The case for therapeutic riding for my hubby

[spacytracy]

So, my husband is almost 3 years post-stroke. Lasting effects are that his balance is not great because he can’t tell where he is and has to use memory to figure it out. So if he trips or something unexpected happens, he can’t catch himself in time.

It affects so much of his life. If he’s in a crowded place, he’s afraid someone will bump him. He can’t go hiking or walking on not-solid ground. the beach sand is hard. Ocean is awful. hills are bad. When he has a beer or two, he appears extremely drunk.

I have been reading a lot about therapeutic riding and its effects on stroke patients. But its expensive and my husband is very skeptical. For the record, he was never really a horse person before this, now since the stroke he will not handle the horses for fear of them pulling him off-balance (true - they’re all ponies and a mini mule and they’re all jerks in different ways, lol).

In my mystical fairytale, this will help him, he will fall in love with riding, and find himself a steady eddy trail buddy. I’m dreaming but yea.

Can anyone who works in therapy (either physical therapy or horse-assisted) weigh in? I would really love to try this out, and I know that at the end of the day, he would give anything to have his balance back.

[skykingismybaby1]

Of course this will help him!

Perhaps if you call it adaptive rather than therapeutic riding it would sound better to him.

I have had post stroke riders in my program along with MS and one rider with Parkinsons.

Riding certainly helps with balance and also offers adaptive riders a sense that they are regaining some control over their life.

[charismaryllis]

absolutely yes. used to volunteer; we had several post stroke clients. at least one said she felt steadier on her feet the rest of the day after she had ridden. and i would watch another one unconsciously rebalancing herself with her bad leg as she was doing various reaching and stretching exercises with her upper body.

besides, what’s the harm in trying for a few sessions? try selling it as, if he hates it, he can always quit.

[HannahsMom7]

My horse helped me heal after the stoke I had in Feb 2007. My right side was affected.

I got on as soon as I could mount and dismount. the first time I rode, my daughter got on first to make sure my horse would not be a nutcase and then I got on while she led him around for a bit. I felt very unsteady. When I dismounted, I got off on the wrong side and just slid down his side to the ground. he just stood for me.

we rode all over the barn area while I was healing, just walking. My neurologist at my 1st post stroke meeting, said for me to either ride my horse or get into therapeutic lessons.

I had trouble at first because I was not strong enough to carry the saddle etc and tack up, so DH helped me out. I did as much as I could until I could do it all!

maybe if he was in a deep western saddle on a shortish horse?

[spacytracy]

Well, the truth is no one at home would work for him. 13 h pony is too small, and 14h pony can be a jerk for beginners at times. So the therapeutic place will surely have somebody for the job lol.
I’m so glad to hear positive stories. I would LOVE for this to help him.
Just faxed all the forms to his neurologist!

[Jackie_Cochran]

I have MS, and my balance is not good.

However on horseback I have found that I can PRACTICE losing and regaining my balance on horseback. This practice of losing and regaining my balance has really paid off in the rest of my life. Before I could not tell I was losing my balance until I was on the ground (falling). I still do not have much of a sense of balance, but out of the saddle I can now tell when I am starting to lose my balance AND my muscles have gotten strong enough so I can get back to my “center.” As a result I have not fallen while walking on my own two feet ever since I started riding horses again.

I have even managed to stay upright when a horse has bumped against me without warning.

Riding horses is the main reason why I am still able to walk on my own two feet.

[Bluey]

Where are you located?

Maybe try to find one of those, they are in some therapy places and in many track jockey rooms:

https://www.youtube.com/user/Equicizer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKEFJB1YZ1M

Jockeys use them for rehab, so do some places to evaluate and start clients first on those, then move them to real horses with a few basic skills installed.

[Reynard]

Could always suggest that if he gives it a whirl, you would stop ‘encouraging’ him to go.

[talkofthetown]

No experience in that field, but good luck! Hope that he goes for it, and that you have great success.

[ADTC]

[QUOTE=spacytracy;8938778]
Well, the truth is no one at home would work for him. 13 h pony is too small, and 14h pony can be a jerk for beginners at times. So the therapeutic place will surely have somebody for the job lol.
I’m so glad to hear positive stories. I would LOVE for this to help him.
Just faxed all the forms to his neurologist! :)[/QUOTE]

I think it’s a GOOD thing that you do not have a suitable horse for him, for a few reasons.

One, that means that you will use a therapeutic program instead of trying to teach him yourself. Even if you happen to be a fully-certified therapeutic riding instructor. :winkgrin: Stroke aside, teaching a family member is full of pitfalls from the get-go, as I’m sure you’re aware. :lol:

Two, yep, suitable horses. No point in trying to make do with a horse that isn’t quite what is needed in terms of size or personality, and the therapeutic program horses generally both know their job and enjoy it.

Three, sufficient staff in case your husband needs side-walkers initially and appropriate equipment if he happens to do better with ramp access instead of a mounting block, for instance.

Good luck! Please report back and let us know whether the therapeutic riding helps him and how he progresses. :yes:

[EquestrianRunner]

Check out PATHintl.org – Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship. TONS of helpful resources there! Also, depending where you are located, people on this forum may have recommendations on facilities

[stb]

I used to volunteer at a therapeutic riding center. One of our biggest successes was an adult who suffered a severe stroke in middle age.

[The_Centaurian]

I have a dear, brilliant, elderly friend who had a stroke a few years ago. He is still brilliant, but suffered severe physical symptoms. He swears by Tai Chi, a class called “Tai Chi for the Disabled” in particular. His locomotion, coordination, speech, and attitude improved so very much once he started classes!

I think any physical activity that is convenient and rewarding should help. I asked my cousin who is a physical therapist, and she said consistency is key.

Best of luck, and jingles for his recovery.

[skykingismybaby1]

Tai Chi is a great idea! and he may like that better. A great option.

Horses are your thing, perhaps Tai Chi could be his thing.

[betsyk]

I’ve worked with therapeutic riding for years, and my mom had a stroke 3 years ago. My thoughts: 1) duration and intensity matter. If the program only goes for 6 weeks this fall and takes a long break til spring, you may not see big results that quickly. 2) the quality and experience of the therapist matters. Talk to them first, ask around, do some research. Hippotherapy isn’t easy to do, and someone whose career has been in peds may not be the right person to work with your husband. 3) the horse matters, a LOT. Be sure they have a husband sized, husband suitable horse that will be available every time for his lessons. If you go there and see older, slower, large ponies used for children in hippotherapy and can’t observe a client with similar size and needs to your husband, wait or find a different program. It stinks to get someone’s hopes up and then in reality, the one horse that would work for him is lame half the time and you either end up on an unsuitable horse, or they cancel.

I don’t mean to be discouraging! but you’re right, this is an expensive undertaking and has a degree of risk. Make the effort to choose carefully.

My mom is not a candidate for hippotherapy. For her, the right person suggesting the activity makes ALL the difference. She gravitates toward music and art types of things, and I watched her do handbells with a group at her assisted living facility and she LOVES it, and it has all the aspects of therapy but isn’t considered therapeutic. Maybe there’s something your husband gravitates toward that he could still do that brings the benefits without the idea of it being good for him! My mom has started going to their exercise class in the morning (amazing…) but it’s more for the coffee hour and to see “the girls at work.” I don’t care - she’s going to chair yoga! I hope you and your husband find something he enjoys that motivates him in the right way to keep doing it!

[walktrot]

My initial introduction to my b/o was as a volunteer at her therapy program more than 16 years ago. Worked with several adults with strokes, MS, and traumatic brain injuries. Usually I was the horse leader because I was a little too short for sidewalking effectively. We had one woman, a former very accomplished eventer, who had a stroke at a fairly young age. She came twice a week and worked very hard to keep up with trotting as long as she could. It was rewarding to work with someone who was intent on keeping her horse life going as long as she did. We had many adults who really enjoyed therapeutic riding, including one gentleman, a stroke patient, who was a former rider who rode my big Paint gelding a couple of times a week. Alas, we lost almost all of these riders because insurance wouldn’t pay and other sources of funding dried up.

One of the things to consider is that it’s not just the issue of balance, but that you are sitting on the horse with your legs hanging down and benefit from the movement: forward/backward, up/down, and side/side. Good for the proprioception.

Therapy horses are probably the hardest working in the equine world because they must have the ability to adapt to all kinds of unusual movements, lack of balance, noise, etc. Really good ones can be hard to find.

I hope the skeptic in him will at least let him try it for a few sessions to see how he makes out. He may find a bond with a wonderful horse that can help him deal with the challenges he faces.