March 2012 Recipients
Napier Group Riding for the Disabled has received $6,269 from the Mazda Foundation to cover the not-for-profit organisation’s ACC levy charge.
Napier Group Riding for the Disabled was established in 1981 and currently has over 100 riders every week making the organisation one of the largest Riding for the Disabled groups in New Zealand.
Carolyn Cox, Napier Group Riding for the Disabled’s Fundraiser, says, “Riding for the Disabled is so much more than ‘pony rides’ – which is a common misconception that the organisation faces. Equine therapy can provide so many physical and intellectual improvements.
“Riding can improve a person’s walking ability; The movement of the horse causes the rider’s pelvis, trunk and shoulder girdle to react in ways very similar to those produced when a person walks. The horse is also invaluable in providing the feeling of proper stride length.
“There is also a fantastic therapeutic effect from horses that calms people with intellectual disabilities who may not otherwise have any social interaction, not to mention the feeling of elation and pride that our riders, big and small, get from interacting with such magnificent animals.”
The organisation relies totally on the goodwill and generosity of others for all their costs, so the Mazda Foundation grant will provide much needed help.
