Exercise horse is helpful to riders

A mechanical exercise horse is making a difference in the lives of people with disabilities and those who face physical challenges.

Vicki Bernard approached Hitchcock Healthcare, told them she had a unique piece of equipment and asked the facility whether it would be interested in purchasing it, said Heather Raynack, Hitchcock Healthcare director of rehabilitation services.

Bernard had the Equicizer, a mechanical exercise horse developed to simulate riding for jockeys, exercises riders and horsemen from other disciplines so they're able to maintain strength, fitness and flexibility while rehabilitating from injuries; it was for sale because Bernard no longer had the room in her house for it.

When a few sales to horse people fell through, Bernard, who had been working out at the facility, thought the Equicizer might be beneficial to the therapy center.

"I told her, 'Let me try it with some of our patients,'" Raynack said. "My initial thought was to use the Equicizer with adults."

The first patient who used the Equicizer was a child who had a traumatic brain injury, was nonverbal, had limited use in one half of her body and was suffering from significant physical impairments, Raynack said.

"By the end of the session, she was holding both reins in both hands, moving the horse with her pelvis and started saying 'giddy up,'" Raynack said.

The staff at Hitchcock was inspired by the therapeutic benefits the girl received by using the Equicizer, she said.

"This child, in a 30-minute session, went from not using the one side of her body to actively using it," Raynack said.

"Our thinking was this has a lot more potential than we thought, but, for a child, the Equicizer is an overwhelming piece. That's when Vicki mentioned that she had an Equipony (a smaller-size apparatus) that she would be willing to loan to us. We're using it with our pediatric population more than anything else," she said.

The children have found the Equicizer and Equipony very beneficial because it gives them an opportunity to improve their sensory process, body awareness and balance and they learn how to use both sides of their body, Raynack said.

"They're able to learn about tactile and appropriate interaction with animals," she said.

Some of the children are able to activate the Equipony on their own, Raynack said.

"Therapists will get on with some of the children," she said. "It's been a great addition."

Contact Ben Baugh at bbaugh@aikenstandard.com.