your details or what you&#8217;ve been doing on the Jumpstart platform. Guaranteed! Find Riding for the Disabled Association volunteering opportunity and choose to sponsor, follow or share the campaign (by promoting the campaign, you become a &#8220;helper&#8221;). If you actually donate, please remember to claim your rewards and check the GiftAid option (where applicable). Should the minimum target is reached, by the end of the campaign (which is ending soon!) you will be charged with the amount that you have donated. And, basically, that&#8217;s it! You&#8217;ve just brought us closer to making the impact we want on the lives of people with disabilities! Now you can share your fantastic deed with the world! &#160; THANK YOU!  &#160; &#160; &#160;]]></description>
		
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">1874</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>March Inclusive Session at Scorpton</title>
		<link>http://www.equestrianfromcrete.com/march-inclusive-session-at-scorpton/</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[chriszygakis]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 05 Mar 2016 23:55:24 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Equestrian clubs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[My adventures]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[disability]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hippotherapy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lesson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[RDA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Scorpton]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://equestrianfromcrete.wordpress.com/?p=1568</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[In general, I try to stick to our RDA&#8217;s Inclusive Riders&#8217; session, held once a month at Scorpton RDA Riding and Driving Centre. This month&#8217;s session took place last Wednesday, with a really cold weather and my mood was strangely funny. I don&#8217;t know what caused this, I just remember forgetting my whip in the classroom after the Contemporary Warfare seminar and finding myself in the awkward position of having to disturb the next class to retrieve it, with the professor and his students left watching me puzzled pull a 60cm red whip from the chair which was resting right underneath the table! Maybe it was also my funny cheap, but very warm breeches, which feel too slippery in the saddle. But, as I said, it was very cold, and this pair was the warmest, so, here we go, I had to wear them -_- At 1:00 pm we embarked on our trip to Scorpton in a merry mood. After a tea-and-biscuit feast, we were parted into two groups and the lessons began. I was in the first group and had booked Babs! Her sight from the school made my day while I was waiting to be allowed in it! I was first to mount and I was behaving like a kid on a mounting block, waiting in a jolly mood for Babs to be led to me. In time, the lesson began. It was the funniest, most distractive equestrian lesson I had had in Britain! First of all, that silly smile on my face; secondly, the fact that Babs was quite willing, even if she was completely confused about where we were heading to exactly! But she did perfectly each and every corner that I had asked for, like a lady. Even if she has a problem with going in a straight line, it was evident that she was doing her very best. The instructors had created an interesting and challenging environment with poles and posts. Babs and I, who were among the most advanced in the group (beginners&#8217; group, let&#8217;s be clear about that), were assigned the most complex exercises, that required balance and steering in trot. Excepting the fact that sometimes we lost track, the incident when Babs decided to jump over the poles and stubbornly pass over them a few minutes earlier (I&#8217;m guilty of letting her doing these things of course), the moment when I found my body hanging from her right side and pushing myself back into the saddle (because I hate falling, even if it&#8217;s a controlled fall), the lesson was brilliant, with the instructor admiring my -hard-earned- trot technique. Using my right leg and left rein to go left and using my left leg and right rein to go right is still difficult for me, and to be honest, it doesn&#8217;t make that much sense to me yet. At home, I have learnt to use the left reign with the left leg and right rein with the right leg when I steer, and the horse corresponds perfectly to that, as I take myself the position that I want the animal to take. The big issue though was the number of times I whipped Babs. I normally use my legs quite a lot before whipping, but I didn&#8217;t have the same patience that day; even if Babs was doing her very best. I didn&#8217;t whip her heavily, though. Just once here and there, when she needed a boost to get to the trot. Eventually, the whip was taken away, and to be honest, it was a fair decision, both in terms of my training and Babsie&#8217;s welfare. When the lesson ended, I found the chance to rub Babsie&#8217;s muscles and pose at Amanda&#8217;s camera, which had been photographing like crazy. When I dismounted and stood next to Babs, I could feel that she was relaxed and trusting. Suddenly, I began to think about my whip, which I had to collect. And, before I finished my thought, Babs raised her head alarmed. Sixth sense? Maybe. Shortly we had to put the horses back in their stalls and untack them. When I turned Babs in, she ran to her hay which was lying on the floor of her stall immediately. She didn&#8217;t even wait to approach it, she just extended her neck and began to eat. Nothing would interrupt her meal; whatever you did on her or around her, Babsie was bombproof. She wouldn&#8217;t bother. I took her bridle off while she was chewing because it was the only time when she would lift her head lol. But she had worked hard, so she deserved it. After putting the tack away, we sat and watched the next group&#8217;s lesson. When they too finished, we found the exit. I waved goodbye to Babsie while I was passing by her stall. She lifted her cute head and gave me the kind of horsey smile that I love. Her eyes were shining. See you again in April, Babsie!  And now the pics, all taken by Amanda: &#160; &#160;]]></description>
		
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">1568</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>Equine Therapy at Scorpton</title>
		<link>http://www.equestrianfromcrete.com/equine-therapy-at-scorpton/</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[chriszygakis]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 14 Feb 2016 05:11:36 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[My adventures]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[disability]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[equestrian]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[equine therapy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[horse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lesson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nottinghamshire]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[RDA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[riding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Scorpton]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[yard]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://equestrianfromcrete.wordpress.com/?p=1503</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[  I don&#8217;t know about you, but, from January onwards, all I think about is horses and&#8230; riding them, of course! There&#8217;s more and more sunshine in Nottinghamshire and the trips to the yards become more pleasant, as I look through at the bright green nature through the window. As the drive goes, you can see the sun rays teasing the branches of the trees that are going to wake up soon, or touching the waters of Trent river. England is a country poor of sunshine. But exactly this shortage makes the sunshine so beautiful and valuable. In such a mood I boarded on the minibus that would take us to Scorpton Riding and Driving Centre for our equine therapy sessions. Mr Paul is an excellent, experienced driver and all I had to worry about was the room for improvement that my riding skills have. In about an hour time, we arrived at Scorpton and the beverages and biscuits came out of the girls&#8217; bags! Slurp! We chatted a lot -about riding mostly. I met a new girl, Gemma, who has been riding since she was five and does dressage as well. Gemma came with us as a volunteer and she would lead me throughout the lesson. Meanwhile, I had the time to take a few pictures of the beautiful premises. What I like most in Scorpton was its neatness throughout its facilities; minimum mud, hence clean riding boots! In time, the lesson began and Babs was available -and in the mood for work! Great! While I was mounting, I noticed the beautiful rope that Gemma was holding; it was yellow and blue and looked like a curtain rope. It was just so pretty! And off we go, with a brilliant Babsie that only needed a slight squeeze to get going. But she would cheat on the corners and move her head up and down. Thankfully Gemma helped me to cope with this and Babsie, in the end, would be happy to do the corners. Gemma would also teach me how to keep Babsie on the outer side of the arena. She would also teach me a &#8220;posh&#8221; way to halt; sitting deep in the saddle and squeezing the reign. I loved that one! In overall, I was happy to have Gemma besides me, as I had some native to help with instructions. In a foreign country, it is very, very difficult to train in sports in the local language, since you have so many things to focus on.  Especially in equestrian sports, where you have a living creature between your legs in a quite spacious place, with all kind of background noises, things become more difficult. But anyways, we will always find a way to cope! And, like with any lesson, funny things happened as well! I love the challenge of steering work, but sometimes it can be ridiculous! Once or twice I had to keep Babs from running away from the posts! When we moved to the poles, in trot, I don&#8217;t know whether it was Babsie or me, but I found my body swinging over her neck, with my head hanging from her shoulder! All I remember was myself taking a jump position while I was trotting. This may explain things! Thankfully, Babs knows how to do her work and soon I was back to my position with no dramas. At the end of the lesson, we needed to dismount and turn the horses in. I don&#8217;t know what kind of new phobia this is, but again, I was hesitant to dismount. I don&#8217;t know yet how to explain it. When the time comes, I feel absolutely confused and scared. While we were waiting for everyone to sort themselves out, I passed my time tingling Babsie&#8217;s chin. She&#8217;s just so lovely! Next, we had to wait for the next lesson to end, as we all had to return together. The next lesson was more advanced and the exercises were more complex and more fun, so it was nice to watch. And I had time for a photo with Gemma. We were back on campus at 17:00 sharp, and I was exhausted. But, what the heck, it was worth it! See you on 2 March, Babs! Here are some pics (with an artistic flavour)!]]></description>
		
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">1503</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>Inspiring people in inspired places: A trip to Scorpton RDA centre</title>
		<link>http://www.equestrianfromcrete.com/inspiring-people-in-inspired-places-a-trip-to-scorpton-rda-centre/</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[chriszygakis]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 10 Oct 2015 01:17:22 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[My adventures]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Britain]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[disability]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[equestrian]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[horse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lesson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[RDA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Scorpton]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[student]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[university]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://equestrianfromcrete.wordpress.com/?p=969</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Hello again! I would like to write about the exciting trip I had with the RDA group of the university&#8217;s equestrian society last Wednesday, 7 October! We went to Scorpton for an equine therapy session, organized by out equestrian society in partnership with our disabled students&#8217; officer. My first-ever equine therapy session! The day hadn&#8217;t started very well. After many brave attempts to get up from bed (as I had exhausted myself up trying to fix my politics blog the night before) and the realisation that it was raining, I made it to the library and afterwards to our meeting point, outside Portland building. Our companion consisted both of disabled students and volunteers. We waited for a while, meeting and greeting and chatting merrily! Soon Mr. Paul, our driver, was there and we popped into his university minibus. We felt like VIPs, lol! My bag being HUGE, I had to sit at the back, but it was nice. After a 40-minute trip, we were finally at the equestrian centre, which has two big arenas (one indoors and one outdoors). We were offered cookies, tea and coffee and chatted a lot! And some ladies also posed at my camera, which was sweet! We would be separated in two groups; beginners and advanced. After the cookies, we put on our stuff and headed to the stables, where we waited to be separated and be shown the horses that we would ride. I was on Babs (from Barbara) who was the first mare I had ever ridden! Cute, but a bit lazy! Anyways, I would ride at the advanced lesson in the indoor arena. The odd of the day was that, I had to use those rubber stirups (please remind me how they called) that are made for the disabled. They looked like massive shoes, each of them having enough space for both my feet! The lesson was like a normal riding lesson. No balance exercises or anything like that. It was just normal exercises with walking-halting-trotting-cantering. Babsie was not in the mood, really, she would go where she would like, pretend that she could not see the corners, and other tricks! Finally, she familiarised herself with my whip, as she was making life difficult for others too! The instuctor managed to fix my leaning-forward problem, explaining to me that, if I lean forward, the horse will slow down. The problem is still cantering and I even missed a whole round trying unsuccessfully to get into the canter. I don&#8217;t think this had to do with the horse, though. The problem I face is that I still can&#8217;t kick the horse while I&#8217;m trotting. My heels simply wouldn&#8217;t reach the horse&#8217;s sides and this made me upset, but the instructor said that all is needed is practice. I hope she&#8217;s right! After the lesson, we helped the staff put away and untack the horses, before we got back to Mr. Paul&#8217;s vehicle for Nottingham. What I enjoyed the most, most, most? First, the excitement of my sight-impaired tutee who was cantering like a pro, and, secondly, Mr. Paul&#8217;s lovely attitude! Too many smiles for a day! And now some pics:]]></description>
		
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">2403</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>Equine therapy: Battling with schizophrenia</title>
		<link>http://www.equestrianfromcrete.com/equine-therapy-battling-with-schizophrenia/</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[chriszygakis]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 01 Oct 2015 23:10:19 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Equestrian topics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[disability]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[equestrian]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[equine therapy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[horse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[schizophrenia]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://equestrianfromcrete.wordpress.com/?p=963</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[  I was not willing to write any posts tonight, but I changed my mind when I read this post on MSN: &#8220;My daughter&#8217;s terrifying battle with schizophrenia&#8221;.  The article tells the story of an American mother of two battling hard with her little daughter&#8217;s mental disorder, which claimed on her child&#8217;s life, her marriage and her savings. Things got desperate, with Morgan -the little girl- being hospitalized in psychiatry units and taking 48 pills per day. Finally, the family discovered equine therapy and they were lucky enough to find some barn nearby. From the first moment, the girl started changing and her condition since then has been constantly improving. She lives a life close to normal, which includes school hours, barn work and helping out her stepfather with his work. This is one more example of what equine therapy can do for mental disabilities and disorders. I&#8217;m not sure how it works. But it certainly does and little Morgan&#8217;s story is one more proof. Please read the article. It is very moving.]]></description>
		
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">2402</post-id>	</item>
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