A project aimed to encourage inactive young people along with lapsed horse riders into equestrian activities at a Hoof affiliated centre in North Yorkshire has been hailed a success.

Follifoot Park Riding Centre in North Yorkshire launched two groups, the North Yorkshire Sport Young Equestrians to target inactive Participants through local secondary schools and Follifoot Young Equestrians group to target the centre’s lapsed participants.

Young Equestrians (YE) is a programme created by Hoof, the British Equestrian Federation’s (BEF) participation initiative, in collaboration with The Pony Club. The programmes offers a club environment which is open to all, no matter your riding level and offers the opportunity to make friends, try new activities and have fun.

Follifoot Park Riding Centre launched the new Young Equestrians group during the Easter holidays in 2016 offering Zumba as there non ridden activity along with social time where participants discussed ideas for future activities. One participant said, “I really enjoyed the friendly buzz in the air and having a laugh. Playing games and doing Zumba was a great idea!”

Proprietor Julie Pedley commented “Everybody gets excited about making future plans and there is always a real buzz on YE club evenings. They also get to try new activities which would not normally have been available when coming for a one off lesson.”

Sorrell Willis-Dean, aged 24 saw the new Young Equestrians group advertised on Facebook and got in touch with Follifoot proprietor Julie. Sorrell has Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ME and had spent most of the previous year in a wheelchair due to her condition.  Following discussions with Julie it was felt that Sorrell would benefit from the sessions as they were both social and offered alternative activities which could be adapted to her needs.

“I guess I am a bit older than the others and perhaps have more ongoing health issues,” said Sorrell. “I love horses and realised I missed riding plus was slowly beginning to get well so it seemed a chance to try and get a bit of life back. At first I found it very hard and it caused me a lot of pain in my legs and arms plus it exhausted me, I obviously had very little muscle strength from not doing very much at all.”

After being involved in the project Sorrell said, “I feel happier generally and more confident in myself,  being ill and at home all the time meant I had become a little scared of dealing and talking to people other than my family.

“Now I am trying to get a part time job and I really believe this project has made a massive difference to my life. I love riding and will carry on doing it as long as I can.”

Julie said, “After talking to Sorrell’s mum about the difference it has made to her life, being able to come along to the North Yorkshire Sport Young Equestrians Group I was very moved, it makes me realise how much we have been able to do for these people and it’s fantastic.”