Miracles happen weekly at a Greenvale horse riding school for children with a disability.
Each week, about 53 children, most aged between seven and nine, learn how to ride a horse with help from a team of 61, including trained volunteers, accredited coaches and eight docile horses.
Some children have epilepsy, others are on the autism spectrum or have cerebral palsy, while one child is without hands.
Most don’t speak, but all of them are thrilled when it comes time to jump on Deb, Monty, Missy or one-eyed chestnut Big Buddy.
The voluntary, not-for-profit organisation, known as RDA Oaklands, is one of five recipients of the Hume Charitable Fund 2014. The others are CareWorks Sunranges, McKenna House Palliative Care Unit, Lentara Uniting Care, and the Meadow Heights Community Foundation.
RDA Oaklands vice-president Lesley Induni said the grant would pay for the horses’ feed for another year and go some way to covering minor vet bills.
Ms Induni said children took part in the program for a year, developing their balance and co-ordination skills on horseback.
“We have a waiting list from here to Darwin for this service, and it’s getting longer by the day,” she said.
Outgoing mayor Casey Nunn congratulated all recipients last month saying: “The hard work they undertake is incredibly important to our community.”
