Hippo Therapy  Accessories

These accessories are made to attach to the horse in some fashion and are beneficial to stimulate reaching, hand/eye coordination, or just entertaining the child while riding. Volunteering at a horse riding therapy center provided the perfect opportunity to create and try-out the creations, make needed changes or improvements to the creation while working with or observing therapist and rider riding their horse to keep them occupied. The action of the horse with them centered on the horses back is the therapy. Keeping them entertained and stimulated, not crying or being overactive is one if  the jobs of the therapists and side walkers.

 

 
This creation is a game that can be used on the front of the horse or if you turn the child around it can lay across the rump of the horse.  The game board is weighted with small stones so it can be placed anywhere.  Consisting of horses of different breeds that can be clipped to the bars across the weighted pad.  Some of the horses are the same (there are 4 sets), some are different, there is even a piece that is not a horse to stimulate "what doesn't belong here?"  Count how many or add or subtract. The 13 game pieces are in a separate purse (The Pony Stable) for the therapist to use in a lot of creative ways to stimulate the child.  Lots of possibilities with this one. The board is washable, the horses are covered with plastic for easy cleaning.  This game assist is $125.  This game could also be used with those who need weighted blankets or pads to assist them in their therapy. This game board was delivered and worked to expectation.  It did not move once placed on the horse, whether in front over the padded surcingle or in back over the rump of the horse. 

game board, horses and storage bag


This activity center is for sale and ready to ship for $125.

Enhance your hippo therapy sessions now with this child engaging learning center!

 


 

This activity center is weighted with "river rock stones" and weighs 5# 1 ounce.  It measures 18" wide by 15" tall.  There are 12 horses on clips and a tractor; i.e. four sets and four different, plus the tractor for the concept of which  one doesn't belong. These pieces are covered with plastic for easy cleaning. "The Pony Stable" is 8" x 8"  purse with a long strap for the therapist to wear to use as they wish.  This activity center also has doors that open and close, the doors  are secured with velcro.  Buttons serve as "handles" to open the doors.  A small eagle is embroidered and placed at the top of the barn (hard to see in the pictures).  The activity center is made from heavy denim and mottled dyed for added interest.  The stones are encased in a heavy nylon and then padded with a lightweight cotton quilt batting for added comfort for horse and rider.  All completely washable.
Another weighted activity center to be placed where it's needed on the horse.  These sea creatures are magnets.  The therapist can have the child reach for the animal, then the child looks for  the appropriate place "in the sea"  that has a metal  piece underneath to hold the animal  matching  the same outline on the mat.  This set has a separate "sea stable" purse for the therapist to wear that holds the animals. This center measures 19" tall by 16 1/2 wide. The mat weighs about 4 pounds.  This set can be had for $125. 

The Hippo Riding Therapy ranch where I volunteer uses surcingles to hold the saddle blanket on the horse. It is made of hard leather with some hardware attached.  The these covers are designed  to comfort the riders knees or their faces should they fall forward The are padded and brightly covered with interesting fabric that children would enjoy. They are attached with velcro to facilitate  attachment, removal and cleaning of the cover. Decorative, padded covers are $45 each.

 


 Below are some examples of activity centers created to entertain the young children.




Closed Tic Tac Toe activity center







Tic Tac Toe played on the horses back.  The therapist can also uses the pieces to entice the children to reach.




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This one is very popular with the young children, the children have been seen kissing the cute polar bears.  Definitely not crying.  

 

 
These two activity centers  have a lot of activity possibilities.  
 
Recently, using the top activity Center with a child who would not quit crying "I want my mama."  Snuffleupagus was forever peeking at her to see if she had quit crying.  Cookie monster was sharing his cookies with us, and the "shoelace" was entertaining as it was constantly woven through the holes and the student happily unlaced it.  Great activity and curtailed the crying.  What a relief.  It is interesting to note, that although we have a toy box on the field, the child did not want anything to do with the toys, the activity center attached  worked great.

The Activity Centers start at $125. and up depending on the amount of embroidery.
These all are machine wash on gentle and line dried.


Do you have a favorite subject, such as a story theme, or toy that you would like created?  Let's talk.  It truly is a pleasure watching the children have a lot of interaction while getting their therapy at the same time.