• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
• /
• v.26 no.2
• /
• pp.123-129
• /
• 2014

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of mechanical horseback riding exercise on dynamic balance in patients with cerebral infarction. Methods: The subjects of this study were 30 cerebral infarction patients. Subjects in the control group received physical therapy for 45 minutes, three times per week, and those in the experimental group received mechanical horseback riding exercise for 30 minutes, three times per week, with physical therapy for 45 minutes, three times per week, during a period of six weeks. For evaluation of dynamic balance ability, limit of stability (LOS) was measured and TUG test was performed. Results: According to the test result, LOS showed a significant increase after the exercise, and TUG showed a significant decrease after the exercise. However, no significant correlation was observed between LOS difference and TUG difference. Conclusion: Mechanical horseback riding exercise is effective for improvement of dynamic balance in patients with cerebral infarction. Mechanical horseback riding exercise is a useful indoor exercise program for clinical use for improvement of dynamic balance.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
• /
• v.25 no.5
• /
• pp.288-296
• /
• 2013

Purpose: This study was conducted in order to determine whether mechanical horseback-riding training depending on velocity can improve vestibular function and static postural balance on standing in healthy adults. Methods: For evaluation of vestibular function, electrooculography (EOG) of vertical and horizontal was performed for identification of the motion of eyes. For evaluation of static postural balance, COP distance, time spent on the sharpened Romberg test with neck extension (SRNE) were measured. Measurements were performed three times before training, three weeks after training, and six weeks after training. Participants were randomly assigned to three groups: fast velocity-mechanical horse -riding training (FV-MHRT, n=12), moderate velocity-mechanical horse-riding training (MV-MHRT, n=12), and slow velocity-mechanical horse-riding training (SV-MHRT, n=12). Results: According to the result for vertical, horizontal EOG, there was significant interaction in each group in accordance with the experiment time (p<0.05). The FV-MHRT group showed a significant decrease compared with the MV- MHRT, SV-MHRT groups (p<0.05). According to the result for static postural balance, the time spent, COP distance in SRNE showed significant interaction in each group in accordance with the experiment time (p<0.05). The time spent on the SRNE showed a significant increas in FV-MHRT, SV-MHRT (p<0.05). The COP distance of SRNE showed a significant increase in MV-MHRT (p<0.05). Conclusion: The MHRT velocity activated mechanism of vestibular spinal reflex (VSR), vestibular ocular reflex (VOR), also helped to strengthen vestibular function and static postural balance. In addition, it should be applied to different velocity of MHRT according to the specific purpose.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
• /
• v.27 no.5
• /
• pp.281-286
• /
• 2015

Purpose: The study was to determine whether mechanical horseback-riding training according to velocity may improve trunk muscles thickness in healthy adults. Methods: Twenty healthy adults participated in this study. The subjects were divided into 2 groups as follows: 10 subjects in high velocity mechanical horseback-riding training (MHRT) and 10 subjects in low velocity MHRT. Subjects in all groups performed a total of 18 sessions 3 times a day for 20 minutes and this experiment lasted for 6 weeks. Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon Signed Rank test were used in analysis the results of trunk muscle thickness. Ultrasonography was performed to evaluate for thickness of rectus abdominis (RA), external oblique (EO), internal oblique (IO), transverse abdominis (TrA), erector spine (ES), and multifidus (MF) in trunk muscles. Results: Results on the changes of EO, IO, and ES of high velocity MHRT showed a significant increase after 6 weeks (p<0.05). Regarding the changes of EO, IO, ES, TrA, and MF of low velocity MHRT, a significant increase was observed after 6 weeks (p<0.05). The differences in change of trunk muscle thickness before training, after 6-week training between groups, TrA and MF of low velocity MHRT were significantly higher (p<0.05). Conclusion: Based on the results of the current study, the velocity of MHRT was shown to affect change of trunk muscle thickness in healthy adults. In particular, low velocity MHRT may serve as a useful method to provide for TrA, MF thickness improvement related to trunk stabilizers.

• Journal of rehabilitation welfare engineering & assistive technology
• /
• v.10 no.4
• /
• pp.243-249
• /
• 2016

In this paper, we evaluate the effectiveness of mechanical horseback riding exercise training for cardiopulmonary responses in 26 healthy adults (male 14, female 12) and suggest its clinical applicability. Exercise was performed using a mechanical horseback riding machine, JOBA(R) (Panasonic Electric Works, Osaka, Japan) and riding movement speed was increased from level 2 (0.73Hz), to 4 (0.9Hz), to 6 (1.03Hz), to 8 (1.2Hz), to 9 (1.3Hz) and maintained 3minutes in each level. Heart rate, blood pressure, maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max) were measured by respiratory gas analysis system (TruOne 2400, Parvo Medics, USA) and exercise tolerance test system(Q Stress, Cardiac Science, USA). To measure exercise intensity, metabolic equivalent (MET) were measured and percent of Heart rate reserve (%HRR), percent of peak heart rate (%peak HR) and calorie consumption were calculated. The results were analysed by SPSS 18.0. We found that the exercise intensity of mechanical horseback riding exercise using JOBA(R) for 15 minutes is moderate in healthy adult who received pre-training.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
• /
• v.16 no.3
• /
• pp.1981-1988
• /
• 2015

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of horse-riding simulator exercise on the static balance of chronic stroke patients. The study's sample included 30 stroke patients who were randomly classified into an experiment group and a control group. Both the experiment and control groups received therapeutic exercise one time per day, but the experiment group also received twenty minutes of horse-riding simulator exercise three times per week for six weeks. To compare the groups, an independent t-test was performed, and to compare each period, a paired t-test was conducted and its result was analyzed. The result of this study, moving distance under standing position with eyes closed, showed significant difference in horse-riding simulator exercise group after exercise. But, there was no significant difference between horse-riding simulator exercise group and control group. Further, various clinical studies focusing on effects of horseback riding exercise on function of stroke patients are needed.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
• /
• v.11 no.12
• /
• pp.487-494
• /
• 2013

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of mechanical horseback riding training on trunk control, balance function in stroke patients. 15 stroke patients were recruited for this study. The subjects were randomly assigned to two groups: experimental(n=7) and control(n=8). All subjects received a routine physical therapy. The mechanical horseback riding training was for 30 min in the case of the EG subjects. This study was carried out approximately 8 weeks from March 4 to May 3. The assessment tools of this study involved the trunk control test, postural assessment scale for stroke, Berg balance scale and timed up and go test. The measurements were recorded before the intervention and after the intervention. In the cases of the EG subjects and CG subjects, the variables measured after the intervention significantly differed from trunk control test, postural assessment scale for stroke, Berg balance scale and timed up and go test before the intervention (p<.05). Also, there were significant differences in trunk control test, postural assessment scale for stroke, Berg balance scale and timed up and go test at post test between the 2 groups (p<.05). The findings indicate that mechanical horseback riding training exerts a positive effect on trunk control, balance function in stroke patients. Further studies are required to generalize the result of this study.

• Transactions of the KSME C: Technology and Education
• /
• v.1 no.2
• /
• pp.193-198
• /
• 2013

The horseback riding simulator, an exercise training machine providing a simplified horse riding motion has been developed for aiming at healthcare. The purpose of this study was to estimate the energy expenditure without measuring bio-signals using the simulator. The test protocol was consisted of increase up to maximal intensity(Motion 9) and decrease down to minimal intensity(Motion 4) during 25 minutes, and energy expenditure was measured by portable cardiopulmonary exercise testing analyzer. There were significant differences in energy expenditure according to each riding motion. The result will be able to estimate energy expenditure using motion level, exercise time, age and gender during the riding.