£1,200 of specialist saddles stolen in raid on riding school for disabled (From Thisisdorset)

£1,200 of specialist saddles stolen in raid on riding school for disabled

3:00pm Monday 6th February 2012 in Latest By Harriet Marsh

BURGLARS have stolen £1,200-worth of horse-riding saddles from a struggling charity offering therapy for profoundly disabled people.

Volunteers at Southfield Riding Group in Longham are reeling after offenders ripped padlocks off their stable doors and took three special saddles.

Sue Downer, group chairman, discovered the missing tack on Wednesday morning. “First of all I was very angry,” Ms Downer said.

“Now I’m just so disappointed for the group.”

The saddles are worth around £400 each but would probably cost around £2,000 to replace. They are a sheepskin therapy saddle for use on the horse simulator, a black 16.5-inch Thorogood part-suede synthetic saddle, with stirrups and toe stoppers and a 17-inch black hunt saddle.

A group of schoolchildren visiting on Wednesday had their lesson disrupted. “We had to use an ordinary sheepskin,” Ms Downer said.

“The children did not feel as secure because they weren’t used to it. They found it hard.”

She has paid out £100 on new locks and fears the incident will push up the charity’s insurance premium.

“We have to fundraise to pay it. For that to go up on top of the problems of replacing the saddles and upping security – it’s bad news,” she added.

The stables are clearly signed as being for disabled riders and host sessions four days a week. The volunteer-run group moved to the current site in the early 1990s.

Andrea Dart, of Wimborne, whose seven-year-old daughter Jemma has been riding with the group since she was two, said: “It’s so beneficial for cerebral palsy.

“I just hope the thieves feel so bad that they drop the saddles and equipment back. It’s just sick really.”

Jemma said: “Saturdays wouldn’t be the same without horse riding. It’s my favourite sport and my dream is to be in the Paralympics.”

Ryan Bailey, 11, of Southbourne, Bournemouth, said: “I think it was quite low of them. We don’t even know if they’ve got a horse. It would be horrible if I couldn’t come riding any more.”