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OFFTRACK: BANGALORE,
KARNATAKA
Equine Opportunity
Riding is now being tried out to rehabilitate the
disabled
By Stephen David
The woods are indeed
lovely, dark and deep. And little Shakthi Singh has his promises to keep.
Perched on the thoroughbred Lawrence, the fair, curly-haired boy is walking
the black stud up a track that has as its backdrop a shimmering blue lake
on one side and a 110-year-old palace in all its Tudor grandeur on another.
It's a heady feeling as it surely must be for anyone in his place, taking
in the fairy-tale view and the fragrant cocktail from the surrounding
jacaranda, cassia and other trees, not to mention the rich flower beds
interspersed with bamboo thickets, palms and shrubs. "Move,"
he commands and Lawrence readily complies. Not bad for Singh. He is just
six years old. And he suffers from cerebral palsy and poor vision.
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HORSE POWER: It's help and hope that Bopaiah (centre) offers a
wheelchair-bound Agarwal
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It doesn't matter. In fact, that's precisely
why he is here. As two instructors walk unobtrusively with him on either
side, a third, Pushpa Bopaiah, leads the way-not just for Singh but all
those like him. Gently pushing, even prodding but never riding roughshod.
It works wonders, the Handicapped Equestrian and Riding Therapy or HEART,
as Bopaiah calls it. Two months ago when Singh joined the Princess Academy
of Equitation in Bangalore, under which Bopaiah runs her programmes, he
was shy, unsure and entirely dependent on those around him. Now, he can
not only walk a horse by himself, but he is, as his father Ravinder Singh
reveals, confident and can eat on his own. "The idea is to make Shakthi
learn something more than just horse riding here," says Pradeep Kumar,
Bopaiah's husband who is an assistant commissioner in the Directorate
for the Welfare of the Disabled and a volunteer at the academy.
The couple chanced upon the concept of horses
for healing while surfing the Net. Drawn by its miraculous powers, Bopaiah,
a passionate horse-rider herself, travelled all the way to California
to get training in therapeutic riding for the disabled under a trainer,
Nora Fishback. There's been no looking back since, with former Mysore
princess Rajkumari Meenakshi Devi readily agreeing to the novel idea of
the academy conducting such programmes in the 400-acre Bangalore Palace.
"Therapeutic riding is one of the many
new rehabilitation programmes initiated all over the world. I thought
it would be useful in India too," says the 35-year-old Bopaiah, a
bundle of energy that belies the fact that she is a mother of two grown-up
children. "Being saddled on a horse is an enjoyable experience for
a normal person but for someone who is physically challenged, it is something
great, like being on a road to recovery."
A growing number of people with physical, cognitive
and emotional disabilities will vouch for that. Vijay Kumar Agarwal, 39,
suffering from muscular distrophy, moves around in a wheelchair. He always
missed horse-riding, among other things in life. He signed in for their
bi-weekly schedule. "Now I feel on top of the world," he says,
as he clambers on a horse from a ramp specially designed for those on
wheelchairs.
So how does the magic work? It is basically
a combination of physical therapy and equestrian techniques to promote
body strength and coordination. "Horseback riding gently and rhythmically
moves the rider's body in a manner similar to human gait," says Bopaiah.
"While riders with physical disabilities often show improvement in
flexibility, balance and muscle strength, those with emotional disabilities
display increased confidence, patience and self-esteem which is a result
of the unique relationship with the horse." Among the cases it can
treat are autism, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injuries, visual impairments,
even cardiovascular cases.
According to M.V. Vedamurthy, director, Directorate
for the Welfare of the Disabled, "There are nearly 100 million people
with disabilities in the country today, but just 20 million have access
to rehabilitation services." Bopaiah and Kumar are willing to impart
their training free of cost to anyone who will in turn use it to benefit
the disabled anywhere in the country. In fact, the couple do not charge
even those at the academy for their services. The programme runs on an
actual cost basis-Rs 50 for a 40-minute session with an initial Rs 1,000
deposit that covers expenses like feed for the horses. The joy on the
faces of their patients when they ride through the woods is enough of
a reward for them.
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