But their futures are uncertain unless the cavalry arrives soon.
"The horses are such great companions and they get a wonderful rapport going with the kids. The main thing, by far, is the confidence they give them," Waikouaiti Riding for the Disabled president Sandra Carlson said yesterday.
"But, we've got three geriatrics at the moment. Kate is 31, Pirate is 33 and Gemini is 23. What we need are ponies about 14 or 15 hands. When you're a side-walker, it's much easier helping a disabled person on a pony."
The group has between 20 and 30 clients a week.
"These days, Riding for the Disabled is not for kids with callipers on their legs, but [for those] with real social deprivations," Mrs Carlson said.
"Sometimes, they'll come to ride them and sometimes they just come out to groom them."
In human years, Pirate is about 100, Kate 95 and Gemini a comparatively sprightly 75, but they are all treated as thoroughbreds.
Pirate was the New Zealand Riding for the Disabled Horse of the Year in 2004.
"It probably takes a year to train them to the stage that they're completely bomb-proof," Mrs Carlson said.
"Once upon a time, people were happy to donate their ponies to Riding for the Disabled.
But, horses are getting expensive these days. There was a 21-year-old for sale recently for $4000. I mean, 21? He could drop dead tomorrow."
Riding for the Disabled was started in Waikouaiti in 1980 by Leo and Winnie Oldham at Cherry Farm Hospital to help convalescing patients and the group moved to the Waikouaiti racecourse when the hospital closed in 1992.
"We have a long history of providing therapeutic riding for psychiatrically and intellectually disabled people, but we might have to pull the pin," Mrs Carlson said.
"We also need more volunteers. We'll get five people helping, on a good day, but one of our volunteers, Lloyd Ashby, is 80.
"Donations and grants keep us going. That's the only way we manage to keep it to $3 a ride. We couldn't operate without the [Waikouaiti] racing club, who let us graze the horses and use the facilities free."
