Horse riding is a powerful and incredibly beneficial activity for people with disability. It encourages relaxation, improves mobility, and provides a number of other therapeutic benefits.

Arundel Park Riding for Disabled Inc is a not-for-profit charity that has been helping children and adults with disability reach their personal, physical, and intellectual goals for 32 years. They offer the opportunity engage in a range of equestrian activities including horse riding, ground based work with horses, and carriage driving.

EPIC Assist (EPIC) is excited to announce that Arundel Park is one of the 27 successful recipients in this round of its community grants program. Arundel Park is capturing the community’s attention with their inclusive and interactive programs that increase opportunities for people with disability.

Arundel Park coach and tutor, Hilary Stubbs, said that their vision is to provide opportunities for stimulating and challenging equestrian activities in a safe and understanding environment.

As a recently recognised ASDAN centre (Award Scheme Development and Accreditation Network), Arundel Park’s equestrian programs have started to be integrated into Education Queensland’s curriculum – specifically targeting at-risk learners and people with special or diverse needs.

“We have successfully delivered three ASDAN programs. These programs have helped young people prepare for adulthood and working life through the development of essential skills such as teamwork, communication, problem solving, and confidence,” says Hilary.

With the help of EPIC’s Community Grant, Arundel Park is offering a new ASDAN equestrian program in 2019. The new program will focus on developing crucial employability skills such as reliability, punctuality, and teamwork.

“The course will be very hands-on and will give young people a taste of the busy working environment at Arundel Park including how to stay safe at work,” says Hilary.

Hillary says financial support from organisations such as EPIC Assist is crucial to ensuring their programs remain accessible and affordable.

“We are grateful recipients of this funding and it is helping us to offer more options to young people with diverse learning needs,” says Hilary.

For more information on the programs offered, check out the Arundel Park Riding for Disabled Inc website, or see the EPIC Assist website for the full list of Community Grant recipients and how to apply for the next round of Community Grants.