The MiraColt, inspired by the benefits of hippotherapy, is a therapeutic medical device designed to realistically reproduce the complex and natural three-dimensional motion patterns experienced when walking or riding a horse.
“This better replicates the horse than other products … I feel like, ... Okay! We’re going to the next horse.”
Dr. Nancy Krenek
Founder & CEO Ride On Center for Kids ("ROCK"), Georgetown, Texas
Hippotherapy is a form of evidence-based physical, occupational, and speech therapy practice in which a therapist purposely utilizes the characteristic gait movement of a horse to provide carefully graded motor and sensory (neuro-muscular) inputs. These inputs engage sensory, neuromotor, and cognitive (thought, behavior, relational, and task processing) systems to promote functional outcomes.
The MiraColt, as a horse-riding simulator, is used as a complementary device in physical, occupational, speech, and behavior therapy. The device provides access to these important motion stimulation benefits for people who cannot use or access a live horse.
It represents a major breakthrough in accessibility for people with various conditions including autism, cerebral palsy, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, down syndrome, multiple sclerosis, and other conditions who can benefit from hippotherapy, but cannot use or ride a live horse.
See how the MiraColt™ transforms outcomes in:
The MiraColt’s movement, which simulates the natural human walking gait, stimulates the brain to improve neuro and muscular function. A typical therapy session with the MiraColt is between 7 to 45 minutes and generates 1,500 to 2,500 neuromotor inputs to the user.
The MiraColt provides a rhythmic movement, which stimulates anterior and posterior swinging motions, and encourages the rider to achieve proper balance and posture. Simultaneously, the rider is able to receive a large spectrum of sensory and motor input.
“After 2-3 minutes on the Chariot my son is louder and more responsive to speech and music therapy ... he is speaking louder and better ... responding to the prompts. This is even better than what we were hoping for! I see the change in him!”
Anna Everett
Mother, Caregiver, Cypress, Texas (May 2018)
When riding, the user sits on a padded seat with hands on the adjustable handlebars. The control panel is used to adjust the settings to get the optimal speed for each rider.
When riding, it is important to use the device on a level, stable surface with the wheels in an outward facing locked position. The device is built to be durable, easy to clean, and effortless to maintain. It also has a strong weight tolerance, with the ability to provide riding services to users weighing up to 275 pounds.
The MiraColt raises the bar among riding simulators and related horse gait equipment. Some existing devices used for therapy were historically marketed as core exercise machines, providing forward-backward seat motions along with some side-to-side motion. Others were originally designed for riding training, and provide primarily forward-backward rocking motion.
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