Promoting a culture of inclusivity with therapeutic horse and pony riding

An experienced rider from CRC displaying classical riding skills

 Riding for people in wheelchairs is a common practice in other parts of the world as it provides independent mobility and physiotherapy

• Nuwara Eliya with its historical connection with horses and ponies is the ideal place to explore the health benefits of pony-child contact and connection

In a bid to bring about a culture of inclusivity through therapeutic horse and pony riding, the Garden of Eden Centre for Autism in collaboration with the Ceylon Riding Club, Royal Turf Club and The Edwards Collection recently held an event to celebrate the connection between children, horses and ponies at the Royal Turf Club in Nuwara Eliya.

Speaking to the Daily Mirror, Dr. Ineke Ann Pitts, Founder – Ceylon Riding Club said that the recent event showcased the collaboration between Garden of Eden Centre for Autism, Royal Turf Club and Ceylon Riding Club bringing different strengths to the table to offer a once in a lifetime experience to children from the special needs communities around Nuwara Eliya. The fact that horses and ponies are good for people has been proven scientifically. A horse’s heart has an electromagnetic field that is ten times more powerful than a human heart. It creates a phenomenon that is both calming and therapeutic. Nuwara Eliya with its historical connection with horses and ponies is the ideal place to explore the health benefits of pony-child contact and connection.”

At the event hosted by the Royal Turf Club and Edwards Collection, 50 young persons were given the chance to ride and interact with ponies safely, moderated by the expert team from Ceylon Riding Club. “The highlight for many was when one young man in a wheelchair was encouraged to sit on a horse for the first time. Riding for people in wheelchairs is a common practice in other parts of the world as it provides independent mobility and physiotherapy,” she added.

Dr Pitts assured that plans are underway to make horse riding more accessible to wheel-chair bound children and adults in future. Sharing the science behind horses-assisted therapeutics, Dr. Pitts said that it has been proven beneficial for people recovering from addiction, for delinquency, depression and those suffering from PTSD. She further encouraged authorities to support more activities including a “Pony Day” as an Annual Event celebrating the contribution that Ponies make to the culture and economy of Nuwara Eliya and promoting better care and understanding of the ponies’ health and wellbeing particularly preventing them from being forced to carry heavy adults or several people at once. “Education and openness to learning will bring multiple benefits to the pony owning community and allow them to participate in therapeutic activities too,” she added.

The event witnessed the participation of many distinguished invitees including Dr. K. Nisantha, Senior lecturer in Equine Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Peradeniya and Dr. M. A. H. K Munasinghe. The day ended with a display of classical riding skills by the team from Ceylon Riding Club, including young students Dini, Cheli and Anika who is an experienced rider from Germany. The carols sung by children of the Paynter Home for Children, Nuwara Eliya, a visit from Santa Claus and a distribution of gifts courtesy of the Garden of Eden Centre for Autism added more glamour to the event. A delicious variety of meals and hospitality extended by The Edwards Collection made the event even more special. Dr. Pitts expressed her gratitude to Dr. Indrani, Reverend and Mrs. Andriezen for the opportunity to collaborate. 

Speaking at the event, Dr Indrani Wikkramatilleke of Garden of Eden Centre for Autism shared her own journey with her now 18 year old son, Ian who has autism. Of all the activities, riding horses is the one thing that has helped him most of all. Returning home to Sri Lanka from Canada, she sought out Ceylon Riding Club to support her in establishing similar facilities in Sri Lanka.

“First of all we need to change labelling people as handicapped or disabled. Globally around 1.3 billion are faced with a challenging situation. In Sri Lanka there hasn’t been a proper census to determine the number of people challenged with various disabilities and that itself shows that they are neglected and not wanted from society,” said Dr. Wikkramatilleke in an interview with the Daily Mirror. 

In 2012, around 1.6 million Sri Lankans, which is 8% of the population were regarded as disabled. 

“Sri Lanka has been a signatory of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities since 2007. However, during the last election, a visually challenged individual was elected to Parliament for the first time. The government plans to issue special identification cards to make it easier for people with disabilities to vote. A mechanism was implemented to determine housing allocations for low-income families with people with disabilities. But much more needs to be done,” she underscored. At the Garden of Eden Centre for Autism they offer a variety of facilities to bring about an inclusive environment for differently-abled individuals. “We offer vocation and career training in an integrated farm for children and youth, mentoring, counselling, consulting, retreats for parents and caregivers and therapeutic riding in partnership with CRC. I’m currently looking at establishing an integrated farm setup for lower income families in Nuwara Eliya.”

The Royal Turf Club provided the venue and its facilities to make this event a re

ality. In his comments, RTC General Manager Kuma Malawana said that it was a pleasure to be a part of this event and it was even more satisfying to see a smile on all the children’s faces. “Some believe RTC is only for the elite and for those who are interesting in horse racing. But that is not true. We have a healthy relationship with the surrounding communities, we have provided them with job opportunities at RTC itself and we focus on uplifting their livelihoods as well. We hope to partner and collaborate with similar initiatives in future too,” he added.
Speaking on behalf of The Edwards Collection, Director – Sales and Marketing Deepthika Jayakody said that it was an absolute pleasure to collaborate in this event and to witness how the children enjoyed the activities that were planned for the day. “We are glad that we could be a part of this initiative. The children enjoyed the event and that is all that matters. Despite being a luxury collection of villas catering to high-end tourism in the country we haven’t forgotten our local communities. They are at the core of our workforce and we strive to uplift livelihoods of local communities,” she underscored.