“As the children step off the bus they are beaming, mirroring the enjoyment on our volunteer’s faces.”
Buzz: 5am alarm
Screech: 6am arrive at the Centre
I swing the metal gate open to RDA Oaklands and begin my pre-dawn ritual. As I drive through and the tyres crunch the gravel, the horses recognise this as their alarm clock and gather at the gate, waiting for their cuddles. They are please to see me and on a cold morning, they nuzzle close with their warm breath against my cheek. This is always a special time I have with each horse and I love getting to know each of their personalities. I make up their feeds and hay, fill their water buckets: breakfast awaits and their routine begins.
Once they are fed it’s time to read my notes on riders from the previous week…and my breakfast!
Although this begins my day, my work really starts on a Sunday afternoon where preparations begin for the week. Quite often the phone starts ringing and messages roll in, mostly when volunteers are unable to attend. This is the most challenging time for me as a Coach. Can I run the sessions? Do I have enough volunteers? Do I have enough horse handlers or side walkers to run safely? Sometimes I lie awake, wondering how it will work out and feeling a sense of
guilt if it doesn’t.
Back to my normal morning: volunteers start arriving, we talk about the arena set up for the day and what activities are needed, whilst other volunteers tend to horses or prepare for riders to arrive. Phone calls from the schools start, letting me know what riders we have coming. The chatter and excitement increases. As a Coach, you welcome their enthusiasm and feel a sense of pride in their commitment to RDA.
Private lessons begin at 8.30am and when I return, all volunteers have arrived ready to start our first group lesson at 9.45am. I welcome everyone with a chat and disperse information about the day, while the horses are warming up and awaiting the bus to arrive with our riders.
Screech and creak: the gate is opening to let in our riders for the day. As the children step off the bus they are beaming, mirroring the enjoyment on our volunteers faces, ready for activities and trail riding. The chatter increases at morning tea with volunteers writing up their notes on a riders’ session, often becoming animated over their progression. The second group arrives by 11.15am, everybody truly in their stride now. Lunch follows before the final group arrives at 1.30pm. During lunch time, I oversee that the horses have hay and water, talk to volunteers about our riders and try to have a quiet moment, usually towards the end of lunch break. Sometimes I need
to hide to gather my thoughts! At times I might have a training coach with me who needs guidance or will need to go through the lesson plan. If it’s a Saturday morning, I enjoy my time sitting with the parents and listening to them. This time to connect and discuss their child is invaluable to me and to them.
Pack up begins whilst the last group is out trail riding. I make sure all the equipment is away and check the horses are fine to go back to paddocks; always taking the time to say good bye to them as they plod back home. As a Coach, I am the last to leave which could be 3.30-4.00pm as I tie up loose ends. Although tired from having walked 12-15km, it is paired with a quiet contentedness, fulfilled with a rewarding day.
Once home, I spend time reading through volunteers notes, adding comments if needed and get ready to do it all again tomorrow.