Angus Riding for the Disabled saddles up for the new season

Angus Riding for the Disabled is set to saddle up for another successful season with a new influx of volunteer support.

The weekend saw a host of potential helpers at the group’s South Bottymyre centre, near Forfar, for a training session to prepare them for the busy weekly sessions when around 45 riders attend.

Their day began with a physiotherapist outlining the therapeutic benefits of riding for disabled participants, before being introduced to the eight resident mounts and shown the ropes for the regular sessions in the indoor arena.

The Bottymyre horses were themselves given a clean bill of health following a full vet check last week. The season is due to start on March 12.

“We are beginning just one week later than usual, but suffered some flood damage at Christmas and the work to repair that is just being finished,” said centre manager Elinor Phillips.

“At the moment we have around 45 riders and probably 50 volunteers, but you can never have too much help and we are grateful to all the new volunteers who have come along to help us with the work we do.”