I joy ride machine

poiuytrewq

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I’m thinking about buying one.
I have a hip problem which makes my riding difficult but the more I ride the better it seems. It’s bit of a vicious circle though because it is so tight that riding a horse can sometimes feel a bit hairy but absolutely helps, in the way that when my horses were off work at the same time recently (so no riding at all) I was actually in pain in day to day life, sleeping walking driving all hurt.
I wondered about one of these and there’s one on eBay in collecteable distance but I saw a post on Facebook where everyone seemed to think they were rubbish and nothing like a horse! I’ve also read about someone (maybe on here) putting a saddle with stirrups on one and having great results.
Anyone used one?
 

henmother

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I got one for the spinal injuries unit gym I was at after an up and over . The staff had great fun yeee hawing on it , wasn't like the real thing to me . Although at that time I could barely sit up independently never mind ride a horse . I think that having lessons on a simulator further down my recovery was far more beneficial, and considerably cheaper .
There may be folk that rate them , I didn't , but maybe it was because my back and legs were knackered so couldn't feel much . I had to put stirrups on it as as I was wobbling like a jelly .
Have you thought about maybe some rider bio mechanic training ? I have terribly tight hip abductors , the simulator and trainer helped point this out .
 

Leo Walker

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They are very good for your core, but they feel like sitting on a dog lame pony lurching through a bog :oops: I've just sold mine to a HHOer so hopefully she will see this and comment. They are an easy thing to sit and do while you watch TV or something. They will improve your muscle tone and core, but they wont improve your riding past that if that makes sense? I wouldnt spend the money on a new one, but I got one for less than a hundred quid from ebay and it was worth it at that price. I only sold it as our house is tiny and it was taking up too much room for the limited use it got!
 

Red-1

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I used one when I was unfit, and no, it is nothing like a horse, but if you can sit to it with hands and feet still, you will feel the benefit when you next ride.

It gives a huge core workout as long as you keep hands and feet still. If you just flop about on it then it is not beneficial. It is the allowing the bum to move but keeping everything else still that is the workout. OH made me carry full glasses of water - probably not the best idea on an electrical device!

I only use it on the warmup or the no 1 setting. The higher settings are so fast you can't 'ride' them, it just leads to flopping about.

Yes, I was the one who fitted it with a saddle.
 

Pearlsasinger

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They are very good for your core, but they feel like sitting on a dog lame pony lurching through a bog :oops: I've just sold mine to a HHOer so hopefully she will see this and comment. They are an easy thing to sit and do while you watch TV or something. They will improve your muscle tone and core, but they wont improve your riding past that if that makes sense? I wouldnt spend the money on a new one, but I got one for less than a hundred quid from ebay and it was worth it at that price. I only sold it as our house is tiny and it was taking up too much room for the limited use it got!


I haven't had chance to use it yet! I worked an extra day this week, which is on top of working 2 extra days last week and attending a 3-day conference in MK. I am knackered! I am looking to improve my core, so it should do the job i bought it for. Then there is a simulator locally, which I think will be next move, as a qualified physio does sessions on that. My stiffness is age-related, sadly, that and the fact that I haven't ridden since having the Draft horse pts last November.
 

poiuytrewq

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I was planning on tv exercise! Is it noisy? Will it irritate everyone else 😂
Improved core strength would be a big aim as my physio said that would just help me be more secure and able to stop compensating for the bad side, or something like that ;)
 

Red-1

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I was planning on tv exercise! Is it noisy? Will it irritate everyone else 😂
Improved core strength would be a big aim as my physio said that would just help me be more secure and able to stop compensating for the bad side, or something like that ;)

It is not quiet at all, but far from annoying everyone else, you will be centre stage for their laughter! :p
 

jumbyjack

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I have the medicarn version, the seat is much bigger and more horse like but the similarity ends there because it's manic to sit on and not a remotely horse type movement. It made a huge difference to my hips and core though but even the warmup is savage! It's big, heavy and noisy so lives in the shed, I do use it a lot! I would certainly not want an audience when using it, it must look insane!
 

Pearlsasinger

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It is not quiet at all, but far from annoying everyone else, you will be centre stage for their laughter! :p


Sis & I have just spend a hilarious half hour or so, after mucking out this morning, trying out my bargain (Thanks LW). It is in a spare stable, I wouldn't really fancy trying to follow a TV programme over the sound of it. Sis says the last time she sat on something with a stride like that, was the Shetland x when she was 7! We realised that it was on the 'auto' setting, when I nearly fell off laughing because it didn't respond when I said steady! We have now put a saddle on it and stood it on some bricks because it does seem to be intended for the shorter legged rider:)
 

YorksG

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Sis & I have just spend a hilarious half hour or so, after mucking out this morning, trying out my bargain (Thanks LW). It is in a spare stable, I wouldn't really fancy trying to follow a TV programme over the sound of it. Sis says the last time she sat on something with a stride like that, was the Shetland x when she was 7! We realised that it was on the 'auto' setting, when I nearly fell off laughing because it didn't respond when I said steady! We have now put a saddle on it and stood it on some bricks because it does seem to be intended for the shorter legged rider:)
It also seemed as if it could have a buck in it on the fastest setting! (that might have been something to do with it being sited on bricks, to be fair) :D
 

Leo Walker

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I wish I could find that video of my friend on it. We had a similar hysterical half an hour when I got it. I'm not sure I'd fancy it up on bricks though, but I'm only short!
 

Pearlsasinger

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We had to put it on something because I couldn't lengthen my legs so that I wasn't gripping with my thighs, without putting my feet on the floor. The bricks are on an earth floor which is more accommodating than a concrete surface. We made sure that there were bricks under the whole thing, not just the 'skis', so that the full weight was supported. I think with a saddle on, that has done the trick. I certainly sat better when it was on bricks, I was actually sitting on my seat bones.
 

Tobiano

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I have one! as others say, the movement is nothing like a horse but potentially could be a decent core workout - my problem is that my feet are on the floor if I am sitting on the thing in anything like a riding position, even with a saddle on it (I am 5ft 8). I have been meaning, for about 5 years, to make some kind of stand for it so that I can actually 'ride' it without my feet on the floor but.....


ETA it is quite good for a laugh after a very boozy evening too...
 

Pearlsasinger

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I have one! as others say, the movement is nothing like a horse but potentially could be a decent core workout - my problem is that my feet are on the floor if I am sitting on the thing in anything like a riding position, even with a saddle on it (I am 5ft 8). I have been meaning, for about 5 years, to make some kind of stand for it so that I can actually 'ride' it without my feet on the floor but.....


ETA it is quite good for a laugh after a very boozy evening too...


I am just a bit over 5' 8 and 1 course of bricks, flat on the floor lifted it up so that my feet weren't quite touching, with a saddle on it. I think a 2nd course would be better actually but I'm not sure if the stability would be good enough. I will try a 2nd course, next time.
 

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I have one and find it very good for hip pain. I mostly use it on the first setting for about 10 minutes at a time. I bought it because my hip pain returned when I stopped riding, for other reasons. It does the job very well and I am very pleased with it.
 

Bernster

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Sis & I have just spend a hilarious half hour or so, after mucking out this morning, trying out my bargain (Thanks LW). It is in a spare stable, I wouldn't really fancy trying to follow a TV programme over the sound of it. Sis says the last time she sat on something with a stride like that, was the Shetland x when she was 7! We realised that it was on the 'auto' setting, when I nearly fell off laughing because it didn't respond when I said steady! We have now put a saddle on it and stood it on some bricks because it does seem to be intended for the shorter legged rider:)

Hilarious - you need to share the video haha.
 
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