If you’ve been keeping up with PolyJumps news for a while, you’ll know that we are big supporters of a number of equestrian charities. Over the years, we have contributed to a variety of different charities and used our platform to promote any charitable initiative within the equestrian space.

One of our longest standing beneficiaries is the RDA (Riding for the Disabled Association). The RDA needs no introduction as one of the largest equestrian charities in the UK, helping over 25,000 disabled children and adults find support, healing, and independence through riding, carriage driving, and simply being around these wonderfully intuitive creatures.

The RDA has a number of member groups that operate individually under the RDA umbrella. Each one has a unique approach to equine therapy and supports its members in different ways. At present, there are 476 groups operating across the United Kingdom thanks to their hard working and dedicated volunteers, each one providing invaluable support for its members.

Aim RDA is the newest addition to the RDA member groups, working with disabled children and adults across Oxfordshire, Berkshire, and Wiltshire. “AIM” stands for their guiding principles: “Ability, Independence, Motivation”, and they use this to provide thoughtful and targeted activities centred around horses for those who need it.

The Aim RDA group were one of the groups who received a donated set of PolyJumps jumps and poles, and after such a roaring success from the group’s members at the RDA National Championships earlier this year, we thought they deserved a spotlight feature! We got in touch with the AIM RDA Co-Chair and Trustee, Becci Hutchins, to bring you some information about exactly what Aim RDA have been doing to so well to support their local disabled community.

“Much of our work involves accessible riding sessions for a range of abilities, from therapeutic sessions for total beginners to training for disabled riders at national championship level. We also provide unmounted sessions which enable connection with horses, education, and emotional support. Our riders have a huge range of disabilities including cerebral palsy, downs syndrome, epilepsy, autism and ADHD etc. – our main aim is to cater for riders who would not be able to ride at a mainstream riding school. We accept riders from age 8 but have no upper age limit.”

Relying entirely on volunteers, with over 50 volunteers actively working to keep Aim RDA in session, they offer 25 spaces for riding and unmounted sessions over 4 days of the week across 2 different venues. You can imagine the amount of people it takes to organise and run the sessions, prepare the horses, coach riders, and assist the lessons leading or walking alongside the horses and ponies, not to mention the wonderful team of horses who are so patient and gentle with their jockeys. They were established in July 2024, and since then have created an engaging and supportive community of participants and their families who enjoy all of the social events Aim RDA offers, such as visits to shows and evenings out for example.

Here at PolyJumps we want everyone to have access to the right resources to pursue their dreams. That’s why we chose Aim RDA as one of the beneficiaries of some PolyJumps merchandise to facilitate their riders working hard to achieve their goals.

“We love to be able to give our riders the opportunity to achieve their goals, and many of them are really keen on jumping! So, we were absolutely thrilled when PolyJumps offered to send us some equipment. We get our riders started with jumping by practicing their position with poles on the ground, ensuring they can control their horse around a course before introducing small jumps up to 30cm. This is where our PolyJumps wings have been invaluable, as many traditional wings aren’t set up to go as low as 30cm, however with our hedgehogs and blocks, we are able to put up a course of jumps that feels achievable to our riders and are easy for us to set up and move around. Additionally, the poles are light enough for our volunteers to easily move them around, while being sturdy enough to cope with being stepped on (and being used to scratch itchy feet!). We don’t only use our poles and wings for jumping though – they can stand in as bending cones, stands for us to put objects on for riders to pick up, encouraging them to reach and balance, poles can be boxes in which to halt or can be used for musical poles. We also create pole layouts to help riders with flatwork, focusing on control, accuracy, pace, and distances.”

The Aim RDA group had a fantastic show at the RDA National Championships, where 8 of their riders qualified to enter 12 classes, 3 of which were show jumping. All riders put in valiant efforts, and the team took home 2x 1^st places, and a 4^th place! We are delighted to have been able to contribute to their success and facilitate the training that goes into such wonderful results. We can’t wait to see what success comes next for this fantastic group of riders and dedicated volunteers!

“We wouldn’t have been able to prepare our riders for their show jumping classes so well without the generous donation from PolyJumps!”

If you’re interested in getting involved with your local RDA group, or want to find out how you can support them through volunteering or donations, then make sure to get in touch with the RDA to find your local group, or have a scroll through the RDA website which lists all 476 groups operating across the UK.