GRAND National-winning jockey Ryan Mania revealed he was “a bit of a scaredy-cat” when he first started learning to ride in the Borders - and even refused to do jumps.

He returned to the riding centre where he took his first lesson to officially open the new home of Stable Life at Dryden Farm, near Ashkirk, Selkirk, last week.

The former Braw Lad, from Galashiels, has agreed to become an official patron of the charity which supports vulnerable young people aged from 10 to 18 in the Borders.

And he revealed he hoped it would give other youngsters following in his footsteps the confidence to go on to fulfil their potential.

Addressing guests at the centre’s open day before he cut the ribbon to mark its launch on Friday, Ryan, who became the youngest rider ever to win the Grand National - the most famous horse race in the world - in 2013, said: “I haven’t been here for over 20 years and I was a bit of a scardey-cat in those days.” But he added: “It was a great thing getting involved with horses for me and now I don’t know what I’d do without them.” Stable Life, which works with referrals from many agencies such as school, social work, NHS, and other voluntary agencies, helps vulnerable young people learn life skills using horses and provides them with a place they can feel safe.

It has already helped one teenager conquer panic attacks and given another the confidence to hug.

The pioneering equine therapy project previously worked out of several stables and riding centres across the Borders, but now it has its own space it can help more.

Selkirkshire Councillor Michelle Ballantyne, chair of the voluntary board of directors at Stable Life, told the Border Telegraph: “This is extremely important to the Borders.

“When we were just renting space we were always limited to how many children we could help and what we could do, now we’re not so limited. We can see a lot more children and help a lot more children.

“For us, having our own horses is really important because the horses we use and choose have to be of a very gentle, very reliable nature so it allows us to have horses which are suitable for the job.” And she added: “It’s great that Ryan has agreed to be our Patron. He came here to learn to ride and hated it. But he’s going to come and visit the children and do some work with them as well.” For those with challenging problems, horses have been a means of reaching them and teaching them how to calm down and cope.

By caring for the animals, tending them and even just stroking them is the start of a bond which develops as the youngsters learn to ride. For many it is the first time they will have encountered the idea of mutual trust – a vital part of the deal between horse and rider.

Nicola Glendinning, Operations Manager at Stable Life, said: “We provide a safe space using the horse and its surroundings to help young people become healthier and happier.

“Ponies will react immediately so if someone is really aggressive it will instinctively back away. But if they can modify their body language and tone of voice there is an almost instant reward.

“They can unlock something in a young person so they begin to care and know it’s okay to care and have some focus and purpose, because everybody needs to feel wanted.

“They make friends, they build confidence and self-belief and when young people begin to believe that they’ve got potential they’ll reach for their potential and they will look to the future with aspirations and dreams.” The charity had no equipment and only one horse when the lease first became available at Dryden last summer. But now it has a stable of horses and jumps.

It is run mostly by volunteers, including peer mentors who last year dedicated more than 2000 hours of their time to the project.

However, it relies on donations of time, equine equipment and money to survive.

Stable Life has launched a new Friday afternoon club, Hoofbeats, where any child, aged eight to 12-years-old can learn all about ponies.

It also rents out its livery and indoor and outdoor arena to create income, as well as hosting horse events and competitions and team building days.

Nicola said: “The young people we work with want the pony to trust them and if they can trust the pony and work with it, they get so much back.

“The power of touch is so huge. It is something we underestimate these days. Some young people may never get a cuddle in their lives or are unable to show appropriate emotion.” To find out more about the charity, and how you can help, log on to www.stablelife.org.uk