Join Jill at Riding for the Disabled

In the first of our new blog series ‘Join Jill’, Jill tells us all about Riding for the Disabled, and the benefits of taking part in the sport.

My name is Jill and I am 24. I have cerebral palsy, and I am in a wheelchair all the time. I have been going to the RDA Glasgow group for 8 years now and I love it.

I go once a week on a Thursday night for an hour during term time, and the horse that I ride now is called Heart. He is black and white and he is just beautiful.

Due to having cerebral palsy I find it difficult to hold myself up when I am out of my wheelchair but when I am on my horse I can sit up myself nicely. I always have 2 side walkers who walk around with me.  Over the  years I’ve learned how to hold myself up, for example, when I went at first the side walkers needed to hold me up and now they have their hands on my legs and I can do everything else myself.

My horse riding isn’t just a sport, it is like physiotherapy to me because it does really drive me like my back muscles and my legs muscles too.  When I have not been for a while I feel my legs tight, so it does really help.

If you want to find out more about Riding for the Disabled click here.