Improving lives through horses in North Wales since 1982.
Clwyd Special Riding Centre is a registered charity in Llanfynydd, near Wrexham, North Wales. Our state-of-the-art facilities are fully accessible and inclusive, for a wide variety of equine-based activities benefitting people of all ages with a wide range of disabilities and additional needs — including mental health and well-being.
The Centre opened in 1982 and is an approved Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) and British Horse Society (BHS) Centre.
If you feel you could benefit from any of the equine assisted services we offer, or you support someone who might, please do get in touch.
Clwyd Special Riding Centre is an independent registered charity, providing accessible facilities for a variety of equine experiences and therapy for people with additional needs.
The Centre is run by a small team of experienced staff, managed by a board of trustees, and supported by a large pool of incredible volunteers. And of course we would not be here without our loyal team of RDA approved horses and ponies — lovingly referred to as ‘the boys’.
Set in over 30 acres with around 16 horses of all sizes and types, our aim is to provide a beneficial experience to everyone, through riding, carriage driving, equine assisted therapy and hippotherapy.
We are an approved RDA and BHS Centre, but we are an independent charity: we do not have access to donations given to the RDA generally. We rely on public generosity, fundraising and grants to fund the upkeep of our facilities, the care of our horses, and the services we provide.
Equine interaction is proven to support physical and emotional well-being. Our horses play a vital role in developing a wide range of skills, and in improving health and well-being generally.
Riding a horse at a walk stimulates the internal organs just as walking on foot does. The movement of the horse helps to:
Horses live entirely in the present moment, and they can help us to do that too. In each session — no matter what their needs — participants can escape their differences and focus on what they and their horse can do as a team.
Registered charity no. 1118241 · Registered as a company limited by guarantee in England and Wales no. 06033558
The Centre was the brainchild of Anne Sopwith, organiser of the then Dyffryn Ceiriog Riding for the Disabled Group. Her vision was a centre where people of all ages with a wide range of disabilities and special needs could ride — with accommodation, so that RDA groups from around the country could enjoy a holiday here. In 1982 she purchased Tyn-y-Cyffion, a small riding school converted from a hill farm in the village of Llanfynydd, Flintshire.
Developments continued and the number of riders gradually increased. By 1984 the Centre was ready for its official opening by HRH Princess Anne, in her capacity as President of the Riding for the Disabled Association.
The Centre has developed significantly over the years, with facilities created so that a wider range of people with additional needs can benefit from the enjoyment equine assisted therapy brings.
The charity proudly celebrated 40 years of improving lives through horses. We are ever more determined to hold our place as a key provider of equine assisted therapy for people with additional needs for the next 40 — and we would love you to be part of the story. Only with the generosity of our sponsors, donors and grant-makers can we keep our centre of excellence open to those who need it.
Four decades on the wall at the centre, from 1982 to 2022. Open any panel to see it full size.
Some of our sessions are delivered with specialists who bring their own qualifications and professional registration.
Lucy Brookes — Chartered physiotherapist and hippotherapist
Lucy runs our hippotherapy and mechanical horse sessions. She is also the Riding for the Disabled North West regional physiotherapist, providing advice and assistance to every group in the region.
We are an independent charity with no public funding. Donating, volunteering or adopting a pony all keep our horses working and our sessions running.
