CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE replicate the beneficial equine movement for clients unable to ride a full-sized animal or limited by time and location; equipment that helped support and balance riders on a horse; and more. Menke immediately realized incorporating the new technology into the riding lessons and therapy vastly improved clients’ experiences. Clients became stronger and were able to move more quickly to the next level of therapy. The prototypes also provided biofeedback data on the physical and cognitive status of the riders. That measurable feedback is the Holy Grail needed to advance therapeutic riding. “All the puzzle pieces started coming together at the same time,” Menke said of her nursing degree and the research and feedback brought in by Rose-Hulman. “What I’ve learned from nursing school and from being a nurse is the rationale. I need rationale for why we’re
Another team of Rose-Hulman biomedical engineering students, Matthew Davis, from left, Colton Watson and Chris Hockaden, displays a stirrup the three have worked on along with its interfacing circuitry and software. The stirrup measures the force being applied by the rider’s foot as it sits in the stirrup and will be able to tell therapists the rider’s balance and pressure the rider is able to apply. The team upgraded the special stirrup that Rose-Hulman students originally developed two years ago.
doing things. All the statistics, all the
riding at Hope Haven for her physical
it this year. “It’s a feeling of accomplish-
things we’re doing now are the same
and emotional pain caused by the
ment that we designed this, and we went
things hospitals are doing.”
chronic ankle injury.
out and built it,” said Chris Hockaden, a
Once Arrin started riding, she
senior from Greensburg. “The hands-on
Back in the saddle
realized her injury also limited her there.
experience of actually building it is one
Arrin Halcomb wanted a horse as far
“I couldn’t feel how much I was pushing,”
of the best parts.”
back as she could remember. “That’s what
she said of using her right foot in the
I asked for every year for my birthday,”
stirrup to help direct the horse, “or if I
she said. “But we lived in the city, so we
was even pushing at all.”
didn’t have any place to put it.”
Riding and now also volunteering
“That brings it home,” added Menke, “when they see somebody using it.” “Our hope would be that we help individual clients at Christy’s farm just
When her family did move to four
at the farm helped Arrin regain feeling:
get better. That’s the first goal,” said
acres in rural Hendricks County some
both in her foot and with her emotions.
Stefanie Panzehagen, a senior from New
seven years ago, she was getting into
“I’m surprised at how much it’s helped,
Berlin, Wisconsin. She was part of a team
gymnastics — which led to competitive
especially not just my ankle. I suffer from
developing a riding pad with pressure
cheerleading. “I had a pretty great sport
depression and anxiety, too,” she said.
sensors and LED lights that measure a
that I loved,” the 16-year-old Cascade
“Coming here with all the positivity and
rider’s balance and tells instructors when
High School sophomore said. “I really
all the laughter, it’s really helped.”
balance is shifting. “Going from there,”
didn’t need a horse.” Then, her right ankle sustained a
While she’s learned techniques to
she added, “hopefully it can be used in
help overcome the foot issue, one of the
more applications and for more people to
series of devastating injuries — torn
projects Rose-Hulman students will unveil
spread the impact.”
tendons and ligaments — requiring
this month will help even more. It’s an
two reconstructive surgeries and the
upgraded pressure-monitoring stirrup.
will change the therapeutic riding
insertion of three rods. Arrin was left
“I’m really excited for the new stirrup
nationwide. Besides improving therapy
with only partial feeling in her right foot
because it’s really going to be able to show
for riders and providing data for
and was no longer able to compete in
how much pressure is there,” Arrin said.
insurance, the technology offers more
cheerleading. That’s when horses re-entered her dreams. She and her family started therapy
24
APRIL 2018
Bringing it home Also excited to see the new stirrup in use is the Rose-Hulman team that worked on
Menke said the technology
opportunities for people to participate and help instructors improve techniques. “Not everybody can come and do therapeutic riding. They may have