SAMBER is incredibly lucky to have moved to Higher Park Farm, where LGB Equestrian is allowing us the use of a wide range of horses and ponies each week, meaning that we’ve been able to help a larger number of children than ever before. Here are some of our regulars:
Romeo
Romeo is our new tall, dark and handsome heart-throb of the Samber team at around 15hh. He’s a great weight-carrier and if he feels anyone become unbalanced will just stop and let them re-adjust.
Leah
Leah is a wonderful mare, a cream skewbald cob, she’s a great weight-carrier and is unfazed by loud noises making her perfect for RDA. She’s suprisingly narrow over the withers for a taller horse so we often use a sheepskin saddle with her for our riders with CP which really helps open their joints, using the warmth and natural rhythm of a walking pony.
Marmite
Marmite is an old hand (over 37!). Unfazed by unbalanced or loud riders, he is completely unflappable! Previously used by another RDA group, on paper he should really retire, but is so cheeky and spritely he gets bored when not used. He seems so happy as an RDA pony and the work keeps him moving and focussed. But don’t write him off as a plodder, if you open the stable door even an inch without him being tied up, he’ll barge through and canter off into the distance in search of fresh grass!
Star
Star is 14.1hh and being slightly older than some at 20+ years she’s seen and done it all. She’s one of those horses that seems to prefer people to other horses, so loves being fussed by our RDA children.
Monkey
Monkey is a fantastic weight-carrying mare. When previously on enforced box-rest due to injury, her owners cleverly used the time to gently expose her to a variety of potentially ‘spooky’ materials. She is now so laid back and doesn’t bat her eyelid at any of our strange equipment, making her an ideal RDA pony.
Without our ponies, we just couldn’t function as an RDA Group. They (like us!) are getting older and so it’s even more important to look after them and keep them as fit, healthy and supple as we can. After all, some of our riders can intially be very unbalanced which could cause discomfort to the pony’s back and joints, so in order to best look after the riders, we need to look after these incredibly important ponies too! Romeo had received a therapeutic session a couple of weeks before, so on 17th April 2024, our remaining stalwarts all received a lovely physiotherapy and massage session from Maddie Hewitt Veterinary Physiotherapy. Using her new Hofmag machine, a Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy Unit (PEMFT), this stimulates the cell membranes encouraging them to stretch and relax with each pulse leading to increased function and accelerated healing at a cellular level. As you can see from the pictures and the looks on their faces, Monkey, Marmite, Leah, Star and April all had a wonderful and very relaxing time – it looks like Maddie definitely hit the right spot! Maddie has written up some notes on each pony so we can be mindful of how we work with them and look to have further treatment if required.
Learning to say Goodbye: During Covid, several ponies that we previously used for RDA, moved to different yards. Indy and Soldier in particular were great RDA ponies – we thank their owners for their generosity in letting us borrow them whilst they were at HPF and wish them a wonderful life in their new home. Sadly, our Samber gem, Dotty, passed away from pneumonia in November 2020. She will always be remembered fondly for her lovely long stride, gentle nature and innate ability to recognise the level and ability of her rider, plodding slowly for those who needed to find their confidence, whilst breaking into a cheeky trot for those she knew were balanced enough! RIP Dotty, forever in our hearts x