Dressage RDA Simulator
Our fully interactive simulated horse “Buster Brady” moves and responds much like a living horse. Often, our riders request to ride Buster Brady instead of one of our live therapy horses. Buster Brady has 6 different gaits to experience, and provides a way to focus on skills and balance by viewing immediate visual feedback on seat and riding positions. It is used worldwide by professionals and amateur riders as an essential aid to training. Because our simulator is in a climate controlled environment, it can be enjoyed all year long by any of our riders.
Benefits of the RDA simulator
-Allows riders to gain confidence in a safe environment
-Has a therapeutic lateral action that is found in all gaits, to improve muscle tone and strength
-Allows instructors to remain in full control
-The speed of the simulator is controlled either by the rider, using the leg sensors, or by the instructor
Uses
-Assessments
-Beginner to competative riders
-Strength Building/Exercise
-Nervous/Intimidated Riders
-Skill building
-Experienced riders rehabilitating from injury
The Equicizer
The Equicizer is an incredibly valuable therapeutic riding tool first developed in 1982 by jockey Frank Lovato Jr. who was injured in a racing accident, for his own rehabilitation. The wooden practice horse he later named the Equicizer, amazingly helped him regain his strength, flexibility, and fitness. This idea was so well received by other jockeys that it inspired Frank to devote himself entirely in the development of the Equicizer and forming the Wooden Horse Corporation.
Originally designed for jockeys to aid in the practice and development of their specialized skills, it didn’t take long to realize the potential the Equicizer and its little brother the Equipony had in benefiting other riding disciplines. It is used in therapeutic riding settings as well as traditional equitation and offers a variety of benefits that can replace or complement mounted lessons.
At Project R.I.D.E. we have discovered that our custom-made Equicizer, which the students at Jessie Baker School named “Stella” after their original school secretary, is a wonderful way to introduce new or fearful students to our therapeutic riding program, and can even help develop advanced skills in independent riders. The motion of the Equicizer is controlled solely by the rider, which promotes core muscle and large muscle strength.
“Best-Behaved Horse in the Barn!”
Stella is beloved by our students because she is beautiful, approachable, smaller than an actual horse, easy to mount and dismount, and FUN to ride. Students who are nervous or fearful of actual horses can get used to the idea by riding Stella.
Therapeutic and Educational
Many therapeutic recreational horseback riding programs are now incorporating simulated lessons into their programs. At Project R.I.D.E. our simulator Buster Brady is 1 of 8 state of the art training tools in the United States. It is used with new students, fragile students we cannot place into mounted lessons, students who exceed the weight limit of our horses, advanced riding students working on specific riding techniques like a posting trot, and sometimes the staff even rides Buster Brady on their lunch break, for a great core workout that’s a lot of fun!
If you’d like more information on Stella or Buster Brady, please contact us.