General Points
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You will be introduced to the instructor for the day's ride. The instructor is responsible for:
- Arranging time table for day's ride
- Allocating horse, rider, leader, and side walker/walkers.
- Checking horses are correctly tacked up and mounting riders
- Reading horse notes for any problems encounted
Duties of RDA Side Walker
You are responsible for the rider.
- Meeting the rider in the arena, ensuring clothing and riding helmet size are correct, and taking rider to the mounting ramp
- Understanding the rider's abilities.
- Stand on the box to assist the rider in mounting the horse, under the supervision of instructor
- You must remain at the rider's side at all times during the ride
- A "hand hold" or visual observation of the rider will be indicated, but always be ready to prevent a fall. Never take your eyes off the rider
- Encourage rider's participation in activities
- You will indicate if the rider needs to be dismounted before the ride ends
- The leader will indicate if the horse requires the rider to be dismounted during the ride
- Upon dismount, stay with the rider until back with caregiver
- Write rider's progress in their folder
Duties of RDA Horse Leaders
You are responsible for the horse.
- Getting the assigned horse from the paddock, grooming, and tacking correctly for the first ride. After the final ride you will untack and return the horse to it's paddock
- Before the first ride, walk horse around and then adjust girth slowly to a snug fit. Also do this after a change of tack
- When the horse is stationary during rider mounting please stand on the off side of horse's head
- Make sure there is a suitable gap between horses during the ride
- Make sure there is a suitable gap for the rider's legs and sidewalker to go through when around games equipment and mounting ramp.
- The side walker will indicate if the rider needs to dismount during the ride
- The leader will indicate if there is a problem with the horse and ask for the rider to be dismounted
- In an emergency dismount, turn the horse towards the direction the rider is being dismounted, so no one will be kicked
- Tether horse securely to twine loop with a quick release knot after each ride
- Check tack is correct for each rider