Horse riders and cyclists at odds
A horse riding session for people with disabilities was cancelled over safety fears because of distraction from a neighbouring sports event.
Whakatu Riding for the Disabled (RDA) organisers said the scheduling clash at Codgers Park reflected concerns they raised when a new carpark and other facilities were built at the entrance to the park, next to the RDA facility.
The RDA offers horse riding to children and adults with varying levels of disability every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and on Thursday mornings.
On Wednesday, the ride was cancelled after the Tasman Secondary School Mountain Biking Championships brought an influx of traffic and riders to the adjacent park.
Because the RDA riders have varying special needs, riding coordinator and lead coach Pam Harwood said it was important to have a calm, quiet environment for their rides.
‘‘At the end of the day, if a horse spooks and a rider falls, that’s on my head,’’ she said.
‘‘Our riders don’t have the quick reactions of your average rider doing dressage or jumping. The majority of our riders don’t have good balance – they need people on either side of the horse to help them stay upright.’’
She said the activity from big organised events, like the interschool biking event, which saw cars coming and going throughout the day, distracted both the horses and the riders. Ultimately, she had to ‘‘make a safety call’’ and cancel the day’s riding.
Whakatu RDA vice-president Jim Kennard said organised events were supposed to be arranged with the Nelson City Council and RDA beforehand.
In this instance, the council posted about the event on social media on March 21. Whakatu RDA said it was not aware of the event until the day before.
The council was unable to respond to questions at time of publication.
‘‘We lost out financially, but more importantly, the kids lost out on their therapy,’’ Kennard said.
Horse riding is an approved therapeutic exercise for people with various disabilities, as it improves
‘‘Our riders don’t have the quick reactions of your average rider.’’ Pam Harwood, Whakatu Riding for the Disabled
muscle tone, balance, co-ordination and confidence for people with physical or intellectual disabilities.
‘‘It’s very important that we don’t shut down,’’ Kennard said. ‘‘We operate from nine in the morning until four in the afternoon. We’re not talking about shutting down the carpark, but we need to stop these organised events [during RDA hours].’’
He said the horses were used to a small number of cars and distractions, but the sheer numbers of ‘‘car doors slamming and children running around’’ increased the chances of the animals becoming spooked.
Councillor Tim Skinner said he had spoken with Kennard and Harwood about their concerns before. ‘‘In my view, RDA takes precedence,’’ he said.
‘‘Schools have been repeatedly told that they have to touch base with RDA and with the council [before hosting events there],’’ Skinner said. This was partially to allow for RDA to organise dates around events and vice versa, and partly to make sure the area was not doublebooked by clashing events.
‘‘People need to remember that the reserve is for everyone, and keep in mind the existing users like the community garden, Riding for the Disabled, and residents in the area. They take precedence.’’