Disabled riding charity heartened by donations after kit theft

Kesteven Rideability, based at The Paddocks Riding Centre in Hough on the Hill, was broken into by thieves in the early evening of Thursday, May 7.

They took all the saddles, bridles, specialised tack, and a specially adapted carriage — essential equipment used to provide safe and inclusive riding experiences for disabled riders from across Lincolnshire.

Karen Thompson, who leads the charity, said a day was forced on the tack room to get at all the kits and there have been possible sightings of the red Bennington Fun Bug carriage being towed away around 4.45pm by a silver car on the road between Brandon and Hougham. The carriage was spotted again about half an hour later, now on a trailer, on the road to Westborough from Hougham.

Karen said: “We didn’t discover it until the following morning. we only got the carriage last year, funded by local donations and Grantham Rotary Club.”

She said they were faced with no alternative but to cease operating, as they had no equipment to provide the service.

"Each saddle costs £3,000 and we had four taken from the centre. We are also going to have to make everything a lot more secure,” she said, as they had never been targeted by thieves before. A police crime reduction advisor is due to visit to give them some tips.

"There is a house on site and a working farm – it is quite busy, but they must have taken their chance. That’s the really scary thing. Kesteven Rideability has always been my happy, safe place,” said Karen.

Since then, supporters have set up a GoFundMe page at https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-kesteven-rideability? which has so far raised £8,100 in donations towards a £20,000 target.

Karen said the response has been “amazing”. “You have a couple of people who wreck your life and dreams and suddenly everybody rallies round. We have also had so many offers of donations of equipment which will tide us over to get going again.”

She has accepted enough local offers to get up and running again from Tuesday (May 12), but had even had people contacting her from Norfolk and Surrey.

They will operate in a slightly different way for now, allowing the service users to groom the ponies and do other things besides riding.

They will have to wait to be able to replace the carriage for driving lessons as it is specially adapted.

Karen said: “People rallying round has motivated us and it will make us stronger then ever in the end.”

A spokesperson for Lincolnshire Police Rural Crime Action Team posted an appeal on their Facebook page, describing the theft as “absolutely disgusting”, saying: “Thieves that do such crimes have absolutely no morals whatsoever.

“Stealing from a charity that provides outdoor riding, driving and equine contact for the disabled.

“Just how low can our rural criminals really go.”

They urged for the equipment to be returned to this small charity.

Anyone with information should email the investigating officer at [email protected] or call 101, quoting crime reference 26000265558. Or call CrimeStoppers on 0800555111 or online at Crimestoppers-uk.org