Sensory trail project aims to help disabled riders

February 19th, 2014
[by David Armstrong]

Motueka Riding for the Disabled (RDA) is looking for help with its special project to create an Interactive Sensory Trail to help riders gain a healing experience.

The first stage of the project - preparing the grounds and digging the path and large-scale elements - has been completed thanks to volunteers, and for the next stage they want people, families or community groups to "adopt a garden plot" within the trail, and "fill it with magic".

The trail has been designed by RDA volunteers, with one of them drawing the plan which will be used in construction (see the photo below).

The trail, which takes up a paddock at the front of the College Street property, will have four areas dedicated to experiences via the different senses. These areas, which RDA would like adopters to choose from, are:

"Touch it" (lots of different textures and shapes)
"See it" (Lots of colours and patterns)
"Smell it" (Scented flowers and shrubs)
"Hear it" (things that make noises and attract chattering birds and bees)

Jennifer Doyle, the full-time manager of Motueka RDA, says each area has a number of small plots within it, and neighbours will work together with neighbours to bring out the best in their areas.

"So if you or someone you know would like to help us bring this fantastic and hugely beneficial project to life, please get in touch." (Contact details here.)

RDA's core role is to help people with physical, emotional, psychological and even social difficulties. "You can have a relationship with a horse that has none of the dramas that relationships with people bring," says Jennifer.

"The horse accepts you as you are. Most of our programmes are based around the relationship with the horse."

RDA has two other part-time staff and about 30 volunteers. "We rely very heavily on community support - donations, fundraising and volunteer labour - for us to carry on.

"At present we're managing a core group of 44 riders a week, which is quadruple the size of the group we had last year.

The sensory trail is specifically designed to stimulate sensory input in an outdoor experience. It's on an almost quarter-acre plot with a winding garden path among lots of flowers and trees.

"It will also be dotted with specifically designed activities which will involve stretching and movement and interaction with the horse," Jennifer says.

"It will help us to exercise things like motor skills, concentration and co-ordination. We have ideas for a scent trail, a musical area and a water area, plus things to find and games to play. Even the different surfaces that the horse walks on will transmit different sensations to the rider."

Much of the construction so far has been through the help of the Rotary Club as well as businesses such as Chambers & Jackett and Thinkwater.

The plan for the Sensory Trail, drawn by one of the volunteers

Foundation work on the trail, as of the start of this year

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