Carriage Driving

Our driving team is a small but friendly section of the Diamond and we drive on Tuesday and Thursday mornings in term time. Our drives are lucky enough to be able to access Queen Mary’s Park behind our fields. They enjoy a good rapport with the many dog walkers and other park users.

Our disabled drivers have different skills and abilities, some have previously ridden but can no longer be supported in the saddle, others are new to it all.  The instructors – known as whips – are all trained and qualified to assist.

The whips sit next to the driver and each has a set of reins – a bit like a dual control car! There is a fantastic ground crew, who come out with us on foot or on bicycles, just to make sure we’re OK and to advise dog walkers that they are coming through! There is generally tea and cake to follow – they are a very sociable friendly bunch – all in all it’s great fun.

We keenly take part in various training sessions at home and at other RDA Centres. We also like to enter a team or two in the Diamond’s Quiz Nights and always end each term with tea and cake!