The Gentle Guide

Some connections don’t need words—they’re felt in the rhythm of hooves, the gentle press of a hand on a horse’s mane, or the trust between rider and volunteer. At UWCSEA, students experience this through the Riders with Disabilities Association (RDA), where Service often happens in quieter moments and is as much about noticing and listening as it is about helping. As they guide horses, support riders, and respond to subtle cues, students develop patience, empathy, and a sense of belonging—for others, and for themselves.

Dover Campus’ Grade 12 student, Shyla, shares their experience:

I have always loved animals and building genuine connections with people, so RDA seemed like the perfect fit for me—and it absolutely was. 

A typical session as a side-walker would usually begin with meeting the rider, talking to them and understanding their interest in horseback riding, or even their preferred learning and communication styles. After, we would do warm-up exercises on horseback, where we would brief the rider on auditory signals (walk on, whoa, etc.) This also gave us more time to bond with each other and for me to gain an understanding of the riders’ preferences. After this, we would take the riders to their horses, where they would have an opportunity to implement what they learned in the practice previously. While the riders trot on their horses, we also engaged in some fun activities which changed from time to time. I remember my favourite being a game where all the horses and riders would get in a circle and we would essentially play musical chairs, but on horses! The sessions consisted of about three activities, like this one, where the riders would be able to learn new skills or practice the skills they have already learnt. Sometimes, experienced volunteers would also be able to lead horses, which was also one of my favourite parts of volunteering at the RDA. This consisted of grooming the horses before and after a session, but also being a leader in the arena! 

A lot of the time, when riders were non-verbal or were shy, breaking the ice and bonding with them, talking about their interests, was just so important, and it took some time and patience as an outsider. One of my fondest memories was when I was paired with a rider, who was quite shy at first, and I could tell she was quite overwhelmed by the new environment and people. After talking to her more, I learned she had a keen interest in make-up and nails, and bonded with her over small things like the colour of our hair, the colour of our nails, etc. This is something that was so special to me since I love talking to new people and getting to know new things about people. Along with this, the experience also taught me that in order to be a good leader, getting to know your riders was very important.

This creates an atmosphere of trust and also just makes the experience more meaningful and enjoyable for the rider and for you. 

Along with this, it gave me a new perspective on animal care and sustainability after having cared for the horses myself. It’s always something you see in the news and it might feel distant, but when you care for animals, groom them, and feed them yourself, you gain a sense of responsibility and feel a bigger urgency to be more involved and mindful of your choices and to support the wellbeing of animals, which is something that had a huge impact on me especially since volunteering at the RDA.