Luke Eaton and Mickayla Prindable have had a rough start to life.
Luke, 32, has cerebral palsy, affecting his muscle movement. Twenty-year-old Mickayla lost her sight after a battle with cancer when she was three years old.
But the Melton pair have found “freedom” and friendship in riding horses.
They train at Melton Equestrian Park several times a week and are headed to the Riding for the Disabled Association’s state dressage championships in Sydney this weekend. They are the only Victorians competing at the event.
Mr Eaton’s mum and sister and Ms Prindable’s mum are their biggest fans.
Mr Eaton says he’s looking forward to “doing my best”, having fun and showing how well he can ride.
“Horse riding gives me freedom,” he says. “I’ve made a lot of friends over the years because of it.”
Ms Prindable hopes the competition will allow her to show off her skills and set her up to achieve her goal of becoming a Paralympian.
“At the end of the year, I’m hoping to get classified, so for me it’s trying to get as much experience as possible.”