How to get a horse used to a wheelchair user?

[staceyn]

Long story short there is a a strong chance i will be in a wheelchair in a few years due to my deteriorating health, i have a yearling and decided to get a fell pony as i have read they are very good for disabled riders, everyday is getting harder to do chores so i now have my family partner and a sharer to help do all of the daily jobs.
I will need a wheelchair at some point and do not want to let my illness win and end up having to sell and no longer have horses. This would destroy me.
So he has just turned 1 and is very quiet considering he was semi ferral and a colt still.
Looking for any advice on the best way to get him used to a wheelchair in the safest way possible, i know it can be done but just not sure how or where to start?
Will be getting him gelded so beginning on next year so this should help a lot with being less fidgety ect..

I will be getting him professionaly broken and schooled by a disabled riding centre which should help considerably.

Any advice would be great! any tips or what you would do in my situation
Many Thanks in advance

 

[YorksG]

Firstly may I say how sorry I am to hear about your deteriorating health. Is there any oportunity of you getting hold of a wheelchair now, to have around the yard as just another piece of the everyday stuff? If you then sometimes have a sit in it when he is around and occasionally wheel it around, without a person in it and with, then it will be no more spooky for him than any other object which he encounters. Most horses get used to most of the things which they see all the time, I have known horses introduced to RDA which have shown no reaction at all to the wheelchairs of wheelchair uses, from the first encounter.

 

[staceyn]

Thank you ! Yes i have bought a manual wheelchair anyway for if i need to be out longer then a hour and a half so i can start taking it down with me. At the moment he still has his spooky days but i do think gelding him will calm him down and some more work with spooky stuff . I also have a mini shetland yearling which i could practice with too maybe lead him whilst being pushed! lol.
I think they will be less spooky with age too.
Thanks for your advice i will take it down tonight and see what the reaction is he does his little stallion act when something is new big nostrols having a little dance on the spot! lol .
I am glad you think its possible really needed to hear that!

 

[mandwhy]

I think its defo possible! Having it around from a young age will be good for him and he'll probably think nothing of it in his training. Maybe you could drive him too

 

[Suziq77]

One of my friends uses a mobility scooter and neither of my horses have ever reacted to it in the slightest.

She's horsey so doesn't ever do daft things around them and I know she knows to keep an eye on them so I don't worry so there's nothing for the horses to pick up on.

If you treat it as a matter of fact thing then hopefully your boy won't bat an eyelid either. Best of luck with everything.

 

[WestCoast]

Sorry to hear about your health. I'm sure any horse would get used to a wheelchair if it was part of his everyday life.

When I had a pony years ago there was a girl in an electric wheelchair who would come and see the horses and none of them batted an eye at it.

Paula

 

[staceyn]

I think its defo possible! Having it around from a young age will be good for him and he'll probably think nothing of it in his training. Maybe you could drive him too

Would love to drive him too! havent done any though so not sure where to start i am sure there will be a place i can pay someone to break him to drive too. I just watched this vidoe on youtube! really hope my boy will be like this one day http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Izd3GN4v7Fc

 

[Fransurrey]

I don't think you'll have any problems at all desensitizing him. I have to say I am soooooo impressed with your attitude of this just being another challenge. Huge respect to you!

Another thought in addition to above is having other members of the yard visit with pushchairs. Even if they don't have the kids in, but if there is a little human, then I'd have thought that him accepting that would mean that a wheelchair is a doddle!

With the wheelchair, I'd start having it just there, then have someone push it (with someone in, maybe you) nearby, then maybe go for a walk inhand with him led by someone else.

I don't know if your current chair is all-terrain, but I know a guy who loves getting out in the country, but can't walk any distance, so has a 3 wheel motorised jobby with all terrain wheels and even a little set at the back for going up steep hills (or doing wheelies, I reckon). I can ask him about it, if you like?

Ooh and have you ever come across Simon wotsisname's saddle chariots?

 

[s4sugar]

My Mum is in a wheelchair user and I purchased a broodmare who's previous owner had MS.
Martha was barely halter broken when I got her but quite cuddly over the fence. First time she saw Mum in her powerchair she came galloping over shouting a greeting so the chair had good memories for her.

I have an old (& knackered ) wheelchair in the garage which you are welcome to have as a hay carrier, bucket carrier, bringer of nice things for familiarisation with wheels but IME most horses soon accept them.

 

[LaurenBay]

Sorry to hear about your health

I think it can be done though, I have come accross both a manual and motorised wheelchair and my girl didn't even look at it!!

I would start by leaving it near him, perhaps park it somewhere from his stable to field, so that he has to walk past it. Gradually get nearer and nearer until he can touch it. This may take up to a couple of weeks. Then I would move it somewhere else so he gets used to it being is different places. Repeat the walking past and touching. Once he seems calm with it, I would ask someone to walk around pushing it, not near your Horse but so that he can see. Listen to his body language and if he is too stressed, walk him away. Then I would move on to someone sitting in the chair and then standing up, sitting, standing etc. Keep progressing from there until he can walk up to it, with someone sitting in the chair. Perhaps it would be handy if they had a treat, so the first time he goes to it, he thinks its a good thing.

Good luck

 

[staceyn]

That would be brill if you could ask im getting a sand school done this year so i would have somewhere to ride when he is ready, Also i havent heard of the chariot saddle majiggi! so any info would be fab ! thanks you all so much for your kind comments!
I am only 20 so i cant give up hope yet!

He has had a few children near him he still is a bit warey but after a good sniff happily lets them pet him . Think i will take it down tonight let them both have a sniff and see what they think! I will be down in half a hour so will let everyone know what thier first encounter with a wheelchair is like

He generally after his tea at night is very quiet sometimes lets you sit next to him when he lies down so he definatly has the kind nature in him but he still has his wild instincts more suppose he only came of the fells 4 months ago.

 

[Dry Rot]

So good to hear that you are taking a positive attitude. I'm sure you will continue to have fun with your horses and win through.

I think the key to native ponies is FOOD! I recently sold a Highland that was going to a shooting estate. The new owner was worried about shooting parties upsetting the pony. Simple! I just taught her to come for feed at the sound of a shot. I'm now waiting to hear the shooting parties are getting mugged!

 

[WestCoast]

Love that video - wonderful, patient horse.

Paula

 

[staceyn]

I have some photos will be home in 10min to upload

 

[piebaldsparkle]

I have some photos will be home in 10min to upload

Can't wait, smiley face suggests all went well

 

[HDPE]

Love that video - wonderful, patient horse.

Paula

Would love to drive him too! havent done any though so not sure where to start i am sure there will be a place i can pay someone to break him to drive too. I just watched this vidoe on youtube! really hope my boy will be like this one day http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Izd3GN4v7Fc

Thank-you, Luce was amazing but has sadly gone to a new home. We work with just gradually spending more time together, and working tasks up slowly. My main ride now isn't as good yet, being a highly strung mare, but we'll get there eventually.

 

[staceyn]

All went well I do have a video with little shetland how would I upload video too ? Just waiting for my brother to get off the computer men !

 

[staceyn]

Photos! not great I have Two Videos if someone can tell me how to upload?

Eddie shetland usually scared of everything walked with me as i rolled have a video he nearly wanted to get in with me

Frank terrified of umbrella's yet not bothere about his first encouter with a wheelchair haha was more interested in if food came out of it if he pawed at it

Chuffed to bits

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[piebaldsparkle]

No idea re:uploading vids, but great pics.

 

[Fransurrey]

Here you go, OP. I think it's the iBex that is designed for wheelchairs. Check em out. I saw the original saddle chariots years ago and they don't have nip along - suitable for many bridleways, too!

http://peoplelikeponies.blogspot.co.uk/p/plphp.html

 

[MrsMozart]

Sorry to hear about your health issues.

I took my daft dumbblood to camp a couple if weeks ago. A lady there had a damaged leg and used a motorised scooter. None of the horses were bothered by it.

I hope it all goes as well as it possibly can for you hunny.

 

[YorksG]

Great pictures and glad it went so well

 

[Bikerchickone]

Horses definitely do get used to wheelchair users. My boy did a stint at a local RDA and didn't bat an eyelid at any of the fancy equipment they had there. All sorts of hoists and funny saddles etc.

Your pics are gorgeous, I'm so sorry to hear about your bad health but fell ponies are such little stars that I'm sure you'll be able to do whatever you want to do with yours, especially having him so young to get used to it all.

 

[staceyn]

thank you all so much , health wise I don't mind anymore so long as I have my horses il always be happy. They both did very well today I was so proud, frank the fell has just turned 1 this month we got him from the fells untouched like 4months ago his progress is amazing . Little Eddie is just my bundle of cute fluff he is just over 1yo we had him since 5months . I will keep everyone updated, would also like to teach frank to lie down so I could get on and off on command now that would be special !

 

[jodie3]

My boss uses an electric wheelchair and none of the horses seem bothered by it. Most here are home bred so I suppose they have been brought up with it. I have a Shetland on loan who arrived last week and he accepted it happily too.

 

[Emilieu]

Wonderful pics, so glad it went well and thanks for sharing x

 

[suestowford]

My fell was very rude and bargy as a youngster, but when he encountered a neighbour who was wheelchair-bound, he became an angelic gentle creature.

 

[MrsMozart]

A friend has seen your thread OP, but can't get enough signal to post an answer, so has asked me to do it:

She's referring to someting call the iBex and has given me contact details, which I'll PM to you.

 

[Fransurrey]

Hi OP, I saw Gary with the wheelchair and his is made by TGA. G think he said it's a 'supersport 3000'. Apparently lots of companies make them. His goes for about 30 miles on the battery.

 

[dollyanna]

I have 2 yearling fells, and a friend who is a wheelchair user. Mine came off the fells at 5 months, she met them at about 8 months and they weren't bothered about her at all - she groomed one of them all over, chair under his body, moving all around him, no worries. She is a horse person herself, and is very confident in her chair, which I think makes a difference (disabled from birth, ridden from young childhood, driven for over 20 years now), but I was really pleased how well the babies took to her.

She has her own pony on DIY (I groom/backstep as she is a carriage driver) and apart from getting them used to the chair, I would really spend a lot of time making sure he is really good on vocal commands to move over etc and walking well on a loose lead rope stopping and starting on vocal commands. That will be invaluable, the biggest challenge we have when she gets a new horse is not the chair, but general stable manners.

Just to add, her first 2 ponies were 14.3, then we had a 15.2 on loan for a year, now she has her first "small" pony and he is 13.2, but about the only thing she can't do is load them - she can't get up the ramp fast enough lol!

If you know that your riding may be limited, have a look at http://www.cdsg-dd.co.uk/ - you would be more than welcome at one of the training weekends to come and meet a few drivers with disabilities, see how they adapt, and reassure yourself that equestrian life by no means comes to an end just because your mobility is limited. A lot of our drivers compete alongside able bodied drivers at all levels - a carriage is an amazing leveller, but don't feel you need to be limited by RDA level driving - the competition is hot in the para driving world!!