Residents spend sunny afternoon at local riding school

Residents from Linwood care home in Thames Ditton enjoyed a sunny day with a diverse group of horses including Romeo, Taffy, Tandy and Daz.

The visit took place at Epsom Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA), a riding school which provides opportunities for disabled people to improve their health and wellbeing through the therapeutic power of horses. Residents were able to interact with and pet the horses and could use the opportunity to discuss fond memories of horse riding.

Linwood care home has had a strong relationship with RDA since 2018 and has brought other residents for visits over the years. 

Iwona Zarzycka, Manager of Linwood care home, said:

We were delighted to return to RDA, it’s always wonderful to bring our residents to see the horses. For past equestrians and horse lovers alike, the experience can bring back strong memories while providing an enjoyable way to connect with fellow residents.

One such resident is Pamela Smith. Pamela grew up in Hammersmith and first asked for a horse at the age of three. Her father, who was in the Royal Navy during the war, bought her a bicycle instead. But that didn’t dampen Pamela’s passion. She continued to love horses and at 16 she began riding.  

After a heartwarming session meeting twelve horses who live at the riding school, Pamela was able to get close and pet Bryony, a friendly and gentle 19-year-old horse. 

Pamela said:

The visit was absolutely lovely. My favourite part of the day was interacting with Bryony, a beautiful horse. It brought back many memories of my times horse riding.

The visit was part of the range of activities and excursions which Linwood care home organise to help boost residents’ mental and physical wellbeing. 

Iwona explained:

The care team strives to learn about each resident’s life story and passions. Revisiting past hobbies and interests is a great way to engage residents while helping them to feel joyful and fulfilled in later life.

We recognise that interacting with animals can bring huge benefits to our residents. It is one of the reasons why our care homes organise visits such as these, and why we have a ‘pet friendly’ policy in place which you can learn more about here. To learn more about Linwood care home, click here.