Games are fun! We all know that! And we know we learn a lot of different skills by playing games. Games are used during therapeutic horseback riding classes to help persons with disabilities learn to ride.
One of our favorite games is called "Noodles R Us"! You've probably played with swimming noodles in the pool. They help you stay afloat, increase your sense of balance and make a great splash! Have you thought of using them to play games during therapeutic riding classes?
We use the noodles to encourage the rider to lean to the left then lean to the right. It's a great way to help them increase their sense of balance and where their center is on a horse. Of course, we have side walkers present so they don't fall off if they reach too far.
It's also a fun way to teach the riders to pass each other without getting too close or too far away. By asking one rider to extend their noodle to the on coming rider they can pass it from one rider to the next. Again, a good stretch for the body and a good sense of balance as they reach out to the other player. For persons with trust issues the act of reaching out to others can be subtle yet profound.
Noodles can also be used to teach the rider that they do not need to hold onto the horn of the saddle. Having them hold onto the noddle in both hands and standing in the stirrups helps them gain that awareness and strengthens the legs at the same time.
Noodles can also be used to encourage the rider to look over their shoulder and twist at the waist. By walking behind the horse and offering the noddle to the rider it encourages them to use and develop muscles. Plus it's just fun to play while riding on the back of a horse. Anything that will help motivate the rider to move, laugh and play will lighten up the day.
Self esteem is enhanced by every successful move the rider makes so be sure to set the game up for success, A little challenge and a lot of success makes for a class they will look forward to returning to.
You can be very creative with noodles. Let me know if you can think of other ways to use noodles that would be beneficial to a person with disabilities as they learn to ride horses.
Kay Rosenthal PhD, RN is the Director of the Estes Park Therapeutic Horseback Riding Center in Estes Park, Colorado. She has been teaching therapeutic riding since 2001. She has a collection of games in an ebook. The book is available on her website http://www.wellnessoptionsforlife.com/. All funds are used to help support the therapeutic riding center's summer sessions.
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