BINLEY RIDE

Thursday lunchtime. Children. Wolverdene School

Coaches: Mary Childs with Elizabeth Maclay 

 

Binley Ride usually takes place the first half of the Autumn Term and following Summer Term for the year 6 children – mostly boys – from Wolverdene School and has done since the late eighties – I think! I had hoped that somehow we would get going in some way in June but the careful reintroduction of dismounted activity at Spring Meadow would not have been appropriate for these energetic children who need to ride, ride and ride! These children have found the last 18 months very difficult and so have the staff. There is now a new Head from the beginning of the Summer term with an interim head for the previous two terms. I am really quietly optimistic that we can now get started again. The two year 6 classes both have really good teachers in place and when talked to at the end of term they were definitely looking forward to having a more settled year 6 and getting out and about, added to which the head of Pupil Services is a firm friend of RDA and knows of all the benefits we bring to these challenging children. RDA pony Toby has been ridden every week by Shannon whom I taught to ride on him years ago and she just adores him! Here’s hoping – onwards and upwards!

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Update – Children are back! Six ponies, six wonderful helpers and often only 5 children! It has not been easy restoring confidence within the School as well as new children. The classes are now rearranged by ability rather than age and so
the riders have come from four different classes. Four have been consistent and others ‘dipping in and out’. Last week’s brand new child who had not met either Mary or me was an absolute star and at the end said to his teacher ‘that was the best day of my life’!! To hear something like that makes it all so worthwhile especially when one feels that the lesson has not gone as well as hoped for.

 

Elizabeth Maclay

Ride Leader