Squeaking cone and hoop stack

The kids loved this activity. I finally found a tall cone to use and when I placed it on top of the box it was a pretty good height to reach from the horse.



This is two activities in one. They can stack the cones or place the rings. The kids can reach out of the base of support, go into two point stand and work on crossing midline to reach for the cones or hoops.

But to make it more interesting I created a noise making insert as shown below. In this way, I can squeeze to make it squeak and keep the children's attention.


I bought a small dog toy that squeaks and inserted it inside the mesh bag that the onions came in. Then I taped it to the top of a tube with duct tape.
















The tube shown above is sold in hardware stores. They hold florescent light bulbs. I cut a portion of the tube and covered the lower end with tape.

The tube just happened to fit inside the cracked opening on top of the cone.

Some kids might enjoy simply reaching over to squeak the ball. but most of the kids preferred reaching over to place the cones or hoops.

One child had such good balance he was able to stand on top of the horse to reach for the cones and then squat to place them over the large cone. We held onto his shoes and gave support at the gait belt.

Barbara Smith, M.S., OTR/L author of, The Recycling Occupational Therapist
Horseot.com

West Virginia University Occupational Therapy Dept.

I found this fact sheet on Horseback riding created by the Occupational Therapy Dept. at West Virginia University. If you click back on the Participation and Activities page you can check out a long list of different recreational activities with fact sheets, adaptations, anecdotal stories and resources. Very cool.

Animals Make Us Human

Amazon Book Review

Animals Make Us Human

I finally finished reading Animals Make Us Human by Temple Grandin. As in her previous books, Temple Grandin explains how her high functioning autism enables her to understand the animal's perspective because she and the animals are strong in visualizing and seeing in pictures. She also goes into detail about how the animal behaviors reflect needs to seek or are a response to rage, fear, panic, lust, a need to care or play.
I have to admit that I stopped reading Animals in Translation when I got to the part about how one removes semen from an animal in order to do artificial insemination. However, I read Animals Make Us Human straight through and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Each chapter covers the various animals: dogs, cats, horses, cows, pigs and chickens and poultry so readers can go straight to the chapter that covers an animal of interest. But the sections on wildlife and zoos made me think about how the answers to improving the lot of animals and the planet are not so black and white. For example, I don't eat red meat for several reasons, but mainly because I would rather see land grow grains that can feed many more people on the planet than a cow can. But it is essential to have cows out there grazing and pooping or the vulnerable brittle land (like in Arizona) will convert into desert.

According to Dr. Grandin some of my least favorite fast food businesses (i.e. McDonald's) have been in the forefront in making sure that the animals they use have living conditions that meet certain criteria. The chapter on chickens and poultry came the closest to grossing me out with descriptions of the conditions (space so small they sleep on top of one another). I also learned where the term "bully" came from and won't share that piece of grotesque imagery.

As an occupational therapist, my favorite parts naturally center around how to provide the sensory stimulation that allows animals to occupy their minds while in captivity. For example, zoos set up devices so that animals had to work for their food by pushing or turning handles and pigs thrived when given rubber hoses and other objects to shred. Behaviorists as well, will appreciate the positive reinforcement techniques Dr. Grandin explains to be much more affective than any form of negative reinforcement or punishment.

There's more fascinating pieces of information about animals than I can share right now. So go on and read the book!

Barbara Smith, M.S., OTR/L author of, The Recycling Occupational Therapist
Horseot.com

Sequencing Using a Coffee Can, Magnet and Can Lids

• Hippotherapy provides a wonderful tool for developing sequencing as well as fine motor skills. I ask the children to:

• Reach with the magnetic bingo wand for the metal can lids. You may add letters or pictures to the lids to identify. Reaching while in 2 point stand, sideways or backwards promotes balance, strength and motor planning.
  
• Removing the lid from the wand promotes bilateral (using 2 hands) skills.
  
• Insertion into the can develops eye-hand coordination. The can may also be positioned in different positions to promote trunk rotation and reaching.

Jiggle the can full of lids to get the child's attention as needed or consider adding a vibrating toy inside so that the child can enjoy holding the can at the end of the activity. The sound of the vibrating can may help the child to focus on activities.

Barbara Smith, M.S., OTR/L, author of The Recycling Occupational Therapist

Horseot.com

Hand it to HIppotherapy

Check out my article in Advance for Occupational Therapists:
Hand it to Hippotherapy

Barbara Smith, M.S., OTR/L author of, The Recycling Occupational Therapist
Horseot.com

Karter's 1st day riding 0001

I like how the parents put some explanations on the video-

They had the horse stop and start to work on muscle control. Stopping also helps the child to get his sensory system organized. Just as one's body becomes alert when suddenly moving, the body becomes alert again when stopping after several minutes of movement.

Changing the direction while walking around the arena is good for the horse, the rider and the adults walking with him. It gives the horse's body a balanced workout. As I walk in a circle the muscles on my side facing the inside of the circle are shortened and I have to be sure to change sides on the horse and also direction in order to avoid imbalance and pain around my hips and back. The rider is also experiencing muscle shortening and lengthening while walking in circles. Therapists can position the child and walk in certain directions to lengthen muscles on the child's tighter side.



Barbara Smith, M.S., OTR/L, author of The Recycling Occupational Therapist
Horseot.com