Hazel's Dream Comes True

Hazel was a keen rider until her disability put an end to the riding she loved. She has a hereditary condition called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, which affects connective tissue, causing joints to dislocate easily. In an interview with the BBC, Hazel said,

“When you’ve got a disability that reminds you all the time, it’s nice to have that minute of actually being an ordinary woman riding on a horse.

It got to a point where I didn’t want to get up in the morning. I didn’t want to think about going to the next day....just wanted it all to be over.

Riding’s done a lot for me mentally and emotionally. Confidence wise as well; its difficult, when you keep being told you can’t do things, but you buck that trend and you end up doing something. It’s nice.”

Hazel's road to success began with riding our mechanical horse simulator, which felt much safer and more predictable than a real horse. After a lot of hard work and perseverance Hazel transitioned to riding real horses. She continues to make tremendous progress and the joy in her face says it all!