The Henbury centre making a difference to the lives of people with disabilities

For Tegan Vincent-Cooke, horse riding not only provides a sense of freedom but is also the only time her whole body can relax.

“This place feels like home,” says the 19-year-old, sitting in the upstairs room of Avon Riding Centre in Henbury, overlooking a vast indoor arena that would usually be a hub of activity.

Instead, the place is quiet and empty, a sad indication of the toll the coronavirus has had on the independent charity that would, in normal times, help some 200 children and adults with disabilities enjoy the mental and physical benefits of riding.

Tegan, who was diagnosed with quadriplegic cerebral palsy at birth, has been coming to the 100-acre site opposite the Blaise Castle Estate since she was four years old and is now a champion dressage rider with the 2024 Paralympics in her sights.

“I was at primary school and I couldn’t do any sport so my physio suggested I came here,” she tells Bristol24/7, adding that her dad has taken her regularly from their Stapleton home to the centre to ride.

“He still thinks it’s a phase,” says Tegan with a low chuckle.

Tegan has her sights set on the 2024 Paralympics – photo by Catriona MK Photography

Explaining why horse riding is so important to her, Tegan says it is a great equaliser for people with disabilities.

“It was something I could do which was not a challenge,” says Tegan. “It changes my body completely, it’s the only time my muscles can relax. It’s the only freedom from my body I get and without riding I get worse.”

She adds: “Wheelchair users come up here and for once they are not looking up but can look around them.”

Tegan as a young rider – photo courtesy of Tegan Vincent-Cooke

Situated at the end of a long winding drive, flanked by rolling green fields and woodlands just off Kings Weston Road, the Avon Riding Centre first opened to riders in 1983, with Princess Anne, president of the national Riding for the Disabled Association, attending an official ceremony in October 1984.

The centre was founded by Stella Saywell, who was the head of physiotherapy at Winford Orthopaedic Hospital at the time and one of the first practitioners in the country to believe in the power of therapeutic riding for rehabilitation. Stella demonstrated the benefits of horse riding on patients by bringing ponies into the hospital grounds each week and went on to realise her dream of opening a dedicated centre.

The centre has still had to care for its horses even while sessions have had to be cancelled – photo courtesy of Avon Riding Centre

Avon Riding Centre remains one of the biggest of its kind in the UK and there are ambitious plans to expand its offering in the near future, making the expansive site more accessible to people from across the city.

But the centre’s survival is threatened by the impact of Covid-19, which has seen its income almost entirely disappear overnight while the cost of care for the 22 horses on site has continued.

Cat says the charity is a lifeline for many – photo courtesy of Catriona McCartney-Kitson

Cat McCartney-Kitson, who has been riding at Avon Riding Centre for some years, says the charity is a lifeline for many.

She developed a disability at the age of 18 and, as a rider already, was grateful to be able to continue doing what she loved. Like Tegan, Cat now competes at national and international level in dressage.

“I like the challenge and focus and determination,” says Cat, who lives near the Downs. “Riding is our physio so if we don’t ride, we get stiff in our muscles.”

She adds: “This centre is a lifeline for so many people. It’s hard to sum up how special it is.”

The youngest rider at the centre is five and the oldest is 80. Trustee Gill Edwards has been volunteering with the charity since 1987 and is a firm believer in the mental and physical benefits of being around horses and surrounded by nature.

“In normal times, we have some 200 riders – from leading rein to top competitors,” says Gill, who is keen to point out she is one of huge team of volunteers.

“It’s been extremely tough this year, it’s not been an easy time at all.”

The indoor arena would usually be a hive of activity – photo courtesy of Avon Riding Centre

An emergency fundraising campaign has been launched to raise the £150,000 needed to see Avon Riding Centre through this immediate crisis and enable the charity to fulfil its vision for the future.

“Our whole ethos is around social value and we want to make it a more integrated, accessible programme here, says centre manager Claire Schimmer, who is currently exploring links with other charities and organisations that might want to share the 100-acre site.

The charity hopes to open its site up for more people to enjoy – photo courtesy of Avon Riding Centre

Alongside riding, the centre offers non-mounted therapeutic sessions with horses and hippotherapy, a form of physical, occupational and speech therapy in which a therapist uses the characteristic movements of a horse to provide carefully graded motor and sensory input.

It also hosts riding lessons for people who don’t have disabilities, which has traditionally helped fund the work, but Claire admits there is a risk that only those who can afford it get to make the most of the space.

Her vision is one in which people from across the city can enjoy the benefits of being surrounded by nature and animals, with plans to offer opportunities for children who are struggling in school and possibly even apprenticeships and training as part of a wider education programme.

The centre already works with local schools and youth services in neighbouring Lawrence Weston and the team want to ensure it place where everyone feels welcome.

“We have a lot of space and one thing that people have really realised over lockdown is having access to animals and nature is so important,” says Claire. “We can help be a part of the solution.

“I’m in contact with different groups to see what we can offer in terms of access to horses but also our woodland and more. We have to use our 40 years of experience and move forward into the 21st century.

“We know it works and we can offer it to a lot more people.”

An emergency fundraising campaign has been launched in a bid to get the charity through this immediate crisis – photo by Ellie Pipe

Find out more and support the fundraising campaign via www.justgiving.com/campaign/supportARC2020.

Main photo courtesy of Avon Riding Centre

Read more: If I Knew Then: Tegan Vincent-Cooke