Clwyd Special Riding Centre in Llanfynydd keeps changing lives through horses

For more than four decades, Clwyd Special Riding Centre in Llanfynydd has been using horses to change lives. Its own motto sums it up: inclusive, connecting, life-changing.

The centre, a registered charity, opened in 1982 and is an approved Riding for the Disabled Association and British Horse Society centre. It provides riding and equine activities for people of all ages with a wide range of disabilities and additional needs, supported by a small staff team, a board of trustees, volunteers and a team of RDA-approved horses and ponies.

Its future was secured in 2025 after a frantic fundraising effort. The centre had faced closure unless it raised £340,000 to put itself on a more sustainable footing, and supporters helped it hit its initial target. Visiting at the time, Llyr Gruffydd MS said up to 100 riders were using the centre each week, and called it fantastic news that the centre could look forward to a brighter future.

Today the centre offers RDA riding sessions for individuals and groups from the age of five, using the movement and presence of the horse to help riders build strength, balance and coordination, boost self-esteem and grow communication skills.

RDA carriage driving uses specially adapted carriages so that wheelchair users and people with limited mobility can enjoy the thrill of movement, on a 2km all-weather track around the centre's peaceful setting.

Riders ready to move on can take independent riding lessons and work towards Pony Club badges, and a fully simulated mechanical horse with an interactive screen lets people trot along a beach, tackle a cross-country course or practise dressage. There are also school holiday, after-school and weekend clubs.

The centre has also supported student placements through Wrexham Glyndŵr University's Advanced Practice Placement Programme, with director of operations Jane Sargeant explaining how a student can benefit a small charity team. It also offers holidays, facility hire and corporate partnerships, and it relies on volunteers to keep its horses and riders on the move.

To find out about sessions, volunteering or donating, visit clwydspecialridingcentre.co.uk.