What are your views on this?

Ridiculous. For one thing, it doesn't look so tight that it keeps you in the saddle, which means you might fall partway and then be caught by the harness - and then be off balance, which would spook the horse and cause a far worse accident than just coming off.

What's hippotherapy?
 
Abacus said:
Ridiculous. For one thing, it doesn't look so tight that it keeps you in the saddle, which means you might fall partway and then be caught by the harness - and then be off balance, which would spook the horse and cause a far worse accident than just coming off.

What's hippotherapy?
Click to expand...
Hippotherapy is using horse for therapy, eg for people with cerebral palsy
 
Abacus said:
Ridiculous. For one thing, it doesn't look so tight that it keeps you in the saddle, which means you might fall partway and then be caught by the harness - and then be off balance, which would spook the horse and cause a far worse accident than just coming off.

What's hippotherapy?
Click to expand...

Hippotherapy is riding for the disabled. I believe that the harness is constructed to release in the event of a fall, but still doesn't look like a great idea. Might be OK for giving a bit of stability to very wobbly riders I suppose.
 
zigzag said:
Hippotherapy is using horse for therapy, eg for people with cerebral palsy
Click to expand...

Possibly some use for this as the rider will have support on the ground anyway but otherwise if you don't want to ever fall off don't ride in the first place, choose a less risky hobby.
 
how are you supposed to learn if you cant make mistakes and fall off?? seems to me like its likely to cause more issues with being stuck half way! what happened to bareback riding for fun!! :D

and how does the system know when to release you if the horse has fallen?? ive seen airjackets not go off when someone has hit the deck and the horse is disappearing into the distance! so how does this system know??
 
Wow. First off, this could have got me killed last year. From what I see having a quick read, if you want to be detached, you have to press a button. I would not have had time to press a button when Molly went up, so I would have been unable to move away from her as I did and instead of having her full weight on my hips, I would have had her full weight on my chest...I really don't think that would have ended well given that her feet were not even on the floor and so I had the full force of her landing.

I actually really don't like the idea of it. As abacus says, you could still move quite a way out of the saddle which could at best spook the horse, but in reality, when you are being thrown around, g forces come into play and with a contracption like this, I can see a rider with very badly strained muscles and a horse with a very very bad back as they are not having to deal with a riders weight on them, but a riders weight being pulled around on the end of a few straps. That has to mean a lot of twisting and pulling of muscles :(
 
I think there'd be more risks using this if you happened to have a horse that bucks or rears! As a child I had a pony that would bolt, my favoured method of falling off was a sort of slow motion slide off the side, with this contraption I would have been fastened to the thing till he legged it home!
 
Do you know what I always say to people who ask me if I'm scared of falling off? If your going to ride a horse, you are going to fall off - if you don't want to fall off, don't get on in the first place!
 
The only way I can see it bring feasible is for hippo therapy, it seems a good way to promote independence for the disabled rider, however I would worry that it wouldn't release in the event of an accident- causing a more serious accident. Having supported individuals with disabilities to ride, I would rather support the individual myself than rely on this device.
 
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be positive said:
Possibly some use for this as the rider will have support on the ground anyway but otherwise if you don't want to ever fall off don't ride in the first place, choose a less risky hobby.
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I don't agree with this.

People with disability are entitled to access mainstream activities & In my experience I have seen the positive physical & physiological benefits of horseriding on people with multiple & complex disabilities.
 
(a) learn how to stay on. I learned that one by sitting out my share of bucks, including both stirrups down!

(b) I can imagine certain situations where I would rather part company. I kind of value my life...
 
el_Snowflakes said:
I don't agree with this.

People with disability are entitled to access mainstream activities & In my experience I have seen the positive physical & physiological benefits of horseriding on people with multiple & complex disabilities.
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I was quoting that it would possibly benefit people with disability, as they will have knowledgeable support to assist and advise on it's use, I know how much riding can help people both with and without disabilities and something that can level the playing field a little and make it more accessible could be great.
I still stand by my second point it is a risk sport and falling off for most people will be part of it, there are obviously those that really should not fall for fear of serious injury when having a known condition but that is a risk they can make an educated choice about.
 
Rediculous. I value my choice to jump out the side door with speed.. Having to press a button wouldn't allow this. A few times the side door has saved lots of injuries for me!

Also.. Imagine if someone didn't do the girth up and the saddle slipped. With you locked in in one of those. Your weight could quickly drag you underneath the horse.. Doesn't bare thinking about.

Nope, I like having the option to part company with speed.
 
be positive said:
I was quoting that it would possibly benefit people with disability, as they will have knowledgeable support to assist and advise on it's use, I know how much riding can help people both with and without disabilities and something that can level the playing field a little and make it more accessible could be great.
I still stand by my second point it is a risk sport and falling off for most people will be part of it, there are obviously those that really should not fall for fear of serious injury when having a known condition but that is a risk they can make an educated choice about.
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I understand what you are saying but the individuals who I have supported to ride cannot make an educated choices as they do not have the capacity to so do, it's the responsibility of their care provider to risk assess & in my view we all should/need to take calculated risks in order to live a full life.
 
The blurb says 'elegantly integrated into a saddle cover', ha, to me it looks really cumbersome, and pretty ugly. I agree with others who think it is potentially dangerous.
 
I'd say I wouldn't be seen dead using this but in fact that's how you might find me if I did.....

I value my choice to dump myself into a bush if needed and prefer to have a bit of core strength & balance than a harness and an empty wallet!

plus it's embarrassingly ugly!
 
Clare85 said:
Do you know what I always say to people who ask me if I'm scared of falling off? If your going to ride a horse, you are going to fall off - if you don't want to fall off, don't get on in the first place!
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Hmm... I dont think anyone WANTS to fall off, you generally hope you don't fall off very often!

This device is pretty crazy. I personally would be terrified of using that, sometimes its a better idea to bail and with seconds to decide that - Id rather not have to faff about trying to push a button if a horse is bolting with me towards a barbed wire fence or something. Surely its extremely dangerous - what about if a horse reared up with you and came down backwards, you could sometimes land and roll out of the way but not with this thing on!

My 20 month old son would find this great but there's absolutely no way he'd be put in one!
 
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