Our Featured Adult Rider of the Month is Rebecca Dingwell
Rebeca has been a Lancer for three years in our Adult Membership program. She began riding in childhood, riding in summer and March Break camps and then taking regular lessons as a teenager. Eventually she stepped away from riding for a while but began to find she missed it after attending Halifax’s Doors Open event at Lancers and learning all about our programs! She joined out waitlist and eventually was able to join the adult membership when a space became available at her level.
Rebecca enjoys being a Lancer member in particular because it allows her to meet and connect with other people who love horses just as much as she does. She has involved herself in a few different Lancer activities beyond her regular lessons, her favourite being volunteering with our therapeutic riding program. “That was a wonderful learning experience, and though I couldn’t return as a volunteer in the fall, I want to do so again this spring. I also help with things like open houses and barn cleaning days whenever I can. Once I graduate from my MFA in May, I hope I’ll have more time to give to the barn.” She has also helped with our Open House and loved giving pony rides to all the children who came to visit the barn. “I didn’t expect to enjoy it so much, but I helped with pony rides during one of the recent open houses and it was lovely. It had been raining, so the ring was super mucky, but a crowd of families still came out to the barn and there was a huge lineup for rides. I would’ve been thrilled over that kind of event as a kid and it was so nice to see how happy it made the little ones.”
When asked about her favourite Lancer horse it’s a hard decision for Rebecca. “This is so hard so say because I love so many different horses for different reasons! I enjoy riding Bella, as she’s exactly the kind of pony I dreamed of as a little girl. She’s the perfect combination of cute and stubborn: generally a steady ride but she keeps me on my toes with a bit of attitude. Recently I’ve also had fun on Scooby. Then, there are other horses I don’t tend to ride but just love interacting with on the ground. I have a soft spot for Bud, who’s such a silly guy and a gentle giant. Then there’s Rainey, who just has such a pleasant disposition. I’ve never seen her act grumpy.”
Rebecca credits Lancers with being a great part of her own self-care both mentally and physically, “My weekly lessons have been important “me time” during the hustle and bustle of multiple jobs and school. I’m not a very athletic person, so it’s been positive for both my physical and mental health.” Going forward, she hopes to continue riding at Lancers and making horses part of her life in different ways. “I don’t have any desire to ride competitively (that’s just not my thing!) but I think horses will always be part of my life, whether it’s riding or volunteer work. I’m a writer, so I’d love to work for an equestrian-related publication sometime.”
