Sports and Recreation for Those with Lower Limb Amputation or ...

Horseback
Riding
Ice Skating
(9) Affiliation with and full accreditation
of these riding
programs by the North
American Riding for the
Handicapped Association;
(10) A creative, goal-oriented,
and positive environment.
Learning to ride a horse is a
challenging activity for those with
and without disability because
it involves the totel body. Since
every muscle and joint is used, the
person with one or more missing
limbs obviously has much work to
do if he or she wants to become a
good rider. The effort spent, however,
is usually highly rewarded
and more than offset by benefits
including improved musculature,
balance, and coordination . With
proper motivation, instruction,
and practice, many individuals
with amputation have become oxce}!onthoreebmok
riders, even discovering
that assistive devices can
be reduced or eliminated as the
activity is mastered.
For additional information on
horseback riding, contact:
° North American Riding for the
Handicapped Assoc.
c/o Donald Warner
RO.Box10O
Ashburn, VA 22011
(7O3)471-1621
Vinland National Center
c/o Joan Saari
3675 Ihduhapi Road
RO . Box 308
Loretto, MN 55357
(G12)479-3555
- Winslow Therapeutic Riding
Unlimited, Inc.
c/o Virginia G . Mazza, Pres.
3408 South Route 94
Warwick, NY 10990
(914) 986-6686
The positions adopted for skating
are very similar to those used
in snow skiing . Constant changes
in pace and position help promote
prosthetic awareness skills . The
below-knee skiing prosthesis may
be useful for ice skating as well.
Ice skating can be used as a
therapeutic activity to overcome
gait deviations . For the belowknee
amputee, ice skating will
strengthen the quadrioeprnuuo!en.
For the above-knee amputee,
moving forward at a slow rate of
walking will aid the amputee in
shifting weight over the ischial
area . An uneven arm swing will be
very obvious during skating, and
also will increase markedly energy
expenditure.
An adaptive device that could be
very useful especially for the beginning
skater is the Hein-A-Ken
Skate Aid (Fig. 26) . Development
of the skate aid was based on the
principle of learning to skate with
a chair. The skate aid, however,
provides a more natural position,
ensures proper posture and balance,
and is more stable than a
chair. The skate aid is built on the
concept of a hospital walker with
runners. For stability, it has a pyramidal
design . The device provides
physical and psychological security,
and is useful in providing maximum
group participation with
minimum supervision.
Skate Aid is available in a 71 cm
(28-inch) children's model or 89
cm (35-inch) adult model . For
more information contact the
manufacturer:
• Heim-A-KenCorporadon
102 Fosse Court
Thief River Falls, MN 56701
(218)681-7420 or2147
Distributors for this product include
• OannuohrodarSkate Sales
6850 Vineland Avenue, Unit 1
North Hollywood, CA 91605
(818)786-8746 or6115
• F!aghnuse,!no.
18 West 18th St.
New York, NY 10011
(212)98S-970O
- Midwest Skate Co.
RO.BoxB7
24370 1ndoplex Circle
Farmington Hills, MI 48024
(313)477-425O
• Oberhamer Shoe Company
689 North Dale St.
St. Paul, K80551U3
(612) 488-6629
- Sandler Skate Supply
P.O . Box 301
60 Concord Ave.
Belmont, MA 02178
(617) 484-5100
• Select Service & Supply Co .,
Inc.
2905 E Amwiler Road
Fig . 26 . The Hein-A-Ken Skate Aid, a modified
walker for ice scating . (Photo courtesy Atlanta, GA 30360
(See also the Sports Organizations
and Resources section) of Hein-A-Ken Corporation) (404)449-570O
26