Behind every Paralympic equestrian athlete is an entourage of volunteer therapists, managers, coaches, stable hands and fund-raisers.
Hospital Authority physiotherapist Cecilia Kwok Yee-fung is one of the many volunteers who help Hong Kong's Nelson Yip Siu-hong.
'I love riding and I love my job,' said Ms Kwok, who volunteers with the Riding for the Disabled Association. 'It was natural to combine the two together.'
Horse therapy, which has been around for about a generation, uses the connection with a living creature to provide therapy for people suffering from disabilities such as autism, Down's syndrome and cerebral palsy.
'The movement of riding a horse is much the same as walking,' said Ms Kwok. 'It exercises the spine while forcing the rider to use muscles and focus on balance.'
Ms Kwok sets up Yip's daily roster of exercises to increase his mobility and stretch his muscles. 'Nelson has spastic diplegia, which affects his lower limbs. Horse riding is great for him because it separates his legs.'
