Some more captions of riding for the disabled program

Amirul Aiman riding the horse with mom.. look at mommy's face....


Mounted and ready to go..... Aiman can barely sit op straight...



After one ride around the block ....Aiman's posture seems to have a drastic change.....sitting up straight .. looking in front.....Look at mommy's face after the ride.......what a difference....that's so great to see!!!!!

Riding for the disabled..... Pemulihan Dalam Komuniti Klang Utara

Helping Farrah on the horse.Brave child!!




All set to go....



Enjoying her first ride like she has done that before...



Wow what a girl.......we enjoyed having her....



I was told that Meor Dani had never climb a single stairs the whole of his life.

No idea how to make him mount the horse. Look at him when we tried to encourage him to go on the horse. Terrified and full of hesitation. Took us quite a while to convince him that it is going to be fine and that he can do it.





After that long persuasion,we managed to get him to stand beside Sam and with four helper he finally mounted the horse.





Once on the horse, we knew how terrified he was, shaking, sweating, and the whole body as extremely tense. We calm him down and let him sit on the horse for quite a while before making one step at at time.




Small steps.....huge smiles.........





After going once around the block, just look at him now!!! unbelievable......... small steps big smiles.....

Love horses... love horseback riding!!!!

My life is blessed. I have owned horses and been horse riding for quite some time now. I can't imagine life without them. They make me laugh, they give me love, and after a hard day at work, there is not a greater stress relief than saddling up and going for a ride. Together we share a deep bond

While horses are second nature to me, many people are mystified by horses and horse riding. They are big animals that look intimating, and the idea of getting on a horse's back is frightening. To many, horseback riding is intimidating, or worse, some are fearful of horses. It is not your fault. You are simply reacting to a lifetime of what you have seen and been told.

The very fundamental basis to mastering horse riding techniques starts on the ground long before you even think about getting on a horse... It begins with a good education about the horses mind and how they think.

We all like to humanize our pets, and it is no different with horses. We tend to transfer our ways of reasoning and our emotions to the horses. This is the first great mistake many new horse riders do, and it is the worst thing a horseman can do.

Horses are not human. They do not think, see, smell, hear, or reason like a human. This is the most important concept for you to master; For your safety on and off the ground, and for the horse's safety.

Horse are herd animals. This means that they are genetically hard-wired to live, think and react as a pack animal. Nature has programed them to react, rather than to act. Ever seen a TV show of a herd of zebras spooked at a predator? It is no different with a horse. But this should not deter you learning to horse ride. Rather it gives you an understanding that they are different and you must "think like a horse" to master horse riding techniques. After that, the learning curve comes easy.

Horse riding can be fun and fulfilling for anybody, but if you don't start with a good foundation, you just start with bad technique and habits.

That is why most people quit riding horses after a few tries. They had bad experiences with the powerful beasts that caused them to fall, be frightened or worse injured. But don't let that scare you off. Falls and injuries can be avoided, and riding can be the best experience of your life when you have the best horse riding techniques under your belt.

Believe me you can ride a horse and you can start any time you want with proper guidance and training.

Saddle up for fitness

In addition to a cardiovascular workout, riding horses is just plain fun

By Gee Loeb Sharp
Special to The Commercial Appeal
Monday, September 1, 2008

For Jennifer Simmons, 42, trainer and owner of Tri Color Equestrian in Eads, there is no doubt about horseback riding's place in the sporting and fitness world.

"It's you and the horse as a team," Simmons says. "It isn't like you're riding a bike where you are in total control. Your horse is your teammate and plays his own role. A rider builds confidence by learning how to work with his horse and problem solve."
Simmons encourages students such as Hope Gilbert, 16, to build relationships with their horses. "With riding, you get a two-for-one deal," Simmons says. "It's both exercise and therapy."
"

"The fitness element of riding is definitely appealing," said Jennifer Simmons, trainer and owner of Tri Color Equestrian in Eads.
Jennifer Simmons, 42, holds a Ph.D. in biophysical chemistry and taught chemistry at Davidson College in North Carolina before deciding to follow her heart and work with horses.

Simmons, an Indiana native who moved to Memphis in 1994 to pursue her career in horse training, says among non-riders, there is a common misconception that riding isn't a vigorous activity, because it would appear that the horse is simply carrying its rider, while the rider takes a comfortable spin on top.

"The reality is that it takes serious coordination to ride and it is a true cardiovascular workout," Simmons says.

"Riding is very demanding work, from the riding itself to mucking stalls, walking a colicky horse or moving hay. You will break a sweat even on the coldest days in the winter."

Gregory Florez, spokesman for the American Council on Exercise, backs up Simmons' words.

"There is no question that horseback riding is a cardiovascular activity; in fact, it can be considered a total- body workout," Florez says. "It utilizes all the major muscles groups, plus some muscle groups that are often underused, such as the forearms and inner thighs."

Florez says an hour of trotting on a horse burns 457 calories for a 155-pound person. The same person would burn 281 calories an hour with brisk walking, 422 calories with general aerobics, or 493 calories in an hour of tennis play.

"For most people, exercise is boring and they eventually burn out," Florez says. "Riding is a labor of love, so burn-out doesn't happen."

But the exercise is only one of the benefits of horseback riding. "With riding, you get a two-for-one deal," Simmons says. "It's both exercise and therapy."

"The fitness element of riding is definitely appealing," Simmons says, "but I chose to work with horses, because I love nature and being outdoors. The number one reason I ride is my love of horses and my relationship with them."

East Memphian Allie Hull, 14, who rides at Simmons' barn, agrees.

"When you ride, you get really close to your horse," Hull says. "Your horse becomes your best friend, and I think riding has taught me how to be a really good friend. Mostly, though, I ride because it is fun."

Simmons earned her Ph.D. in biophysical chemistry from the University of Rochester in New York in 1992, and went on to teach chemistry at Davidson College in North Carolina for two years.

"But I didn't want to spend my life in a classroom or at a desk job," she says. "I have a passion for horses. I can't imagine doing anything else. I knew since I was a child that I wanted to be a horse trainer, and nothing else."

Simmons works with more than 40 clients and houses 20 horses at her barn. She spends 12 to 15 hours a day riding, teaching private and group lessons and doing the endless chores that keep her barn in shape.

Simmons began riding when she was 7, and was jumping horses that same year. She and her older sister became dedicated riders, heading from school to the barn several days a week. As her riding career progressed, she began doing chores at the barn to pay the upkeep for her horse.

She says being outdoors instead of in front of the television playing video games was an asset to her upbringing.

"The amount of discipline involved in riding carries over into everyday life, including schoolwork," Simmons says. "I hear from parents all the time that their children's grades have improved as a result of their riding discipline. By the time you get your horse groomed and ready to ride and then cooled down after your lesson, a half hour lesson takes from an hour-and-a-half to two hours. That's a big time commitment. Children become more organized as a result of this and develop time management skills."

Rachel Vandeven, 16, of Cordova, rides at Simmons' barn four to six days a week.

"I'm training my horse right now, and it feels good to get a point across to her," Vandeven says. "I really feel a sense of accomplishment when I train. It gives me a purpose."

Calorie Burn

There are many online sources that list calories burned for various exercises. All note that several factors, including weight and level of exertion influence calorie burn.

From ifitandhealthy.com:

(Activity: Approx. calories burned per hour)

Skating (ice or roller): 360-600

Jogging (5.5-6 mph): 606-720

Tennis or badminton: 300-600

Walking (2-2.4 mph): 150-180

Horseback riding: 222-600

Calisthenics: 222-600

Handball: 600-900

Swimming: 300-600

Volleyball: 222-450

Bicycling: 222-600

Dancing: 222-510

Bowling: 150-300

Golf: 300-510

(Source: American Dietetic Association)