We are currently in Term 2 in RDA, this meant we switched riders and had the opportunity to meet new participants. As I mentioned previously, the first rider that I was assigned to didn’t have a disability that I was extremely uncomfortable with. My first rider was diagnosed with GDD and he was unable to take multiple instructions at the same time (For example, raise your right hand, put it over your head and then put your left hand on your knee). This, as a sidewalker, was not a challenge at all. However, due to the new term and the new rider, I have been faced with several challenges. The rider I am assigned with now cannot walk on his own, nor does his cognitive levels match his age.
One of my biggest concerns I had when interacting with him before the riding was how the sidewalker and I would stabilize him on the horse, to make sure he wouldn’t fall back or make a fuss on the horse. I was responsible for him when he was on the horse, I could only hope he wouldn’t fidget too much or be too uneasy. This was a risk that I had signed up to take, however it could have fallen really badly on me. To overcome this challenge, I took a lot of advice from the supervisor, someone who works at RDA and who knows the children who volunteer and how to help them. She told me that I needed to weigh his ankles down and support his back/shoulders with my arms while riding, which would help him sit up straight. She also reiterated how important it was for me to make sure he was in the centre of the horse. With her help, I was able to keep my rider on the horse with great difficulty.
A challenge I was not able to overcome was the constant fear that I felt. My rider was very very fidgety on the horse, and I was very nervous the entire session. One challenge that I did not predict was that the arm I used to support him hurt too much due to the constant support I was giving him, as well as stabling him and recentring him constantly. However, I was able to overcome this because my partnered sidewalker felt the same, therefore we often switched sides to be more comfortable. My anxiety towards the rider’s safety, however, was a challenge I was unable to overcome. However, maybe if I get more practise, I may be able to get more confident. What has helped me so far is talking to positions of authority, people who know what they’re doing, as well as trying to keep a positive outlook because that was what helped me cope with my anxiety as well.
This really helped me go outside of my comfort zone, I was forced to interact with people I was previously uncomfortable with, collaborate with other side walkers to decide on the improvements my rider showed that session, etc. The skills that I developed in this activity were collaboration and communication-based. Moreover, finishing a session with this challenge showed me how much I am actually capable of. Prior to the first riding lesson, I was convinced that I wasn’t adequate enough for this task, and that the head of RDA would replace me with someone more experienced. But, the head of RDA showed that she had faith in me and that with the right guidance, she believed I would succeed in making it an enjoyable and efficient session for my rider. These interpersonal skills are very important in facing a challenge, as all will make the process of overcoming the challenge easier for me. These can be used whenever I face a challenge in the future, or even whenever I need to work in a team. Building my self-confidence is also useful for everything I do, from test-taking to deciding on my future to managing relationships, everything! I learnt some very important skills when overcoming this challenge!
What I measured as improvement was my emotional state at the end of the session; if I was more confident in myself, that would be a victory for me, an indication that I successfully overcame my challenges for that session. This skill of self-confidence did take a lot longer to develop than others, eg. collaborating with the other side walker to adjust the rider on the horse. That was relatively easy, but the feeling of confidence after a session was hard for me to develop 100% of the time.
(Questions I used to frame my reflection)
LO 2 CHALLENGE
Undertaken new challenges & developing new skills
- What was it about this activity that I found challenging/difficult?
- What risks have I taken as part of this activity?
- What actions did I take to overcome these challenges?
- Were there challenges that I could not overcome? Why/why not?
- How will I approach a challenge like this in the future?
- What new skills have I developed in this activity?
- How did I measure my improvement?
- Why were some skills that were easier to develop than others?
- How important were the skills I developed to achieving success in this activity?
- How can I use the skills I developed in this activity in other areas of my life?
