Beginnings of therapeutic riding The first known mentions of the benefits of horse riding for disabled people are found in 600BC Greek literature. The first study ascribed with value on the merits of equine-assisted therapy is then found in 1895 by French physician Cassaign who concluded that equine therapy helped certain neurological disorders.
Founding of the RDA In the 20th century, therapeutic horseback riding or
equine-assisted therapy, became popular across Europe after Dane
Lis Hartel, despite being paralyzed from the knees down by
polio, won the silver medal for Individual
Dressage at the
1952 Summer Olympics. Her success inspired therapeutic horseback riding organisations to be created across Europe and by 1964, a loose organisation called the Advisory Council on Riding for the Disabled was formed to coordinate these groups. By 1966, 23 of these were present in the United Kingdom and by 1969 were organised formally in to Riding for the Disabled Association
Billy Strachan, one of the pioneers of black civil rights in Britain, served as the secretary of the Harrow Branch. In 2019, the RDA celebrated its 50th anniversary. == Riding for the Disabled National Championships ==