Has anyone tried the "Home Horse"?

[Denise_L]

I tried a Home Horse at the Kentucky Horse Park and found it very engaging. I am an older rider that works hard to keep my seat and balance strong.I am looking to find something to use in between visits to the barn. After looking at all the balance products on the market, it seems like the Home Horse is the right tool for riders.
I am referring to https://www.homehorse.com/
Would anyone that has a Home Horse share their experience with me?

Thank you very much!

[Jackie_Cochran]

I have a Home Horse.

It truly helps with my balance. I have MS and I cannot really tell when I am in balance. One thing that helped IMMENSELY was putting a long bubble balance on the platform. I can’t really see it but my spotter certainly can. I did not really believe my spotters until I got the bubble balance because I always feel like I am out of balance when the bubble says I am balanced. Lately I seem to find my balance point easily (as in “Am I balanced”, “YES”.)

See my thread in Riders with Health Issues “Trying to Get Riding Fit with MS at the Speed of a Snail” for my continuing adventures in the saddle, both on a live horse and on my Home Horse.

I can’t last for a long time at all, but I can get in a saddle on those days when the weather is not cooperating or when my riding teacher is sick. This helps me A LOT mentally.

I use a saddle on it to protect my seat bones (alsmost 50 year old Crosby PDN “Wide Front” that I can no longer use on a horse since it is too narrow for today’s horses, at least the lesson horses at my lesson stable.) My friend who helps me ride it put some sticky vinyl where my feet go when they are not in the stirrups, that helps too.

I have the “double bridle” attachment. It does not feel like a double bridle to my hands but it gives me practice holding and manipulating two pairs of reins (I ride horses with a double bridle nowadays.) However this attachment with the weight of the reins makes the HH “go on its forehand”. Putting a thick, heavy veterinary dictionary on the rear of the platform corrects this tendency of the Home Horse. It is worth getting either “bridle” attachment, I have to open and close my elbows when I “walk”, and when I post the “trot” I get practice opening and closing my elbows as I post.

To me the Home Horse was worth every penny, especially since in the last year I have not been able to ride a real horse anywhere as much as I usually did. My riding does not deteriorate as much as it did when I could not ride before I bought the Home Horse.

It reacts to every movement of the rider. Using a saddle I have it way forward when I ride with my feet flat on the platform, but I HAVE to push the saddle back before I pick up the stirrups otherwise I feel like I am going down a really steep hill as the Home Horse pitches forward rapidly.

I balance, then when I get balanced I practice my 2-point and posting. I am improving riding the Home Horse, which is pretty good since I only have enough energy to get into the saddle twice a week, for 30 minutes (on a live horse) or for a shorter time on the Home Horse.

I hope this helps.

[NaturallyHappy]

I have one, too, based upon Jackie’s review. I like it, too. The only thing I would add is it is very pretty and looks nice in my living room😀.

[Jackie_Cochran]

Yes, it looks nice in my living room with my old Crosby PDN on it. I look at it every time I pass it and I smile, it looks so pretty!