The people and the ‘moments’ behind the incredible work of Pegasus Riding for the Disabled

The people and the ‘moments’ behind the incredible work of Pegasus Riding for the Disabled

When John Riley started volunteering at Pegasus Riding for the Disabled in 2013, it felt “like coming home”.

Despite virtually growing up on horseback in Sydney’s Hills District – back when the area was still semi-rural – and competing in equestrian events well into his twenties, John hadn’t had horses in his life “for decades”. His role on the volunteer team at Pegasus changed that.

“I did have to unlearn some of many of my habits though,” John admits.

Pegasus volunteer John Riley with x

“There’s a highly specialised way of working at Pegasus, so even if you’re experienced with horses, there are things you have to unlearn to work in a specific way.”

Pegasus Riding for the Disabled was established in Canberra in the late 1980s to deliver the incredible therapeutic benefits of horse riding to the disabled. Apart from being fun, horse riding improves coordination, balance, muscle development and fitness.

For John and the small, passionate, hard-working team at Pegasus, seeing improved personal confidence, self-esteem and communication skills in riders is “phenomenal”.

John says riding a horse evokes a sense of control and power Pegasus’s participants have rarely – if ever – experienced. 

General manager Steph Williams says it takes a very special horse to join the Pegasus herd.

“They love it – it’s everything from the extraordinary satisfaction of being able to take charge of a very large animal to applying an instruction they’ve been taught and having the horse actually respond to it,” he says.

“For others who might be a bit more socially withdrawn, it’s just seeing them make a connection to the world around them through their horse.”

Pegasus general manager Steph Williams remembers the moment she decided to focus her career on working with disabled children.

A primary school teacher who grew up in Hay, NSW, she’d been volunteering at Pegasus for about six months when she “had a moment” with a little girl who was on the back of a horse.

Rosie the gelding.

“[The rider} was deaf and she was trying to sign something to me. I picked it up and signed it back to her,” Steph recalls.

“And at that moment she got so excited because we were communicating, her face just lit up with pure joy.

“I just knew. I went home and withdrew from the MBA I was studying and applied instead to do a Masters of Special Education. I’ve never looked back.”

Given the proven therapeutic benefits of horse riding, it’s little wonder Pegasus has a waiting list. The organisation is focusing its efforts in the short-term on growing its herd of truly special horses, as well as looking more to Canberra businesses to assist with general running costs. 

Rosie the gelding.

Hayman Partners signed on as a partner on 1 July 2019, and will contribute $20,000 over the next 12 months in cash and in-kind services.

“Many of the kids at Pegasus have very little opportunity to engage with anything near as physical as what we offer here,” John explains.

“So for many of them, it’s a very unique experience. And seeing them being able to get that input in their lives is a very special thing.”

Hayman Partners is proud to partner with Pegasus Riding for the Disabled. We’re super proud to have raised $xxxx at our recent trivia night to allow the incredible team at Pegasus to continue delivering activities that change lives.