The long-running charity has put out an urgent call for volunteers and donations of quiet horses so that it can continue to help people with disabilities enjoy the benefits of riding.

The local RDA, which has been operating for 46 years, is after horses between 13 and 14 hands with "bomb proof" temperaments, says secretary Beverly Campbell.

Old age and "a couple of snake bites" saw the loss of three beloved equines last year, putting a halt to extra riders being able to join its program.

With only half a dozen volunteers available and a handful of horses, the RDA's activities have been restricted to Saturday mornings.

Ten years ago it was helping about 50 disabled people on the Border, aged from four to 50 years.

Currently the RDA provides riding opportunities for six young people under the age of 15 years.

Ms Campbell has been with RDA for more than 20 years; she first became involved through a "very dear friend" - long-standing RDA president Gwen Abikhair.

She says it's an incredibly rewarding organisation to be part of.

"To see the faces when people get on a horse and interact with them ... it gives you a feeling that's hard to explain," Ms Campbell says.

"They absolutely get the biggest grins on their faces."

Jessie Knights has been volunteering at RDA since she was 10.

The now 22-year-old says she "loves the smiles it puts on the kids' faces".

For many wheelchair-bound participants, the horses "quite literally" give them legs.

And to see the benefits riding brings through improvements in core strength and balance "is just so rewarding", according to Jessie.

The RDA needs "at least three or four horses" and Jessie turned to The Border Mail for help after a recent call-out on Facebook proved fruitless.

"I don't know what else to do - if we can get more horses, we can help more people," she says.

"We don't want it to fold."

The walls of the club room are lined with pictures of every horse that has come through the RDA ranks.

Those now faded photos stand as testament to the countless hours of fun and support provided to so many people with disabilities over the years.

The charity, which operates from Sunwood Park, off Reservoir Road, Lavington, is entirely run by volunteers.

Ms Campbell said a lot of work went into maintenance of the grounds and administration as well as the horse management.

She'd particularly welcome "anyone with horse experience" who could work up to taking the association's coaching course.

Offers of help - and horses - would open a world of possibilities for people with disabilities eager to take up the reins and learn to ride high.