Hi!
I am a para equestrian dressage rider, and my left side is paralyzed. So I’m about asymmetrical as you can possibly imagine! For a long time I would constantly be shifted to the right in the saddle, that was until I started using the Home horse consistently since this past November! It helped me to define where centered is and it also helped to strengthen my core in a way that is difficult to do on the horse because of all of the movement! If there was one piece of equestrian workout equipment I would recommend to up your game it would definitely be this one! And I really love the version with the rein attachment because you can use it with or without depending on what you are hoping to focus on! I think you’ll love the Home Horse as much as I do! -Paralympian Sydney Collier
Thank you Squidney1234 for your post.
I have MS and horrible balance because of it. I was hoping that the Home Horse could help me with it. Your story gives me hope that it can help me with my balance.
I just have to save money for a few more weeks. Waiting is.
I have a question for people who own and use their Home Horse.
I got this wild idea that I could use the Home Horse to try some things I see in dressage books without irritating a real live horse with my uncertain balance and general incoordination. I do own a dressage saddle but I lent it to the lady at one of the stables where I ride. I mentioned getting it back and she went on about HOW MUCH she absolutely loves this one saddle (she’s mainly a Western rider), how it fits her perfectly and supports her, and how well it works on the horse I lent it to her to try it out on. I do not want to deprive this lady of this saddle since she has helped me so much in getting saddle time over the last decade (including picking me up and taking me home for no extra charge over the $15.00 US a ride I pay her for a ride.) I owe this lady and she deserves to have a saddle she likes riding in. (I lucked out, I found the saddle for $95.00 US at a feed store, it has “problems” with the calf leather but once I had the billets restiched the saddler said it was safe to ride in).
Could I try to “ride dressage” without a dressage saddle on the Home Horse? My other saddles I could use are old two ancient Crosby jumping saddles and they put me into a jumping seat even though I just ride on the flat now. This would be a lot cheaper than me having to buy even a used dressage saddle to try out my crazy idea.
HomeHorse just arrived yesterday - really easy to put together and while I only spent a few minutes on, I can see where there are going to be benefits for me. The exercises are pretty interesting as well.
Thanks for reporting back, very interesting.
I just sent out my check to pay for my Home Horse with the double bridle extension.
I’m excited! I went to the stable to get my homework ride yesterday BUT–they were unloading hay into the barn’s hay loft, my usual riding horse has a problem with his bladder, it was cold and windy, and I just did not feel like getting up on a horse I’ve never ridden using a double bridle on a horse who has never worn one without my teacher there to yell at me if I mess up. Yes, I wimped out, and during all of this I was thinking that when I get my Home Horse I would still be able to get saddle time.
Now I just have to figure out the non-slip pad (neoprene acts like it is poison ivy when I touch it, big itching blisters), find a pair of old stirrup leathers that are almost equal in length, dither between using my old fashioned double offset Prussian sided stirrups or my old pair of regular Prussian sided stirrups, get one of my old Crosby saddles all set up, make sure my temporarily-extra double bridle reins are fine and then I will be able to “ride” at home in my bedroom.
YEAH!!!
I will be saving up for a silicon saddle pad, a pair of new-not-stretched-out stability stirrup leathers, maybe a pair of the cheaper safety stirrups, and for my third pair of double bridle reins (right now I can’t find a pair of 1/2" WB size notched curb reins like I have on both double bridles anywhere on line SNIFF!).
At least I have enough hoarded tack to make do for a while since I rarely throw anything away or sell it because by now I KNOW I will need it later.
I just ordered one, too. I really wrestled w the boxes to get it in the house. Now I need to put it together. I’m excited for all of us!
I received mine a few weeks ago, and I use it for at least 5 minutes twice to three times a day. I admit I’ve been a slacker about reading through the exercises, but I just focus on good position and allow myself to move in circles in both directions, increase size and reduce, etc.
I have to say that I have noticed in the past two weeks that my position on my horse is much improved. Where I was pretty locked up and rigid I seem to have stability that follows the movement, so that is really great. I have a long way to go (don’t we all?), but I have also experienced my hands are much more stable.
I’m pretty amazed, tbh.
ETA - I occasionally put my saddle on it, but not very often - I just sit on the wood, no pad. Still haven’t hooked up the reins yet. What has been super cool is using Franklin balls on it. That’s been a real eye opener.
I use my favorite old saddle. My sciatic/piriformis pain has been acting up so I’m trying to get on it every day.
I am still enjoying my Home Horse. I can do circles fairly well now, but I am still struggling with getting a good figure-8 pattern. I feel so much better when I make time to practice, though. @starsandsun, I am curious to hear more about how you use the Franklin balls on the Home Horse! What exercises do you do with them? It sounds like it would be super helpful.
I use them as I do on my horse, with saddle. I start by putting one under each seatbone, and then do my circles, etc. They are remarkable for honing in and making me aware of my seatbones. You can also do one at a time and that really helps target imbalance.
I recently purchased the Home Horse after looking at it for 3 years at the Equine Affaire. It was a big purchase and I was hesistant, however, when put into perspective, it is a month of boarding costs or a few months of leasing or lessons. I finally decided to go for it. I really like it so far! If you make the decision to use it as a core/balance training tool, instead of just a fun new toy, it is great. Even after the first time using it, I could tell it’s one of the few items that can actually work some of the muscles you’d only work on horseback. I keep it by the tv and big window overlooking the woods, so that I have something to look at. I know that I’m more inclined to exercise with some sort of distraction mixed in.
I got an e-mail from Chris today, he got my check and is going to ship it to me.
Hurrah!!!
I called up the lady whose horse I had been riding on Sundays, until she got gall bladder surgery and the surgeon did NOT fix her up right inside. She finally got a decent doctor and is feeling better. I told her she could come anytime to use my Home Horse to start getting her core muscles back since she lost all fitness there. Then I have to figure out if we can get it to the stable so my riding teacher can see it.
I remembered I had gotten extra Rider Grips so I can use one on the seat. Trying to find non-slip saddle pads was an exercise in exasperation, none of them seem to be made to hold the saddle still directly on the horse and I doubt I would be using one to ride a horse since I got the ThinLine Contour Pad.
I found a pair of 1/2" wide WB/Draft reins for the curb part of the rein attachments, I could not find the 1/2" WB notched reins no matter how deeply I looked on line. At least these have rein stops so I will adapt. Luckily I already have extra marked snaffle reins (web reins with “rainbow” colored rein stops). I need all the help I can get to keep my double bridle reins different enough so I do not confuse one rein with the other.
Now I just have to buy another pair of stability leathers and a pair of the cheaper type of safety stirrups, the ones with the really curved outer branch. Then I will be able to use one of my old Crosby saddles on it. Until then I will ride on it “bare back”.
I really hope it will help me get to a point that I am riding better when I get up onto a real, live horse. I KNOW the horses will appreciate it if it helps me improve my side-to-side balance.
I don’t think these are made of neoprene although I’m not 100 percent sure.
https://equinetextiles.com/products/non-slip-saddle-towel
Thank you SO much for sharing this. I just got on mine for the first time and I love it. I can’t control my head and neck very well, especially when I ride, and this works those muscles!! I do daily neck exercises (I have cervical dystonia) but I’ve never found any PT that works neck muscles like riding does. I’m really encouraged, so again, thank you so much for sharing!!! NH
PS- it’s pretty fun, too!
My Home Horse arrived yesterday evening. My wonderful husband figured out how to put it together, we did not get instructions but everything fit together pretty logically. I did not get the neoprene pad because I did not want my crotch to look like someone rubbed poison ivy on it. I used an extra RiderGrip which has pretty strong glue on the underside and has not moved at all on the Home Horse.
This morning I found my old curb rein (no buckle in the middle) and my black pair of web reins with the rainbow stops. Then I had my first problem, the bit ends of my 5/8" reins would not go through the rein holes on the double bridle extension. I dug around my bedroom, found some of my extra Micklem bit straps (1/2") which did go through the holes. I really need to find some rings to put on the bit straps to attach the reins to, right now it is sort of awkward looking having the reins attached to the bit straps.
Man, it is HARD for me to find the “center” with my horrible balance, really hard. When I am on the HH it feels like when I try to stand on one foot–wiggle to one side, wiggle to the other side, nothing is stable. I NEEDED my husband to hold the HH stable so I could get on and off of it.
I have “ridden” it three times. The double bridle extension feels quite real as if a horse with a quiet mouth is holding a bit in its mouth (my contact is just an ounce or two). The end of the extension can even move side-to-side a little bit.
I just wish that it was stable enough so I could get on it safely when my husband (or someone else) is not around.
I have not been on it for more than 2 minutes at a time, and my muscles are tired.
I will have to get used to it. I feel MUCH more stable up on a horse.
Can you put it by a wall or table and use your hand to stabilize yourself to get on? I live alone and that’s what I had to do. I also have the seat low enough my feet are on the base.
Would it be possible to have two yoga blocks, one on each side, to help get on it? Then maybe the extra height would allow you to sit down on it and settle? I also know that calisthenics people use bars (dip stations) that you could have on one or both sides to provide stability while getting on so maybe that could be an option.
I don’t have one but tried one and agree it was a little wonky getting on it initially!
My husband was gone all weekend so I could not “ride” my Home Horse.
After thinking about my “rides” on it I decided I better take off all of my BOT and Fenwick stuff for my neck, head and aching joints, since the horses I ride have “told” me that I am not as good a rider when I wear this stuff. The mild penetrating heat seems to mess up my nerve conduction. I also decided it would be good to wear my Q30 collar to help with my swimmy head from my postural hypotension.
My “ride” this morning went much better. I still had difficulties getting on, my husband HAD TO take a firm grip on the front of the seat before I was able to get my leg across. Once I was on stuff went a lot better, I had a little bit more control over this really mobile riding simulator, and I lasted several minutes before I had to get off because I was getting too tired. I was riding with only the RiderGrip non-slip pad on the seat, the double bridle extension and two pairs of reins, and my feet were flat on the platform.
I practiced 2-point, posting, and I moved my pelvis as if I was on a horse that is walking. It felt amazingly realistic at the walk if I ignored the fact that I do not have the horse’s barrel between my legs. If I put my feet in EXACTLY the right place on the platform (to each side of the vertical pillar) it did not yaw as much front to back.
I still had problems getting off even with my husband holding the front. I find that if he lifts the front it is easier for me to get my left foot on the ground and sort of slide off of the cantle of the seat.
I have not yet tried the Home Horse with a saddle on. I am dreading the possible contortions I might have to do to clear the much higher cantle of my rather flat jumping saddle (Crosby) when dismounting.
Not wearing the BOT/Fenwick stuff and wearing my Q30 collar definitely helped me today. I lasted longer and I did not feel quite as unsteady while I was “riding” it this morning.
To get off, I tip it forward and swing my leg over the front. I can’t do that well on a real horse, but I can on this. Hope this is helpful somehow. What do you mean by “swimmy” head?
