Cotswold RDA

Disability is not about what you cannot do, it’s about what you can do. That’s what matters to us!

Our purpose is to promote a culture of learning, development, achievement & enjoyment for our riders that allows them to reach their full potential.

04/09/2026

In this short clip, our General Manager, Debbie Powell, shares what truly makes Cotswold RDA so special. It takes a dedicated team of volunteers to make our sessions happen each week, creating an uplifting, inclusive community where riders, families, and supporters find friendship, confidence, and belonging.

While our indoor arena is undergoing vital repair work and we navigate ground challenges, that strong sense of community is what keeps us moving forward every single day.

By joining The 1,000 Friends of Cotswold RDA, you are not just helping us care for our wonderful therapy ponies; you are protecting a safe haven that touches the lives of over 170 disabled children and adults across Gloucestershire.

How you can help today:
👉 Become a Friend: Donate £10 (or whatever you can) via the link: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/1000friendsofcotswoldrda?utm_medium=CA&utm_source=CL
👉 Volunteer: Give the gift of time and become part of our incredible team
👉 Share: Help us reach new Friends across Gloucestershire by sharing this reel!

Join our family and become one of our 1,000 Friends today.

02/09/2026

The results are in! Did you guess all the noses correctly?

Thank you to everyone who joined in our "Guess the Nose" quiz yesterday. Swipe through to see the full, handsome faces behind each close-up and find out how many you got right.

Tell us in the comments how many you managed to get right, and don't forget to give a shout-out to your favourite herd member!

If you'd like to support our fantastic team of therapy ponies, maybe consider becoming a FRIEND of Cotswold RDA.
https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/1000friendsofcotswoldrda?utm_medium=CA&utm_source=CL

01/09/2026

Can you name that nose?

We’ve zoomed right in on the softest, most boop-able noses in the Cotswolds to put your herd knowledge to the ultimate test!

Pink patches, whiskery muzzles, star-shaped markings and velvet snoots, they’re all here, and it’s surprisingly tricky!

Swipe through the photos, study those whiskers closely and drop your guesses in the comments below using the numbers.

Tag a friend or volunteer who thinks they’re the ultimate Cotswold RDA superfan and see if they can beat your score!

Make sure to check back tomorrow at 5pm, when we’ll reveal who each gorgeous snout belongs to!

30/08/2026

Who needs an Oreo update to get us through the Bank Holiday weekend?!

Our little adventurer has been VERY busy since we last checked in, and we think it’s safe to say that Oreo’s Summer Adventures have been doing exactly what we hoped they would, helping this very special boy grow in confidence, experience and independence.

Oreo has been keeping up with his arena hire sessions and working hard on one of his biggest challenges, hacking to and from the arena on his own. Every trip is another opportunity to learn that the world isn’t quite as scary as it sometimes looks!

But there’s been an even bigger milestone… Oreo went show jumping!

He and Lucy took on the 60cm class at Allen’s Hill, complete with some VERY suspicious-looking animals on the jump wings.

Lucy’s verdict says it all:

“There were lots of scary animals on the jump wings he didn’t like at all! But we did it and came 5th (out of 5 seniors). I don’t care – I got a pink rosette!!” 😂🩷

And quite right too! For us, this summer has never been about winning. It’s about giving Oreo new experiences, helping him work through the things he finds difficult and watching his confidence grow. So that pink rosette is definitely a winner in our eyes!

There’s been plenty of downtime too, enjoying his days with his pals Morph and Bertie, plus a trip out to Rectory Farm for a change of scenery and another chance to show off those increasingly impressive jumping skills.

The difference we’re seeing in Oreo is wonderful. His confidence has grown in so many ways, and through it all, he continues to look after Lucy every step of the way. ❤️

We simply couldn’t be prouder of this boy – and we’re equally proud of Lucy for the enormous amount of patience, care and hard work she has put into Oreo’s education this summer.

But don’t worry… summer isn’t quite over yet!

We’re hoping there might just be time to squeeze in another adventure or two before Oreo packs his bags and returns home to us at Cotswold RDA.

To be continued…

27/08/2026

We are hiring!

Are you a highly experienced, organised, and kind administrator looking to make a genuine difference? We are looking for a dedicated Office Administrator to join our small, passionate team here at Cotswold Riding for the Disabled!

At Cotswold RDA, no two days are ever quite the same. From welcoming visitors, coordinating bookings for programmes like ‘Tea with a Pony’, managing databases, to supporting fundraising campaigns and website updates, you’ll be at the heart of our day-to-day operations.

We need someone who can hit the ground running, loves working in a collaborative environment, and brings exceptional communication and IT skills to the table.

The Details:

📍 Location: Office-based at the Cotswold RDA centre, Cheltenham Racecourse
⏰ Hours: 30 hours per week, with occasional weekend support for events
💼 Position: Employed, paid role meeting the National Minimum Wage
🗓️ Interviews: Week commencing 7th September

How to Apply:
Please read the full job description below before applying. To submit your application, please send your CV and a cover letter to:
📧 [email protected]

Know someone who would be the perfect fit? Please like, share, and tag them below! 💙

27/08/2026

We are thrilled to share that after just two days of launching our appeal, 21 incredible Friends have already stepped forward, raising a whopping £495 towards our £10,000 goal!

From all of us at Cotswold RDA, our volunteers, and especially our four-legged heroes, thank you so much. We are truly grateful for your friendship, generosity, and community spirit.

"Seeing the community rally around us so quickly has given our whole team such a huge lift. Every single donation is a direct reminder that although our arena is currently under repair, our riders, volunteers, and ponies are never forgotten."
— Debbie Powell, General Manager

What does £495 mean right now?
To put this wonderful milestone into perspective, £495 provides roughly a full month of specialist feed, daily supplements, and routine hoof care for two of our dedicated therapy ponies. That means while riding is temporarily paused and we focus on unmounted 1-to-1 sessions, our horses stay happy, healthy, nourished, and primed to welcome riders back into the saddle the moment our arena work is complete.

We still have a way to go to reach 1,000 Friends, but this is an incredible start.

👉 Have you got 5 minutes to become Friend #22?
A simple £10 donation makes a world of difference: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/1000friendsofcotswoldrda?utm_medium=CA&utm_source=CL

Please keep liking, commenting, and sharing to help us spread the word across Gloucestershire!

25/08/2026

Have you got five minutes to become a Friend of Cotswold RDA?

Our 1,000 Friends appeal is now on day two, and we’re asking our wonderful community to help us reach our goal.

Cotswold RDA supports more than 170 disabled children and adults across Gloucestershire. Although regular riding sessions are currently paused because of poor ground conditions and essential repairs to our indoor arena, our ponies still need daily care, exercise and attention, and our team is continuing to run pony one-to-one sessions where possible.

Becoming a Friend is simple:

✅ Take five minutes

✅ Donate £10, or whatever you can

✅ Share this appeal with your friends, family and network

If 1,000 people become Friends, we could raise up to £10,000 to help Cotswold RDA through this challenging period and ensure we’re ready to welcome participants back as soon as conditions allow.

Please read and share our appeal, then become one of our 1,000 Friends today.

💚 Donate here: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/1000friendsofcotswoldrda?utm_medium=CA&utm_source=CL

Thank you for standing alongside Cotswold RDA.

24/08/2026

Could you be 1 of our 1,000 Friends?

Every week, for over 60 years, Cotswold RDA has brought smiles, hard-won milestones, and life-changing moments to over 170 disabled children and adults across Gloucestershire.

Right now, poor ground conditions mean our outdoor riding sessions cannot take place, and our indoor arena is undergoing vital repair work before we can safely welcome riders back into the saddle.

But our mission, and our ponies, haven’t stopped!

While full riding sessions are paused, our dedicated team is working hard to run unmounted 1-to-1 pony sessions so participants can still benefit from the calming, therapeutic bond of spending time with our horses; however, these are limited.

Behind the scenes, our herd still requires daily feeding, turnout, veterinary care, and expert attention every single day, alongside the essential repairs to our facility, and now we are calling on the help of our community...

That’s why today, we are launching The 1,000 Friends of Cotswold RDA.

The challenge is simple, but the impact could be massive:

👉 If 1,000 people donate just £10 or whatever they can give, together we could raise up to an amazing £10,000.

That £10,000 will directly feed and care for our therapy ponies, support our ongoing 1-to-1 work, and help protect our charity through this challenging period, so our riders can return safely the moment our arena is ready.

Will you be one of our 1,000 Friends today?

💚 Donate £10 or whatever you can here: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/1000friendsofcotswoldrda

📲 Can’t donate today? Please LIKE and SHARE this post; every single share helps us find our next Friend!

11/08/2026

Oreo’s Summer Adventures update: Another week, another adventure!

Our little adventurer has had a rather lovely week…

First up, Oreo was treated to a very well-deserved full-body equine massage from Natural Flow Equine Massage Therapy. And judging by the photos, we think it’s safe to say he LOVED it!

Looking after our ponies goes far beyond their day-to-day care. Making sure they’re comfortable, happy and feeling their best is incredibly important, particularly as they learn, exercise and build their strength. A good equine massage can be a wonderful way to support their muscles, movement and overall condition – and Oreo certainly wasn’t complaining about the extra attention!

Then it was time to get back to adventuring…

Oreo and his pal Morph headed off for a long explore around their local area. There was plenty to see, lots of people to meet and, naturally, a few things that required a good Oreo inspection along the way! 🌿👀

And when you’re out exploring on a summer’s day, there’s really only one thing to do when you come across a stream…

PADDLE!

It sounds like Oreo had an absolute blast, and we continue to be so proud of how his confidence is growing with every new experience. From arena hires and jumping to long reining, hacking, meeting new friends and now paddling – he’s certainly making the most of his summer!

We wonder what Lucy has planned for him next…

To be continued…

11/08/2026

Thank you so much for visiting our Oreo! We know of 12 other ponies who would also like you to visit! 😊😊😊

Address

Cheltenham

Website

http://www.cotswoldrda.org.uk/

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