How do you deal with your hearing impairment while you are taking lessons?
I currently use walkie-talkies on VOX and want to get a real wireless system. Any suggestions on brands and models that aren’t going to break the bank?
Eileen
Try a Pocket Talker-sorta kinda like a mini FM system. MaxiAids carries them for $150.
[QUOTE=3dogfarm;4420655]
Try a Pocket Talker-sorta kinda like a mini FM system. MaxiAids carries them for $150.[/QUOTE]
Is that what you are using? I don’t understand how that could possibly work. From what I read on that web site, that’s just a amplifying system.
I’m looking for a wireless system, teacher to student, not something that is just going to amplify my environment.
Eileen
Roan,
Sorry for the miscommunication-I work with blind and deaf adults and that is one of the items we recommend for them. After I sent the info, I realized it would be more trouble than it’s worth!
However, look at the MaxiAids site to see what they have to offer.
Carol
My severe hearing loss has really diminished my ability to take lessons/train in the normal way…so far I’ve not really found a satisfactory or affordable personal use solution. I wear my hearing aides but still find it difficult to interpret speech and my helmut often causes annoying feedback. Its very frustrating for my instructor because I don’t always respond to her instruction appropriately or in a timely fashion. I would love to learn what devices/options/solutions others are having success with. I have neuronal hearing loss to the degree that I am legally considered disabled.
My aunt has cookie bite hearing loss and shows jumpers. She has a USEF dispensation to use a Smartlink FM system in the warm up, and when she goes in the ring she uses a FM enabled hearing aid.
Hm. I learn so much from my trainer by watching her and then discussing the particulars, face to face. I wonder if you could incorporate some thing like 15 minute lessons, discuss on the ground, where you can hear and not be distracted bythe horse, what she will be doing and showing you, then have her mount her horse, while you watch, and go through a 15 minute routine addressing those exercises, then you and she discussing, then you get up and go throught the 15 minute work, then dismounting and discussing what she saw, then a second 15 minute work and the same issues, improving from the discussion. I can imagine it working very well. At least, it would work well for me, as I learn very well that way, better than when I am corrected immediately and repeatedly and over and over at the time as I go around the trainer in the arena.
Just a thought.
I’ve taught with an FM unit that carried my voice directly to someone’s hearing aids. Worked beautifully for the two kids, who were used to using that system at school. Sorry I don’t remember the name/make/model of the piece of equipment - their parents provided it. The downside might be that it allowed them to only hear my voice or sounds near my body, since I had the mike clipped to my jacket - great for helping kids focus, maybe not so great at a busy barn or warmup ring at a show.
An FM is really a the best thing, unfortunately not very affordable. Two of my daughters are hearing impaired. The school has paid for a FM system for their education, but it can’t leave school property. I’ve looked into FM’s with my audiologist and the cheapest one she could find with boots & transmitter was $2K. Insurance won’t pay for it & I just can’t afford that. So…what we do is keep it simple. They come in for instruction…then go out & perform the task, then come in for discussion. We keep it simple with short, succinct directions… We’ve devised some visual aids to mean certain things… for instance, one finger up is walk, 2 is trot, 3 for canter… I think the most important thing in addition to an FM is educating your instructor. Hearing people really just don’t GET IT. They think they can just be louder. They honestly and truly just don’t understand how how hard it is to understand speech in that type of setting…for example I had to explain to our trainer that when she tells my profoundly deaf daughter to “use her stick” that she thinks she’s saying “kick”, so in addition to visual cues & verbal short cuts, it’s important to use words that don’t sound like other words (she says crop now instead of stick).
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Thanks Chism, its the inability to interpret speech that is the most frustrating aspect of lessons/training for me at the moment. Looks like an FM system is out of reach for me as well.
[QUOTE=betsyk;4421755]
I’ve taught with an FM unit that carried my voice directly to someone’s hearing aids. Worked beautifully for the two kids, who were used to using that system at school. Sorry I don’t remember the name/make/model of the piece of equipment - their parents provided it. The downside might be that it allowed them to only hear my voice or sounds near my body, since I had the mike clipped to my jacket - great for helping kids focus, maybe not so great at a busy barn or warmup ring at a show.[/QUOTE]
Friend of mine has something similar and it works well for her. Unfortunately I don’t wear hearing aids – hate 'em. Riding is about the only situation where I can feel they would have a benefit and I’d have to couple them with that type of unit. Considering the cost of the aids, I might as well buy an expensive system 
I haven’t had a chance to check the rest of the stuff on that MaxiAid site as yet and I need to delve into some old email discussions I had with other hearing impaired riders a few years ago. Once I do, I’ll post what they use.
Eileen
I should look to see how exactly they have the equipment set up, but I have a “pocket talker” for my use (nice because they’re cheap enough to destroy in my gross veterinary labs) and a mic that can interface with the pocket talker.
I might suggest e-mailing MaxiAid with the situation and if they have any solutions.
Please see if you can find out the details, on the “I’ve taught with an FM unit that carried my voice directly to someone’s hearing aids”.
I’ve had a hearing loss for many years, but luckily the instructor of my youth had very good voice projection, and I was able to hear her. Even with hearing aids now, I still miss stuff, but on the other hand have not needed/wanted lessons in a long time either. If I were to take a lesson, I would just explain to instructor that the best way is to give me some instructions, face to face whilst I am in center ring, I go out to do whatever, and come back in for critique.
Years ago I had hearing aids that could be “booted” and the FM system worked with the boots.
Some hearing aids can’t be booted, but you can wear a loop around your neck that can work with the hearing aids and an FM system. I think these systems tend to be quite pricy though.
Audiologists should have this kind of info, I would imagine.
[QUOTE=sdlbredfan;4430435]
Please see if you can find out the details, on the “I’ve taught with an FM unit that carried my voice directly to someone’s hearing aids”.
I’ve had a hearing loss for many years, but luckily the instructor of my youth had very good voice projection, and I was able to hear her. Even with hearing aids now, I still miss stuff, but on the other hand have not needed/wanted lessons in a long time either. If I were to take a lesson, I would just explain to instructor that the best way is to give me some instructions, face to face whilst I am in center ring, I go out to do whatever, and come back in for critique.[/QUOTE]
Siemen’s makes something that works with aids. I’ll check my email and if I can’t find itl I’ll ask her again what system she is using.
Eileen
Hrm, okay, I was positive she said she had something that worked with her existing hearing aids, but it sounds like she meant a mould similar to a hearing aid. I’ll check again but in the meantime I did find this post from her on my Lipizzaner list:
"[I]I sent this to Eileen and then thought there might be someone here on the list who would be interested in this system, which works well for anyone with a hearing problem since hearing aids give feed back under a helmet, and also, you need to hear the instructor who is way off in the center of the ring, not the squeak of your saddle.and stirrup leathers.Mine has soft ear molds like a hearing aid, and two control wheels on the receiver case for the volume for each ear. The case has a clip that clips it to your bel. There is a wire from case to ear molds. The mic clips to the instructors collar, and there is a wire that goes to the transmitter which clips to her belt. 2 Rechargeable AA batteries inside the transmitter and receiver cases, which double as chargers.I am in luck, since my audiologist is also a rider, so she knew just what I needed.
This is the one I have http://www.phonicear.com/pfm_solaris.htm
here are some more possibilities
http://www.healthyhearing.com/library/news_content.asp?news_id=242
http://www.patinsproject.com/hearing_impaired.htm[/I]"
I’m going to look into the Phonic Ear she was referring to. At this point I don’t even care how expensive the system is.
Eileen
ETA: okay, the Solaris in the first link DOES work with hearing aids. I’d been concerned about feedback, though.
Chism,
My son is hearing impaired. Two hearing aids right now. No FM system now, but it may be down the road once he enters kindergarten.
While looking around online (alldeaf, maybe), I thought I read where kids had their IEPs written so that the FM could be taken home because it would help them do extracurricular things that would support their schoolwork (museums, etc).
Can you look into this? Not all learning takes place in the school room. Some of it might be in the arena. 
