Sundays used to be very challenging for our whole family as Hugo would begin to think about attending school the next day. The day would be spent grumpy, worrying and struggling to go to sleep the night before. 

On Monday morning we would all be on edge to see whether drop off would run smoothly. After any sort of term break, sickness or holiday period it was always even worse. When we received his diagnosis of AuDHD we knew we wanted to explore equine therapy.

We were very happy when Hugo was given the opportunity to ride with Riding with the Disabled. We have tried many different activities and usually Hugo prefers not to take part. When I told him that he was going to go horse riding every Monday he was genuinely excited. 

From the moment we walked in it was obvious that RDAs are set up to help children like Hugo. Things like always having the same helmet to communicating any changes with horses in advance and never asking him to look them in the eyes show a deep understanding of the needs of neurodiverse children. 

We all felt genuinely welcome from our first day. We also love how they work with us on his physical goals like balance for riding a bike. 

The biggest impact for us is to Hugo’s mental state. Now on Sundays the atmosphere at home is happy, excited even. Monday mornings we no longer worry about drop off because we all know that in a few hours Hugo will be in his happy place. Once he has been to school on Monday the week suddenly seems short. 

Riding the horses has helped to build his confidence and belief in himself. He has built a special relationship with his wonderful sidewalker Anna who always welcomes us with a lovely smile. 

We are so thankful and look forward to continuing to see him grow.