“Don’t shake my hand like that. I’m a country woman, give me a proper handshake,” she says.

M’Liss Henry reaches out again, expecting a firmer grip. Around her, there is a feeling of calm. A gentle breeze moves through the afternoon air and birds chatter. It’s so peaceful it feels as though we are somewhere far from the city, despite being only a 15-minute drive from the centre. On this beautiful afternoon, I watch as the riders circle the arena at the Claremont Therapeutic Riding Centre (CTRC), looking at ease.

Founded by Henry in 1972, the centre provides therapeutic horse riding for people with disabilities. But watching the riders, it becomes clear this is more than just a place to ride.

One rider introduces himself to me: Louis, along with his horse, Spiderman.

He has been coming here for about 10 years and speaks fondly of Henry, who has been running the centre for 53 years.

“To have coaching from her is an absolute life privilege,” he says. “She just absolutely has it.”

Louis says coming here takes his mind off everything else: “Being at one with the horse is a fabulous feeling, complete peace.”

Speaking to the riders, they all mentioned one word: community. For Henry, the relationships formed at the centre are just as important as what happens in the arena. “They become more like family, really,” she says.

One of those riders is Elouise Bolam, who has been coming to the centre for about 15 years. She recalls Henry attending a couple of her birthdays. “Yes, and her dad’s birthday!” Henry adds, as they laugh together. For Bolam, it’s difficult to imagine the centre without Henry at its heart. “I don’t think it could run without her,” she says.

Henry says opening the centre was “quite by accident.” She had her horses at the property when two people in wheelchairs pulled up out the front. “One was called Graham Dargie, and the other was a Louise.” The visitors asked to pat the horses, but Henry had another idea. “I said, ‘Oh no, better than that. I’ll put you on!’” That was on a Tuesday.

“Then on a Thursday, two more pulled up, and I went, ‘Okay, you two can ride on Thursday.’” What began with two riders went on to become the centre it is today with more than 160 riders each week. “And that’s how it all started.”

Horse riding was part of Henry’s life long before the centre existed, but she had never expected to be teaching it. “I come from two million acres. I didn’t want to be teaching kids horse riding,” she says. Her talent even took her to the elite level. In 1964 she was selected for the Tokyo Olympics. “We were all training like mad, but I was the only girl.”

After months of training, Henry thought she was finally on her way to Tokyo but she met with an unexpected obstacle. “We were all ready to get on the ship up to Tokyo,” she recalls. But there was no accommodation for her.

So her dad said, “Well, she can sleep with the horse.” But the answer remained the same.

“No, we don’t take girls.”

Henry was denied the opportunity to compete in the Olympics, but decades later she supports her riders in their quest for the Special Olympics.

One of those riders is Sara Cann. Born with cerebral palsy and neurofibromatosis, Cann was one of Australia’s first equestrian competitors in the Special Olympics in 2015. Cann came home with two bronze medals, but says competing isn’t all about winning.

Cann started riding at the centre when she was just four years old and continues to ride almost every day. “Because I can’t run, the horse does my walking for me,” she says. “Riding takes away my troubles.”

Now, she is preparing to travel to Melbourne with Henry in October for the National Special Olympics, where she hopes to reach the finals and earn another opportunity to represent Australia.

Henry says it’s amazing seeing how far Cann has come. “From someone who could hardly speak, now she can get up on a podium and tell everyone what riding has done for her. And she’s not afraid.” But Cann isn’t the only one.

“Lots of people have come here who can’t speak. They’re speaking within six months,” Henry says. She also recalls wheelchair users who, after their lessons, she would encourage to walk across the car park. “They say, ‘I can’t walk.’ I say, ‘Yes you can. Walk across the car park.’ And they’re walking.”

The benefits of riding extend beyond the arena. A 2025 review published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine examined 27 studies and found equine therapy can help people with physical and neurological disabilities, with improvements reported in balance, movement, walking and coordination.

Beyond the physical effects, CTRC says equine activities can support emotional regulation, stress reduction and communication skills.

CEO Jacqui Moon says the centre has developed under Henry’s guidance, describing her as the “matriarch of the place,” estimating it would “take about three people to replace her.”

Moon says: “She treats everyone as an individual, and that’s rare. It’s not just a numbers game to her; everyone is an individual and she wants to help each and every one of them as much as she can.”

As each lesson comes to an end, the next rider is already waiting enthusiastically, ready for their turn.

There’s always another rider waiting at the gate.