Monday
10:00 - 12:00
18:30 - 19:40
Tuesday
10:00 - 12:00
Wednesday
10:00 - 12:00
Thursday
10:00 - 12:00
18:20 - 19:45
Our mission: To use horses to improve the lives of individuals with physical, intellectual or mental health difficulties and challenges.
Come and join us!
We offer ridden sessions which last 30 minutes and run from Monday to Thursday. (Each session has a maximum of 5 participants & the ponies have a weight limit of 12.5 stones / 80kg).
Non-ridden sessions last 1 hour and are held on Fridays. These include Equine Facilitated Learning (EFL) using our therapy ponies and Stable Management/Pony Care Courses (ASDANQualifications)
We also hold additional events throughout the year, please see our Event Diary for details, including;
Tea With The Ponies
Groom & Pat the Ponies
Pony Parties (Private parties please call for details)
SensoryTrail Events
Annual Family Fun Gala Day
The history of Gordon Group Riding for the DisabledAssociation (RDA) goes back to the 1970s when a group of people wanted to share heir love of riding and horses with disabled children and decided to start a small RDA group at a local riding school. As the group grew they moved around venues, until in 1993, thanks to the kindness and generosity of the Earl andCountess of Kintore, the group was relocated to our present purpose-built facility which we lease at Tweeddale, Keithhall Estate, two miles fromInverurie’s town centre.
Gordon Group RDA incorporating Inverurie Therapy Pony Centre, which has 8 poniesat present and weekly we have more than 60 regular riders and over 20 clientsinvolved in non-ridden activities. Gordon Group RDA is a volunteer-based charitywith over 70 dedicated volunteers helping to run our services, with 2 part-timegrooms and a team of qualified coaches. We are completely self-funded and relyon money coming from our nominal charges made for our sessions and activities,fundraising events and available grants to fund our services upkeep of our facilitiesand most importantly funding the care and training of our wonderful ponies.
Gordon Group RDA is a member of the National Riding for the DisabledAssociation (RDA), and of the Grampian and Highland Regional RDA. We are aregistered Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SC028676).www.gordonrda.org
We have an indoor riding arena, (40m x 20m), and a sand arena outside, which we use in good weather.
Our new Sensory Trail in the woods, which opened in September 2023, can be used by our ponies & riders, walkers and wheelchair users. In addition, we have a new Sensory Room, which opened in October 2023, and disabled access to all areas, toilet facilities and car parking.
Our ponies live outside all year round with shelters in every field. When they are working, they come into the stables to be groomed by our volunteers and to get ready for their sessions.
Our wonderful ponies have all been very carefully selected because of their kind natures and calm temperaments and are owned by Gordon Group RDA or are on permanent loan to us from some lovely friends. Our ponies, without a doubt, are the stars of GordonGroup RDA and are great therapists who work their magic on everyone who visits Tweeddale and meets them.
I have been involved with Gordon RDA on and off since the 1980s. Apart from a lifelong and ongoing involvement with ponies and horses, I bring some business background and governance experience to the board.
I have been involved with Gordon RDA since 2017 when I took on the role of Treasurer. I am an accountant by profession so bring financial knowledge to the board.
I have been involved with Gordon RDA since 2018 when I took on the role of Secretary. I have a lifelong and ongoing involvement with horses and ponies, and many years ago passed my AI exams. I bring professional experience in Human Resources to the board.
I joined the board in 2018 when I took on the role of Trustee with responsibility for resource management. I have a lifelong and ongoing involvement with horses and ponies. Professionally I am a chartered mechanical engineer with many years’ experience as a senior manager in the oil and gas industry. I bring project management, safety, maintenance and engineering expertise to the board.
Juno is a grey gelding. He was born in 2000 and at 12.hh is our smallest pony. He is a Welsh cross. He may be small, but he is a big character and is loved by all his riders. His best friends are Tony and Buddy. Being grey he can really make his mud baths special!
Tony is a dun gelding. He is 14.2hh and was born in 2002. He is a Norwegian Fjord pony and has a very interesting mane. Our riders particular love his mane when it is cut into zigzags. He is best friends with Juno and Buddy.
Harry is a black gelding with a white blaze on his face and four white socks. He is 14.2hh and was born in 2005, so is one of our younger ponies. He has an enormous moustache which everyone loves! He is friends with Harvey, Jack and Callum.
Harvey is our second grey gelding. He is 13.2hh and was born in 2003. He is a New Forest pony and is best friends with Harry, Jack and Callum.
Jack is a dark bay gelding. He has a white blaze and star on his face and only one white sock, this is the best way to tell the difference between him and Harry. He is 15.1hh and was born in 2005, so is one of our younger ponies. He is an Irish pony and is best friends with Harry, Harvey and Callum.
Laddie is 15.2hh and an Appaloosa gelding, which explains his characteristic spotty coat and very fine mane and tail. He may be big but he’s gentle and kind and loves his work, but enjoys his holidays more. He is on loan to us from his very generous owners, whom we are very grateful to for allowing us to have their special boy.
Patch is 14hh, a piebald (Black & White) gelding and 10 years old. He came to Gordon Group RDA mid- last year on loan to see if RDA life would suit him and fortunately it did. We then purchased him in October 2023 and after training he now takes part in many of the weekly ridden sessions. He took over from the lovely Dolly who has now retired from RDA and is enjoying an easy life with another RDA retiree, Buddy, with a lovely family near Inverurie.
Clara joined us at Gordon Group RDA in December 2023, she is the baby of the herd at 6 years old. She’s 15.1hh and another beautiful Piebald (Black & White) mare. At present Clara is getting used to the routine of the yard, the indoor school and our many volunteers. She will undergo several months of training prior to joining the RDA ridden sessions. We have high hopes for her to become a star RDA pony, as already she is proving to be a sweetheart to handle and keen to learn.
If you would like to volunteer, participate or get involved with the RDA please do not hesitate to get in touch.