Another step nearer!!! what an interesting day, well
on February 7th 2017 at 2pm the team had a meeting with Dolphin
mobility http://www.dolphinlifts.co.uk/disabled-horse-riding-hoists.html at Loan oak stables. The team consisted of me, my trainer and friend
Beth Hobbs and my partner in crime Julie Moran. Christian Dunnage the managing
director from Dolphin mobility travelled up from Surry in his loafers!! You could tell he doesn’t go to many
equestrian yards like Beth’s!! Not a wellie in sight. (Mud everywhere, I normally
need hosing down when I get back from the yard before I go in the house). He
probably thought we were a bunch of nutters, oh how we laughed!! Especially when
Beth’s Dog Ronnie got in his car out of the rain!! Doggy foot prints
everywhere!! And I mean everywhere ha ha ha ha RONNIEEEEEEEEEeeeeee
Well the sun was shining
when we started the demonstration and then the heavens opened... oh it poured
down, thank god for equestrian umbrellas in Beth’s lorry. I was first to go up.
Christian explained everything and my nursing experience of hoisting and being
recently hoisted while in hospital last year made it quite easy for me to
accept. The idea of the mobile hoist today was to show us how the sling worked
and how the leg straps were put in place. Also how you be hoisted up out from
your wheelchair and onto the back of the horse.
The design worked well and
keeps you in an upright position, it felt quite safe, but I did give the others
a fright as I wondered if you could fall through it and proceeded to slip, but
you couldn’t actually come out the bottom, well not fully! Perhaps I should
have a hat and air jacket on??
Beth’s turn next, she was
able to understand how the leg straps worked and came up with ideas for turning
them round so they be easily removed when up on top of the horse, Beth also
felt quite secure and took quite an interest in the idea that we would need to
train the horse a lot to work by and around the hoist. The movement of the
hoist didn’t make any sound at all which is good for the horse as they may be uncomfortable
if it was noisy. Up and down Beth went, while screaming at Ronnie to get away
from the car!!
.
 |
| Ronnieeeeeeee |
Then it was Julies turn, at first she didn’t want
a go, she actually said she felt nervous and that I had looked quite relaxed in
it. After some convincing we got her up in it. She was able to advise that the
leg straps were quite uncomfortable and due to my spinal injury and lack of
feeling and sensation, I wouldn’t notice this, so this was discussed, as we wouldn’t
want any sores on my legs. Apparently they do covers for the leg slings, perhaps
something in fur or sheepskin would be good.
Once Julie on board she too was able to see how safe the hoist felt.
This gave me so much confidence in the design and I felt that we all thought it
was wonderful. We were all getting quite
wet in the rain so thought we could hurry things along and as Christian had to
get home and clean his wife’s car he told us after the dog had trashed it.. He
was going to be in trouble. He was lovely and we hope to be able to do business with dolphin mobility soon.
The para rider hoist has an
easily removable sling, actuator, control box, battery and hand set. This
design allows it to be stored discretely when the hoist is not in use. Apparently
you can mount up to a 20 hand horse and it takes up to 22 stone in weight. Great
news as the slimming world diet has gone a bit to pot this week!
I think this contraption is
going to be amazing and can’t wait to go to the next phase, which is for the
lorry to go to Oxfordshire to be measured and assessed and then we will know
the exact costings, then we can book it in to get fitted…
This is one of the most
exciting elements to the para riding dream as it enables me to mount the horse
at the yard and go out to competitions and mount. This gives me huge
independence and is one of the most important things about the journey. I will
still need a very supportive team around me at all times and will be
advertising for these positions soon… and I get in a lot of positions !!!!
janelishman.com
