At RDA Tauranga the horse is an equal partner with staff and volunteers in the programs we deliver to riders.
Training is required to enable our horses to handle their very special role. This training involves desensitizing the horse so that its intuitive flight response is not activated in situations that are stressful.
In normal circumstances a horse is likely to instinctively move away from unfamiliar equipment such as a wheel chair or from a group of people he doesn’t know who may for instance be assisting a disabled rider to mount a horse from a ramp – a situation that can be noisy and busy. An RDA horse must take things in his stride and be calm no matter what is happening around him or on his back.
Such horses are unique and have received considerable investment in time and training and are valuable partners in the RDA programs.
Sponsorship of a horse or a philanthropic gift designated for this purpose covers a portion of the costs associated with this ongoing training and the care of the horse over the year.
The $2000 sponsorship is for one year.
At this stage four of our horses are sponsored:
- Bay Orchard Sprayers’ - Missy
- Barbara Jones’s - Cisco
- Skidby's - Zena
- PowerCo - Betty
- De Graff Family - Peanut
- Harbour City Lions - Honey
- Rawenga Orchard - Santa
You could sponsor any of our other horses. See our horses.